How to Optimize Google Buzz for Social Network Benefits
Posted by Ching Ya | Posted in Facebook, Google Buzz, How To, Social Media Tool, Social Networking, Twitter, Web Application | Posted on 31-03-2010
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Google Buzz has created a lot of Buzz in the social web since its big launch. We all familiar how the story went when something as sacred as our email contacts to be handled publicly without our consent. When Google apologized and willing to tweak the privacy settings, my frustration subsided a bit. Everyone deserves a second chance, right?
What I Learned from Google’s Big Flaw?
My biggest concern is to lose control over what to be shared publicly for my social accounts. There may be no secrets out in the open web but users should hold the key for privacy authorizations, not the service providers. Nevertheless, Google Buzz had my attention even though we started off on the wrong foot. Now I’m more keen than ever to discover how it can be a ‘helper’ instead of a troublemaker for my social network benefits.
How to Optimize Google Buzz for Social Network Benefits
While Chris Garrett enlightened us with tips to start your Google Buzz, I’m going to share how I utilize Google Buzz as my network booster:
#1 Google Buzz – My Public @ Inner Network Circles
Initially, Google Buzz auto-connected us to people we have corresponded with in Gmail. I wouldn’t want to waste the list so the first thing I do is make sure the contacts are properly grouped- People I Know, Bloggers, ex-Colleagues etc. This helps to keep certain discussions visible and focus to particular group. Also, a good precaution if Google Buzz ever gone public in Google Search. Now is the best time to manage your stream and reputation.
Suggested Read: Manage your Settings in Google Buzz; Filter Google Buzz Updates from your Gmail
Caution:
Be extra careful for the group you’ve picked for your last update. It will remain to be the default receiver unless you manually change it before posting.
#2 Google Buzz – My Discussion Panel & Feedback
Probably what I like best about Google Buzz – no 140/420 word limit as in Twitter or Facebook. Furthermore, it involves your trusted network (correspondence) so definitely can be of some use. I can post a question, include links manually or integrate several social media sites for feedback:
For additional site integrations, follow the below methods:
a) Your Very Own Blog(s)
1. Sign up for a Webmaster account.
2. Add your blog to Webmaster and verify ownership by inserting the codes given.
3. After the verification is done properly, you can now click at ‘ x connected sites’ to retrieve the newly added blog. Click ‘Add’ to include.
You can add as many sites as you prefer as long you have the access to place the verifying codes.
b) Other Blogs
Can be imported by Google Reader. Just subscribe to these sites and include Google Reader in ‘connected sites’. You can manually ‘Share’ any posts with or without comments.
c) Facebook & Social Bookmarking Updates
Obviously there are no easy options to integrate Facebook in Buzz. However it doesn’t stop us to do so with the big help from FriendFeed. You can even import your updates from Stumbleupon, Delicious, Disqus and many more as long the services are covered by FriendFeed:
This is how Facebook updates been transmitted to Google Buzz:
Extra: To send Google Buzz to your Facebook personal acc, try Google Buzz Sync. (thanks Hartley for this valuable info)
Caution:
- The updates may not be instant, some took minutes while some hours to publish.
- New FriendFeed account holders may experience difficulties to import updates from certain social media sites.
DO NOT simply delete your social media profiles on FriendFeed to prevent glitches. I fail to re-connect my Stumbleupon account as FriendFeed is unable to retrieve my username. Facebook can only allow Links & Notes to be imported to FriendFeed, not status updates. Seems like this issue was brought up since May 2009. However, there is still a possible way to do so although it’s not perfect. I’m still working on improving the method, hopefully good news is on the way.
d) Selected Twitter Updates
This method only works for those who remained their older Facebook configuration in FriendFeed that’s still able to import Facebook status updates to date. If you can, Do Not Refresh your Facebook configuration. (All imported tweets will be treated as ‘Facebook Updates’, not links.)
If you prefer to keep Twitter moderated so not to flood the Buzz streams, sending selective tweets to Buzz can be done based on the idea of Twitter->Facebook->FriendFeed->Buzz integration. Have a read of how you can fix up the configuration with 3 Easy Ways to Share Selective Tweets on Facebook Pages, even auto-scheduling.
#3 Google Buzz – Discover New Contacts & Content
You can do so by:
- Following your friends, discovering who they are connecting with and participate in the discussions;
- Search for niche discussions using Google Buzz search or Buzzzy advanced feature;
- Have a look at ‘Suggested’ contacts provided by Google Buzz.
I’ve found some people to thank who shared my posts on the Buzz stream,
discover new contacts,
and even had a good laugh.
Google Buzz may not be your #1 place to meet people, but it’s an additional platform for Google devotees to mingle. You can extend the new friendship elsewhere anyhow you’re comfortable with. Especially when Google Buzz is yet to be a front runner, it’s best to get involved and noticed by your targeted contacts easily with a little bit more effort. Not to mention, it is giving your Google Profile more page impressions.
