If you're one of those Google+ users that happens to use the service on the mobile Web (as opposed to one of the Google+ apps), you'll notice an entirely new look and feel next time you're there. Google has announced that its user interface on the mobile Web now more closely mirrors the changes announced last week during the Google I/O conference. More specifically, individual posts now appears as "cards" in the mobile Web stream. User profiles and Google+ Pages have also been updated to include cover photos, larger tap targets, and "much more," Google says. Here's a screenshot from G [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Google | Google: Google+

Following a number of new Google+ updates announced at Google I/O, a new Google+ app for Android is rolling out today with more options to organize and edit photos, a new locations section that lets users know where their friends are, and the new automatically-added Google+ hashtags to locate related content within a user's stream. Photo Organizing & Editing Options The new app now includes an Auto Backup feature that stores photos as they are being taken, along with an Auto Highlight feature where users can browse a selection of top shots from added sets of photos, and an Auto Enhance f [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile Marketing | Google: Android | Google: Google I/O | Google: Google+ | Google: Mobile

Google+ users who enjoy social gaming will soon have to look elsewhere as Google+ games is being shut down. After June 30th, Google+ Games will be officially retired as Google will move forward with one united front, the  Google Play Game Services platform. Google+ Games launched in the Summer of 2011, but whether it be demographics or just the platform itself, Games continually under-performed. Some developers jumped ship on Google+ Games last year as the adoption on the social network didn't have a high enough impact on customers. In an unglamorous announcement, Google directed [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google | Google: Google+

Nearly two years after its launch, Google is still dealing with people who question why they should bother with Google+. But in recent weeks, the company has released what it considers "game changing" features that it feels will better enlist both marketers and developers to embrace its platform. "You're now seeing us put out, on a constant drumbeat, tools and capabilities for developers and marketers that I think are game changing, that they may not get anywhere else," said Seth Sternberg, product management director for the Google+ Platform, when meeting yesterday with a small group of re [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Features & Analysis | Google: Google+ | Top News

Time for the Grow Your Audience With Google+ session at Google I/O 2013. We get underway at 3:30 pm PT to hear what tips Google+ product marketing manager Amy Walgenbach has to share. Live blogging is below: [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Google | Google: Google+ | Social Media Marketing

What's going on with Google+ as a platform? That's what today's "Fireside Chat" session is about. We're live blogging it from Google I/O. Let's see what comes up! You'll find a livestream here, and the live blog gets going at 10 am PT. Speakers are: Seth Sternberg, David Glazer, Sandy Jen, Jennifer Lin, chee chew, Vic Fryzel. [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Google: Google+

The new look for Google+ is rolling out now, and with it, the new "related hashtags." These allow you to see other posts that are related to the one you're reading, if that post uses a hashtag. The New Hashtag Tab For example, consider this: In this post, it made use of the #io13 hashtag. With today's design update, that hashtag in turn is now used in a new tab along the top right of the post. Related Posts If you click on that hashtag button, a new related area appears above the post box, while the post itself "flips" to show the first related post. You can continue to flip through m [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Features & Analysis | Google: Google+

Google announced a number of Google+ upgrades during the keynote presentation at today's Google I/O, including a new responsive, multi-column layout for Google+ Stream. Now, users will see one, two, or three columns of content depending on their device's screen size and orientation. Photos and videos have been enhanced as well, fitting the entire width of the stream. According to the Google+ blog, the new media sizes make images and videos, "...easier to scan and nicer to look at." Users will also notice new animations in their stream with a bouncing sharebox, cards that "flip and fade" an [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Google: Google I/O | Google: Google+ | Google: User Interface | Top News

Google announced the new Google+ Hangouts app at Google I/O today. The new app combines Google's chat, voice and video services into one product. The stand-alone version of Hangouts allows users to combine images, video conferencing and text chats (now complete with emoji) in one experience. Video calls can include up to 10 people. As the new tagline -- “Conversations that last, with people that you love” -- suggests, Hangouts can now be archived (though you can turn off history if you don't want to relive your chats and calls). The app is now available on desktops through Chrome as [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Consumer | Google: Google I/O | Google: Google+ | Top News

Website owners with a Google+ page will soon be able to add content recommendations to the user experience on their mobile websites. Google just announced the new feature today, which blends both Google+ activity (such as +1s and shares) and search authorship to determine the best related content to show to users as they browse mobile website content. Readers will see recommendations whether they're signed in to a Google account or not. If they are signed in, though, they'll see more personalized recommendations that involve content that was +1's or shared by their people in their Google [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile Marketing | Google | Google: Google+ | Google: Mobile | Social Media Marketing | Top News

While Google+'s numbers continue to grow, it appears that brand engagement has faltered, at least according to a new article from Reuters. Of the top 100 brands that Reuters analyzed, 72 had a Google+ page, but roughly 40% of brands have never posted content or have done so infrequently. McDonald's, one of the largest advertisers hasn't even made a single post on Google+ to date as they are "not active" on Google+. One of the biggest arguments that brands are making as to why they aren't participating as much on Google+ is that their customers are all on Twitter and Facebook. Accord [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Google | Google: Google+

