Three More Reasons Why You Might Like Google+

Several months ago, I wrote a post that outlined some of the best features of Google+ for individuals and businesses. I don't hide the fact that I really like Google+. Despite reports of growing users, Google+ has never really caught on with any of my friends (except for one!).

A recent round of shakeups has created a few new features that make Google+ shine even brighter, in my opinion. So with this post, I want to highlight those new features in hopes that they'll give you even more reasons to like Google+.

COMMUNITIES

Think about your interests. There are so many, right? The Communities feature of Google+ allows you to group posts about your favorite subjects from anyone (whether they're in your Circles or not). Pizza lovers, golf fans, locomotive enthusiasts and, yes, even Google fanboys have created Communities that share videos, polls and more - all about specific topics. There's a real element of "Community Pride" too as many Community Owners go to great lengths to keep their areas SPAM-free.


COLLECTIONS

Call it a Pinterest copycat all you want but...I...yeah, I can't really argue that claim. Google+ home feeds have featured a very "Pinteresty" layout for a long time. The day after I created my Pinterest profile, Google+ Collections were announced - which has been sort of a good thing. I've learned the ropes of Pinterest and Collections at the same time. The overall concepts are nearly identical and I've found myself using Pinterest more. However, I will say using Collections gives me a "less cramped" experience over the jam-packed appearance of my Pinterest feed.

PHOTOS

In my original post about Google+, I mentioned an awesome feature that automatically saves your phone's photos. Even though this feature has seen many different skins, its association with Google+ never afforded it the appreciation it deserves. That recently changed as Google decided to separate the two and promote the photos feature as Google Photos.


There's been a few cosmetic changes but I have never noticed much of an operational change from version to version of Photos. Of the many great benefits of this feature, knowing that all the photos I take with my phone (good and blurry) are permanently (?) saved is very satisfying.

So what do you think? Have these features impressed you enough to give Google+ a try? If so, add me to your Circles and we can discuss!