Google Plus: A Guide to Setting Up & Using Circles to Grow an Opt-in List
18. Oct, 2011 
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Google Plus is Google’s popular new social media platform that has really taken off. Since its launch at the end of June, Google+ has generated considerable buzz and attracted 20 million users even while it was still in closed beta, which means that in order to join you had to get an invitation from a current member.
OK, so Google+ is popular, but you are thinking that you already don’t have the time to spend engaging with your audience on Facebook and Twitter and now there is another potential social media time suck that everyone is talking about. Well, my goal in this article is to show you how you can use the circles feature in Google Plus to set up a special opt-in list that will help you to monetize your social media efforts.
What are circles?
Google+ gives you lots of control over what you see in your feed, and who you share your information with. Circles allow you to group your followers into specific groups so that you are always sharing information that is appropriate to that group. You might create circles for the following groups if you are using G+ for marketing your online business:
+Business colleagues
+JV Partners
+Industry Contacts
+Suppliers
Creating your own opt-in circles
Full disclosure this is not an original strategy. This idea comes from Chris Brogan, and the implementation from Denise Wakeman, but there is no reason you can’t duplicate it with your following.
The first step is to create a simple form (you can even use Google docs for this) where you describe the purpose of the opt-in circle. Tell subscribers what you will be sharing, and why it would be advantageous for them to sign up. You might offer them early notifications on promotions and launches, and special early-bird discounts, but be sure to give a full and complete disclosure of the kind of content you will be sharing. If you will be sending promotional offers, be up front about it so that your subscribers can have clear expectations.
Next you have to give instructions for subscribers to add you to their circles so that they can see your posts. Then you provide a link to your Google+ profile, and a field for them to enter their Google+ URL. To find your URL, go to your Google plus profile and copy the entire URL which will look like this:
https://plus.google.com/alongstringofnumbers/
Then if you will be creating more than one opt-in circle, ask them to indicate which one they would like to be added to.
At the end you will add a submit button for the form. Again, this can be created quickly and easily using Google docs spreadsheets.
So now as you begin curating content and sharing it with this hand-picked group you will be fostering a relationship with a group of followers who have indicated that they want to consume what you are sharing. Stay true to the original description of the circles, and make sure to share valuable content about 80% of the time and share promotions about %20 of the time.
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