Less than two days into my Google Glass ownership and I'm already getting a software update. As Phandroid first reported, the Google Glass software is getting the "XE5" update -- XE stands for "Explorer edition" -- and I'll be able to check it out as soon as I get a chance to plug the device into its charger. (That's the only way to receive Glass software updates from the mothership.) One of the bigger aspects of this software upgrade appears to be a wider and tighter integration of Google+. As I mentioned yesterday in my Google Glass diary, day one article, the ties between Glass and G [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Google | Google: Glass | Google: Google+

A new GlobalWebIndex study analyzing international social media behavior revealed that mobile use and older Internet users are driving growth for Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn. To conduct the Social Stream Q1 2013 study, GlobalWebIndex surveyed 31,779 consumers in 31 different countries, examining global social media behaviors during the first quarter of this year. According to the findings, Android and iOS users were more likely to be on social networks than average Internet users. In Japan, iOS users were 133 percent more likely to use Google+ than average Internet us [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Strategy | Facebook: Statistics | Google: Google+ | Mobile Marketing | Pinterest: Statistics | Statistics: Online Behavior | Statistics: Social Media | Top News | Twitter: Statistics

Two months ago, Google rolled out an interesting new twist to Google+ posts, the addition of interactivity. Rather than just text, images or links, Google+ interactive posts allow for calls to action or a specific "deep link" directly within a post. This allows for smarter targeting from companies and smarter, easier, pre-filled updates by users and pre-loaded Google+ buttons. From RSVP-ing to an event, to applying, to finding a table to reserve at a restaurant, the action types available are many. Google officially states that "Interactive posts can drive new users to your site, improv [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Google: Google+ | Top News

Smart social media marketers know that some tactics are totally off the table. Spamming that Google Plus community with your off-topic links? That's a no-no. Auto-DMs to new Twitter followers? No way. Then there are tactics that aren't inherently bad, but you may not want to use them every day. Like pop-up ads, advertising jingles or re-targeting campaigns, these tactics can be just shy of annoying if used incorrectly, but often get the kind of results that make them irresistible to try. Let's call these "yellow light" social media tactics. When you come to a yellow light in traffic, [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Facebook | Google: Google+ | Pinterest | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Marketing Column | Twitter

According to an online survey conducted by SurveyMonkey, the popularity of content on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ significantly impacts the likelihood it will be read. Out of 629 participants, 374 were given a survey asking how likely they were to read an article on Facebook that already had 451 Likes. The remaining 255 respondents received a survey asking how likely they were to read an article with only 11 Likes. Survey responses demonstrated users were more likely to read an article with a higher number of Likes on Facebook. The same was true for Twitter, with respondents more likel [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Analytics | Content Marketing | Facebook: Insights | Features & Analysis | Google: Google+ | Statistics: Social Media | Top News | Twitter: Statistics

Facebook has been the dominant source of social logins, but Google is closing the gap and now accounts for more than one-third of all social logins. That's according to the latest quarterly report from Janrain. After a couple years of consecutive gains, Facebook's share of social logins has dropped for two straight quarters now. In Q1 2013, Janrain estimates that Facebook accounted for 46 percent of social logins -- down from a high of 54 percent in Q3 last year. Google, meanwhile, has grown from 25 percent of social logins in Q3 2012, to 31 percent at the end of the year, and now up to [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Strategy | Facebook | Facebook: Statistics | Google | Google: Google+ | Social Media Marketing | Statistics: Market Share | Statistics: Online Behavior | Statistics: Social Media

According to a recent mobile hashtag survey by RadiumOne, 58 percent of respondents said they use hashtags on a regular basis, and 70 percent of the hashtag users are doing so from their mobile device. RadiumOne's survey evaluated how consumers perceive, value, and use hashtags. Of the 494 survey respondents, 71 percent were female and 44 percent, middle-aged. (RadiumOne noted that while social media use is most predominant with 18 to 24-year olds, comScore credits middle-aged women as the group most responsible for growth in social media site usage.) Another key insight from RadiumO [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Facebook: Advertising | Facebook: Instagram | Google: Google+ | Mobile Marketing | Pinterest | Pinterest: Business Use & Advertising | Pinterest: Mobile | Social Media Marketing | Social Media Marketing: Advertising | Social Media Marketing: Hashtags | Top News | Twitter

New versions of the Google+ app for Android and iPhone are now available, with updates to photo, post, profile and community features. Users will have access to a selection of Snapseed's photo-enhancement options within the Google+ app, including basic editing functions and the ability to choose filters like Drama and Retrolux. Saturation, contrast, brightness and other photo effects can be adjusted as well, along with a single tap feature that lets users compare an edited image with the original. The new version of the Google+ app for Android will include more text up front on posts and [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Mobile Marketing | Google: Google+ | Google: Mobile

Looking for a specific image on Google+ just got a whole lot easier. A new "Photos" filter is now available on the filter dropdown and will limit the results to images that have been posted on Google+. Results will display items that are shared with you and also public photos posted to Google+. In the announcement from Googler Dave Cohen, he shared a few of his favorite photo-only queries: Long exposure: https://plus.google.com/s/long%20exposure/photos Steel wool: https://plus.google.com/s/steel%20wool/photos Cartoons: https://plus.google.com/s/cartoons/photos To see [...]

Related Topics: Channel: Social Media | Google | Google: Google+ | Top News