Google Buzz is not for everyone, but it will work for some
I loved this article – It’s about the people not the tools. There is no right or wrong. No disputes required to prove how effective is Google Buzz. When it comes to which applications you should use, go back to your root: who and where is your audience? How do you plan to utilize social media in reaching out to them? You are the deciding factor.
Now is Your Turn…
How is your experience with Google Buzz? Feel free to express your thoughts and extra opinions on how you plan to optimize Google Buzz for your social network benefits.
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Thanks for this. I didn’t realise you could add your blogs to it. I’m off to see about that now.
Fantastic post!
Anne Lyken-Garner´s last blog ..Vital Settings For Your Blogger Blog – The Newbie’s Guide
Anne,
Thank you and let me know if the integration can be done successfully.
Remember to add it to your Google Profile for extra visibility.
I’m always slow to adopt new trends in the social marketing atmosphere. I guess I was just so turned off by how bad Google botched the launch of Buzz for privacy regulations.
In any case I’m going to try implementing it now. You’ve given me some inspiration / reminded me about something I’ve been meaning to do lol.
Chris Guthrie@Make Money on the Internet´s last blog ..Vibrant Media Review – In Text Advertising Case Study Part 2
Awesome thanks for the write up =)
There’s so much social media out there now, and Google Buzz I’ve only just barely played around with it.
I mostly still use twitter, just because it’s easiest for me
I didn’t realize you could integrate it to autoschedule updates via Twitter, that link was really helpful. Maybe this weekend I’ll set that up – I already auto tweet to facebook
Sid Savara@Personal Development´s last blog ..13 Ways To Improve Your Concentration With a Distraction Free Work Environment
Hi Sid,
The integration for scheduled tweet (as Facebook updates) in Buzz only works if your FriendFeed is still able to import status feed from Facebook. Do not refresh your Facebook account in FriendFeed if it’s still working. I learned it the hard way. Good luck!
I am still trying find my way around Google Buzz. I have began to add people but I have not utilized it too much yet. This post definitely spurs me on to do something with it!
Kevin@ShootingtheBreeze´s last blog ..Are you Digging it?
Kevin,
It’s all about test/errors.
Hope you’ll have a good start with Buzz. I’m gradually picking up the paces myself too. See you there.
Hi Ching! You shared some helpful information. When Buzz first came out, I was very concerned about privacy issues, but I’m okay now.
One of the reasons I haven’t used Buzz as much as I use other social sites is because I haven’t quite figured it out. I never thought about putting my followers in groups. I do know that I don’t want to clutter up the stream with other sites, but I think I will make some changes to that.
So far I’m still on the learning cure.
Evelyn´s last blog ..16 Reasons Why You Should Eat A Plant-Based Diet
Evelyn,
Same here. I wouldn’t want to make Buzz another echo chamber but I do think certain integration may help – for example our blogs.
Remember we don’t have to include every social media site, just the one that we think can benefit our exposures, not burden the stream.
I’m still learning myself. Glad we’re on the same boat in this.
Ching, this is quite useful and informative. And to be very honest, I am just loving it. Being a social media freak myself, I couldn’t have hoped for more. Google Buzz is really cool. The best thing which i like about google buzz is its integration within Gmail. That really makes it all easy for a guy like me and hopefully for others too. Plus, one more thing which I appreciate is the availability of the space to post more text that is very unlikely twitter. 140 characters sometimes, is not enough
Well, I am quite amazed to see my buzz followers increasing like anything though it still is very less at this moment. Only 121 followers
Most of the people who are following me are unknown to me. Anyways, not an issue for me.
Google Buzz really rocks but still my favorite is the one and only facebook. I find it much better than this Buzz or Twitter. It is still be very early to compare Buzz with Facebook though Buzz has similar looking features like facebook and Twitter yet a lot of improvement is expected from it in the times to come. Especially, tweaks related to security and text customization will be greatly appreciated.
Lets hope that Google gets serious on these things and does it as expected and as soon as possible
Aswan´s last blog ..Get friends online – The art of making friends online
Aswan,
Good for you!
Wonderful share on the Buzz and surely your followers count will increase for you’re a super-networker. Thank you so much for visiting.
Another cool thing about Buzz is it’s Search Buzz tab. I use it to listen in on conversations about my favorite topics, keywords and personalities.
I share good reads in Buzz via the sharing option in Google Reader. I like it because it gets published as Twitter update, too.
Not every tweet makes it to my Buzz timeline though. I want these two separate. I don’t have the heart to unfollow friends who add their tweets into Buzz, but I refrain from adding other users who do. Putting tweets into the mix makes it hard to manage.
Jan,
Wonderful feedback on Buzz.
