Your Google+ Guide: 15 Tips For Newbies

While Google+ has a slick design and Google clearly tries to make the platform as intuitive as possible, your first few days with the new social network can be overwhelming.

You may expect to log in and immediately see all your friends' activity with no effort at all. Or perhaps you're looking for a Facebook clone in every sense. You'll find neither on Google+.

The "Welcome" screen helps. When you start up Google+ you're told that the project "makes sharing on the web feel like sharing in real life." You see Circles, Hangouts and Sparks as three important areas.

But what does it all mean? What exactly are these "Sparks" and "Circles"? And what are the other key features of Google+? You can use this handy guide to learn all about G+ features. But that just gets you started. How can you make the most of your Google+ experience?

That's where the tips below comes in. Here are 15 pointers to utilize the social network to its full potential.

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Start By Finding People You Know

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You can use the "Find People" search box at the top of the site to search names, company names, places (cities/towns), schools, etc. to find people you know. Open up the profile pages for each of these people and hover over "Add to circles" to put them in a circle (friends, family, acquaintances, following or make a new circle).

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You can use the "Find People" search box at the top of the site to search names, company names, places (cities/towns), schools, etc. to find people you know.

Open up the profile pages for each of these people and hover over "Add to circles" to put them in a circle (friends, family, acquaintances, following or make a new circle).

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Katherine Betts said on 14 Thursday 2011 am31 10:58 am: Does anyone else find it funny that an article on Google+ doesn't have the "+1" option?

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Comments

[DieNo]

10:38 PM on 08/16/2011

there is so much garbage on this page, where are the pointers? I can barely find the comment box too. Voting huggingtonpost as worst website.

[Cihan Kanar]

12:58 PM on 08/14/2011

saol canım benim. saol canimm
www.trgoogleplus.com
www.plusgoogle.gen.tr

[Stephen Jonson]

07:48 AM on 07/29/2011

Superb....Now Google can change our lifestyle..
keep it up..
http://homeplushomesmodernbed.blogspot.com/

[bearchao]

02:16 PM on 08/02/2011

SPAM

[bvandegrift3]

11:11 PM on 07/28/2011

Tip #16: Turn your life over to Google.

[staninco]

11:44 AM on 07/26/2011

After browsing all fifteen slides in this item, I dread the thought of participation in Google+. No thanks. My online experience is already too complex.

[Jude Chukwuemeka]

10:47 AM on 07/23/2011

This Google+ code was just given to me and I'm yet to see the benefits.
http://bizgreenglobe.blogspot.com

[Pham Duc Hai]

04:56 AM on 07/23/2011

Make Google+ profile picture and Make Google plus banners for profile online:
http://gpluspic.com and http://gpluspic.com/banner

[pavlacky]

02:22 AM on 07/18/2011

https://plus.google.com/104530470486892622305/posts/9yxteTT4aRo

[olga321]

08:48 PM on 07/17/2011

Could you add me too please? blossompunk at gmail.com

[Phil Leon]

03:34 AM on 07/16/2011

I don't want it!
Stop forcing stuff on us with no way to go back!

[pineappaloupe]

10:08 PM on 07/15/2011

+1 if your google plus profile picture is more offensive than your fb picture.

[Eva Dunson]

02:16 PM on 07/15/2011

Google+ is like what Facebook used to be like. You had to know someone or be in a college that was apart of their preferred group. I liked it better when it was for "the chosen ones" than I do now. I'm just waiting for all the features to start happening with Google+ so far I love it and I am looking forward to what they are bringing to the table. Facebook, will become like My____ and Friendster and all those other outdated and over-populated social media venues. I think those that down Google+ are those that can't get into the beta and see what it's really like. Jealousy is not a pretty color on anyone, just sayin!

[Robert Bullock]

01:03 PM on 07/15/2011

Why do they keep posting tutorials for an invitation only beta and not make mention of that fact?

[Eva Dunson]

02:17 PM on 07/15/2011

they post them because once every few days it opens to the public, so they can try to get in. But it's only open for a couple hours. They want to see who all is interested in it.

[Paul Conrad]

11:55 AM on 07/15/2011

What could be more fun than performing 15 different steps on a Facebook clone that isn't very fun.

[Ramkshrestha]

05:40 PM on 07/14/2011

Still you did not open Google+ ? Then this could be useful to you.