How to Join a Google+ Hang Out

Are you on Google+? We know it’s still pretty small and people are reluctant to use it, but with how quickly things change in the internet world there is a distinct possibility that one day soon Facebook will be replaced by Google+. So maybe it’s best to get a head start.

Google+ works very similarly to Facebook in that you can add friends, post status updates with links, photos, and videos, and chat with people in your circles. Once you’ve signed up and played around with it, you’ll find that it’s very easy to use and has a lot of the functionality of Facebook. Google+ does, however, had the added feature of video group chats.

Why is this a cool feature? Well, it give you the ability to connect with friends face-to-face (so to speak) from all over the world from the comfort of home. Companies and brands are also holding Google+ hang outs that you can join and connect one-on-one with them. So how do you start or join a hangout? Let me show you!

Once you’ve opened your profile page there is a little button in the upper right-hand side that says “Start a Hangout”.

When you click it you will have to install a quick plug in to do the hang out. It doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes and it’s super easy to do.

Then you’re all set to start your first hang out! Once you join you have the option to invite people from your circles or by email addresses or you can make the hang out public so that anyone can join from the hang outs page.

If you don’t want to start your own hang out, but would like to join one that already exists all you have to do is go the the hang outs tab from your profile page and see who’s hanging out publicly! Keep in mind though that there is a 10 person limit in each hang out.

And there you have it! It’s that simple.

 Now, how can this help you? Well, it has great applications for personal use, but if you think outside of the box a little, you can really make it work for your business too!

If you start building a following of your brand page (which work just like brand pages on Facebook), you can host a Google hang out with some of your companies biggest fans! You can have a chat with them, let them ask you questions, or even show them how to make something with your products like a card or jewelry. The possibilities are endless! When you’re setting up your hangout, you can also put it “On Air” which means that it will record and upload to your companies YouTube channel so that other fans and customers can still watch even if they weren’t able to join live. Several big companies and celebrities have hosted hang outs like this already.

So what do you say? Will you be trying a Google+ hang out soon?