I have seen how you use Google Reader brilliantly within the network. I feel the same way about Twitter stream. It’s better to use it differently instead of a same social aggregator as FriendFeed. Thank you so much for visiting.
Hi Ching Ya,
This is a great post! Lots of wonderful technical tricks for feeding into Buzz. I especially liked the idea of “preparing for Google search” by categorizing my friends into groups now, and then posting to buzz selectively.
One question: any idea how I can get the buzz from people that I subscribe to put into groups? Ideally, I’d love to group the people that I follow into categories and see the buzz updates by groups. Example: buzz from friends, buzz from professional contacts, buzz from techies, etc. – like how we group people we follow on Twitter using Tweetdeck or HootSuite. Thoughts?
Debra Askanase´s last blog ..Social Media Flow Charts
Debra,
I have yet to find a way to view people in groups yet. This is exactly like how Twitter started with a bunch of followers, no Twitter Lists and managing clients when launch. Will keep you updated if I found anything.
Thanks so much for dropping by, appreciate your comment.
I’m not a buzzer. As I understand it, you need to use gmail?
Dennis Edell @ Direct Sales Marketing´s last blog ..Comment Contest Continues Through April!
Dennis,
That’s right.
Gmail, Google Buzz, Google Profile, Google Reader.. everything are connected for max exposures, so to speak.
Again, another awesome and cool explanations on how we can better make use of Google Buzz. For the time being, I am not yet a fan but on my there, specially after you walking my way through. Thanks Ching and I’m off to see how my settings are. So much things to do, and so little time:) Well, gotta do what you gotta do, right?, lol
DiTesco´s last blog ..How To Migrate From Blogger To WordPress: Part 1
DiTesco,
You got that right.
Time is one thing we can’t afford losing yet so hard to grasp. Wish I can add one hour per day so I can do everything that’s on my to-do list. ha.. well, we are all trying our best, hope it’s good enough. Thank you so much for your comment, truly appreciate your visit.
Hi Chinga Ya,
)
I’ve honestly been very leary about this buzz thing. Reading your article I’ve seen that I might give it a try. As with all technology it’s only useful if you know how to utilize it to your advantage. It also takes a lot of time time to learn all of this.
Thanks for giving us a stepping stone as to what to do should we decide to go with the “buzz”
Blessings ?,
Eren
Eren Mckay´s last blog ..Easter Bunny Online Games for Kids to Play
Hi Eren,
It’s so great to see your lovely face again!
Hopefully you’ll give Buzz a try if you’re on Gmail. Well said on making use of the technology for own advantage, I think that’s what we’re trying to find out – the social media lists that will bring us to success.
Looking forward to your inspirational post. ^^
Grrreat, the web hast just gotten more complicated !
Your descriptions are always, like always, but I haven’t yet found that sparkling advantage in Google Buzz. Does it help you spread the message ??
Mars Dorian´s last blog ..The Xia Xue Guide to Brilliant Branding
Mars,
I think it does but not in the same way as Twitter.
Let it be similar to Facebook, where you can have selected circle of contacts, at the same time allowing public viewing of your updates that may earn you some new acquaintance (as followers) – they’ll share, like your updates, even share their thoughts about it. I see Google Buzz as a platform mainly for discussions, feedback; meeting like minded people, foster a greater bond as it’s more focused.
It’s possible to still get the message viral if you have enough followers to be interested in what you’re sharing. Thank you so much for visiting. ^^
Social media is getting a little out of control these days. It seems a new site comes out every month.
I really the tip on using Friendfeed as your hub to send it to all of the other sites. It works really well. One thing to watch out for is posting to the same site multiple times. If you have Friendfeed set to post to Twitter AND have it set to repost your Twitter updates, it can get ugly.
Double check your settings! Don’t make the same mistake I did.
Trevor,
Very true. It’s always about moderation when it comes to integration. Well point out! Appreciate your comment as always. Thanks so much.
Hi Ching Ya,
First of all, thank you very much for the lengthy guide. I haven’t really got into Google Buzz yet because i didn’t like how it grabbed users from everyone as well as gmail contacts. Most of my gmail contacts are one-time emails. I think i will go back in and give this another try though.
Josiah@free ipad´s last blog ..iPad with iBooks Looks Amazing
Josiah,
Welcome, pleasure to meet you. I would love to hear what do you think about Buzz after you’ve tried it.
Thank you for liking this post.
Okay, what can I say…..you are the bomb!
Let me know if you need that translated.
You keep me well stocked with useful info, thank you.
Kissie´s last blog ..Off Centered, Off Key, Off Balance
Kissie,
Thank you my friend, that’s very kind of you.
Hope this info helps. Have you tried Google Buzz yet? Hope all is well.
