I know a lot of you are fed up with Facebook. But it’s important to realize that even though there are new options on the social media frontier, most of your fans are still on Facebook. That said, there’s a new player in the game and many believe it’s going to become a major player. Because of this, I’m giving you some of the basics of how to get started with Google Plus.

 Personally, I really like what I’m seeing with Google+. The developers have addressed many of the more irritating issues about Facebook and the fan base for Google+ is growing exponentially.

 So let’s get started!

 First, go to https://plus.google.com/ to sign up, or view your account.

 Once there, you need to fill in your profile. Most important—upload a photo. Remember, only spammers and newbies don’t have a profile photo online.

 There is a line with 5 icons that you’ll need to be familiar with.

The first looks like a house and it’s your HOME key.

 The second looks like an old fashioned Polaroid photo and it’s the PHOTO tab. This is where you can upload or view photos.

 The third is a circle with a head inside it. This is your PROFILE button. When you click this you go to your profile. When you want to change your profile you click this button then the EDIT PROFILE button.

 The fourth is three interlocking circles and this represents your CIRCLES. Circles are the way you categorize and organize your friends and acquaintances. It’s what makes Google + different from Facebook. You don’t have to have different accounts to keep everyone separate—you only have to put them in different circles.

 The fifth icon is a GAMES icon and, unless you’re a game player, I don’t recommend you bother with this tab.

 Today we’ll deal with your profile.

I’m going to share a trick to upload a full bio that shows up when someone hovers over your avatar (your picture). This is important because it gives others more information about you than just a quick description.

• Click on your PROFILE button and then your EDIT PROFILE.
• Upload a photo.
• Give a quick introduction about who you are.
• Fill in your occupation.
• Now here’s the cool trick. Click on the first box under employment. Copy and paste an abbreviated bio into that box (about 150 – 200 words). Make sure the CURRENT box is checked. This allows anyone who hovers over your avatar to see your entire bio. This cool trick is courtesy of Mashable (http://mashable.com/2011/07/26/google-plus-tips-tricks/#214431-Add-More-Info-to-Your-Profile-PopUp-Window)

 I also recommend you fill in the following fields

• Your email address.
• Your nickname (if different from your legal name)
• Profile discovery—if you’re trying to work as a freelance writer or get known as an author you need to make your profile discovery PROFILE VISIBLE IN ANY SEARCH.

 Here’s a quick note about circles.

 Google + comes with several default circles:

• Friends.
• Family.
• Acquaintances.
• Following.

You can also create any custom circles you wish.

You can add people to more than one circle.

And…you don’t have to let anyone know what circle they’ve been assigned to!

 Okay, that’s enough for one session. I recommend you take the plunge and begin to get familiar with Google +. And be sure to add me to one of your circles!

Edie Melson is a freelance writer and editor with over 16 years experience in the publishing industry. She’s a prolific writer, publishing over 700 articles in 2010. She also has a popular writing blog, The Write Conversation and is a frequent contributor to many others. In keeping up with the leading edge of all things digital Edie has become known as one of the go-to experts on Twitter, Facebook, and social media for writers wanting to learn how to plug in. Her bestselling eBook on this subject, Social Media Marketing for Writers, is available on Kindle and Nook.

As a sought after writing instructor, her heart to help others define and reach their dreams has connected her with writers all over the country. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference and Southwest Christian Writers Studio, as well as a popular faculty member at numerous others. Edie is also the Assistant Acquisitions Editor for ChristianDevotions.us.

Fighting Fear, Winning the War at Home, is Edie’s latest project. This devotional book for those with family members in the military will debut on Veterans Day, 2011.

She’s a member of numerous professional writing organizations, including the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, The Christian Pen, The Christian Writer’s View I and American Christian Fiction Writers. She’s also an assistant copy editor for the Voices E-zine, a publication of My Book Therapy and a part of the My Book Therapy Special Teams Blog and The Social Media Coach for the My Book Therapy Core Team www.mybooktherapy.com.

Married 30 years to her high school sweetheart, Kirk, they have raised three sons.