How to Hit a Bulls-Eye with Your Next Google+ Event and Hangout on Air
Google+ Hangouts on Air and Events are constantly evolving with new features and enhancements. Keeping up-to-date can be a challenge but it's worth the time and effort to use the tool properly. Hosting a Hangout on Air (HOA) has many different moving parts and one that you don't want to miss is properly promoting your event without annoying your Google+ followers.
Create a schedule of your tasks for your Google+ Events and be sure to include how you are going to get the word out for each one.
I found a little gem last night playing on a Hangout on Google+. When you add a photo to an Event, it goes onto the Event page but also your personal profile or page with a nice clickable link back to the Event.
That's a Google+ bulls-eye in my mind!
Here's what you do and how you use it.
1. Create an image using Recitethis.com. (hat tip to Stephan Hovnanian)
2. Share it on the Event in a comment.
3. This generates a notification to everyone that has RSVP'd to the Event and it looks fantastic in the sidebar notifications.
4. You can pin this image on Pinterest with a link back to the Event and tweet the link with the photo attachment so it's gets a lot of visibility on Twitter as well.
5. Since this is now on your personal profile on Google+ it's a great chance to catch people who may not have seen your Event invitation and can hop on the Event page to watch the Event live or watch the recorded HOA.
6. You could also add some text and an arrow at the top of your image for a fantastic call to action for your Hangout on Air. I would do this in PicMonkey.
Also, if you have any questions or want to learn more about Hangouts, follow Ronnie Bincer who I gave a hard time to with this quote but he is my go-to Google+ friend for Google+ Hangouts and Events.
What unique ways have you found to share your Google+ Events? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.
Additional resource: How and Why to Schedule Hangouts on Air using Google+ Events by Ray Hiltz
Article by Peg Fitzpatrick
Hi Peg! Another great example of how Google+ can be optimized with visual content (as you say, Google+ and Pinterest go together like peanut butter and jelly! — love this, by the way) Thanks for posting such great tips. I had never heard of ReciteThis.com — it seems awesome and I’m excited to start using it! 🙂
KatherineKotaw Hi Katherine! I loved this new little feature and adding tiny things really do add up.
You’ll love recitethis.com it’s so easy for Pinterest, Twitter and everywhere!
Hey… you should tell me when you are poking at me like this! (maybe you did, but I missed it). Great tips on getting some good milage out of HOA Events. Did you see my ‘other idea’ about getting more milage from these things? Crowd Quotes from watching a HOA Event… http://goo.gl/87Pgwb
Hi Ronnie!
I thought maybe you were upset that I was teasing you. You’re doing an amazing job helping others learn through your Hangout Mastery community – very nice!