Though Google+ was officially shut down in 2019, when it was active, Google+ Collections allowed users to group and share curated content based on specific topics or themes. Here’s how users could have created and optimized Google+ Collections for curated content sharing when the platform was active:
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Google+ Collections
- Log in to Your Google+ Account:
- First, you needed to log in to your Google+ account using your Google credentials.
- Navigate to the ‘Collections’ Section:
- Once logged in, you could find the ‘Collections’ tab on the left-hand sidebar. Clicking on this would take you to the Collections dashboard.
- Create a New Collection:
- To create a new Collection, you would click on the “Create Collection” button. This option allowed users to set up a specific category or theme where they would later curate content.
- Name Your Collection:
- When creating a new Collection, you had to give it a descriptive and engaging name that represented the content theme. For example, if the Collection was about technology trends, it could be named “Tech Trends 2024.”
- Set Privacy Preferences:
- You could choose the privacy settings for each Collection. Options included:
- Public: Anyone on the platform could see the Collection.
- Private: Only you could access the Collection.
- Custom Circles: You could share the Collection with specific groups or individuals.
- This flexibility allowed users to tailor access based on their audience, making it possible to share with friends, colleagues, or publicly.
- You could choose the privacy settings for each Collection. Options included:
- Customize the Collection:
- You could also customize the appearance of the Collection with a unique cover photo and theme color to match the Collection’s purpose.
- Curate and Add Content to the Collection:
- Once the Collection was created, you could start curating content by adding posts, articles, images, and videos related to your theme. This was done by clicking the “Add” button and choosing the type of content you wanted to post.
- Google+ allowed users to add links, text, multimedia, and share posts from other users directly into the Collection.
- It was crucial to make sure the curated content stayed aligned with the Collection’s focus to maintain engagement and relevance.
- Organize Posts and Engage with Followers:
- As content was added, the most recent posts would appear at the top. You could re-organize posts manually by dragging and dropping if needed.
- Engaging with followers who commented on or shared the content helped foster a community around the Collection.
Tips for Effective Curated Content Sharing with Google+ Collections
- Select a Niche Topic:
- Curating content around a focused topic helped create a more engaged and interested audience. For instance, if your focus was on digital marketing trends, avoid adding unrelated content to the Collection.
- Balance Original and Curated Content:
- While the purpose of the Collection was to curate content from other sources, mixing in original content such as blog posts, insights, or infographics made the Collection more valuable to your followers.
- Be Consistent:
- Regularly updating the Collection with fresh content kept your audience engaged. Inactive Collections could lose followers or interest over time.
- Follow and Engage with Other Collections:
- Engaging with other people’s Collections and resharing relevant content from them helped build connections and gain visibility within the Google+ community.
- Utilize Hashtags and Keywords:
- Including relevant hashtags in your posts increased discoverability. Just like on other social platforms, hashtags on Google+ helped categorize content and make it searchable.
- Collaborate with Other Content Creators:
- You could allow other users to contribute to your Collection, making it a collaborative effort. This expanded the range of content and could introduce your Collection to a wider audience.
- Monitor and Analyze Performance:
- Google+ had a feature called “Insights” where users could check how their content was performing (likes, shares, comments, etc.). Analyzing this data helped users improve their content curation strategies over time.
Content Curation Strategy for Google+ Collections
The key to a successful Google+ Collection was in its content curation strategy. Here’s how one could approach curating high-quality content:
- Identify Key Themes and Topics:
- Define the core themes that the Collection would cover. Each Collection should focus on a particular topic, such as digital marketing, food photography, or travel tips.
- Focus on creating multiple niche Collections rather than a broad one, allowing for better audience targeting.
- Use Credible Sources:
- When sharing third-party content, it was important to ensure the information came from reliable and authoritative sources. This built trust with your audience.
- Stay Relevant and Timely:
- Sharing the latest news, trends, and developments relevant to your Collection’s theme kept your content timely and of high interest.
- Add Value with Commentary:
- Rather than simply sharing links, adding your insights or commentary on curated content made the Collection more informative and personalized.
- Create a Posting Schedule:
- Establishing a regular posting schedule kept the Collection active and fresh. For example, you could aim to post at least three times a week.
- Leverage Visual Content:
- Visual content like images, infographics, and videos performed better than text-only posts. Including engaging visual elements helped attract more followers to the Collection.
Google+ Collections in Context of Content Curation
Google+ Collections functioned similarly to Pinterest boards or LinkedIn’s curated content feeds. The main difference was the ability to organize and present curated content around a unified theme, allowing users to create a curated knowledge hub. This was particularly valuable for businesses and content creators, as they could create thought leadership in specific areas by consistently curating valuable content.
Benefits of Using Google+ Collections for Curated Content Sharing:
- Focused Sharing: Collections allowed users to separate their content by topic, giving followers a clear understanding of what kind of posts they could expect from each Collection.
- Enhanced Discoverability: Curated Collections, especially public ones with well-used hashtags and keywords, were easily discoverable by other Google+ users.
- Community Building: By sharing valuable, curated content, users could build a community of followers who were interested in a particular niche.
Conclusion
While Google+ no longer exists, the platform’s Collections feature was a robust tool for curating and sharing content. It allowed users to organize their posts around specific themes, engage their audience with consistent updates, and foster a community around their interests. The process of creating and managing a Collection was simple, but the impact was significant in terms of content organization and audience engagement. If a platform like Google+ Collections existed today, it would still be a powerful method for content creators and businesses to share curated content effectively.