Very useful post, Ching Ya! I am indeed quite hesitant in using Buzz in full scale not because of paranoia about privacy matters and the like but mainly because I simply can’t cope up sometimes with the social networking services available these days considering that Twitter and Facebook may come as overly self-indulgent at times and utmost overwhelming.
However, I would say that keeping your networks to a certain manageable level does matter in keeping communication channels uncluttered and socializing stress-free.
Mathdelane @Software Critics´s last blog ..How to Generate In-Image Ad Revenue from Your Website
Mathdelane,
Social media can get overwhelming, that’s true.
It’s all about quality, not the quantity. I do enjoy the process of trying out social media as it inspires me: every application has its advantage, we need to know our needs in order to decide whether it’ll fit us. It’s the same like finding the right software for us – not all of them are useful to us, but once we need them, we know exactly what to look for and where. ^^
Thank you so much for the visit. Appreciate your insightful comment.
Ching Ya, I am using all of your great how-to articles as my guide to all the bells and whistles on the social media topics you cover. I’d be lost without them, thank you for doing the heavy lifting! You make it look easy!
Luci Weston´s last blog ..April Flowers
Luci,
Thank you so much, your words mean a lot.
I’m glad to say I learned a lot from this experience. Hopefully this after-use experience can help those who need it. Be sure to give me a shout if you’re in Google Buzz. See you there. ^^
What a comprehensive, informative post. You really do put so much TLC into each post, Ching Ya!
I’ve yet to really tackle Buzz – with the myriad of platforms I’m already on, it just seems too daunting. But, this post make it less of a mystery. I’ve bookmarked to use as my guide when I decide to take the plunge
Thank you Tim,
It’s so great to see you here.
Yes, I understand how that feels. When people are asking me what I think about Google Buzz when it first launched, I hardly had the time to focus on it. It took me weeks later to really explore – from frustration to a new hope, I think it’s a good sign. Thank you for bookmarking this post as a reference, honored.
Appreciate your visit & comment. See you again sometimes.
Another knowledgeable and ever green article Ching Ya. I always want to little more thoughtful like you but my brain issue always create prob. Again very insightful article.
Arafat Hossain Piyada´s last blog ..Google now help you to do a successful romance
Arafat,
That’s too kind of you. You are doing well in your own niche too, keep up the good work.
Do let us know how you think about Google Buzz once you tried it. Thanks again!
Ching Ya, I joined ages ago but once again I haven’t had the time to go into it in any depth. I wonder if it’s because I was waiting for you to do this post? I always know where to go when looking for a review on a social networking site.
Sire´s last blog ..Win A Trip For Two To Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion
Sire,
I can’t thank you enough for dropping by, I know how incredibly busy you are as well. Is this a new site of yours? Think I heard you mentioned about it in one of your posts, or I need to confirm with you to be sure.
Thanks again for dropping by.
The one in the link is a new site but I don’t think there is anything there that may interest you Ching Ya. Then again you never know.
No matter how busy I get I will always make time to see what you’ve been up to.
Sire´s last blog ..Of Easter, PR Updates And Other Things
This is excellent. I didn’t even know there was so much I could customize in Buzz. I’ve had a small poke around on it, but I started to find it annoying having notifications of things doubling or even tripling up on different sites.
I personally have removed my Twitter feed entirely and do not auto post my blog posts on there either. Mostly, I’m finding Buzz is a great way to share and comment on articles I find.
Gonna Delicious this post for later, excellent resource!
Josh Kohlbach´s last blog ..StumbleUpon: My Stumble Your Own Stuff Experiment
Josh,
I too, had removed my Twitter stream, even my FriendFeed when the service keeps importing my Twitter acc even I removed it. It’s good to have a clutter-free Buzz to listen and join in the discussions. I just hope I can spend more time on it.
Thanks so much for visiting. See you around.
Another great article ching Ya. Just after reading this I came to know that one can add his blogs to it. I’ll go and implement it now
Rathnakumar´s last blog ..5 Tips For Writing A Blog Post
Rathna,
Good to know you are gaining something from this lengthy post. Do make sure to keep the updating moderate if you’re a frequent poster. All the best! Thanks again for visiting. ^^
[...] How to Optimize Google Buzz for Social Network Benefits: See why Ching Ya is giving Google Buzz a second chance. If you have not yet figured out the benefits of G Buzz, this might change your mind. [...]
Another Great article Ching Ya.
And very informative. Some great tips here to better utilize Google Buzz.
Still I am more looking forward to fully utilize Google Wave. This I strongly believe will be a great project management tool.
Google Buzz still has some sidekicks that I wished Google had done something about.
But I use it as a nice addition to my other Social Networks..
Cheers.. Are
Are Morch´s last blog ..4 Time Management Skills To Create a Better Social Media Experiences
Are,
I would love to hear about your experience with Google Wave. I have not using it for quite awhile now. It’s sort of like an opposite of Buzz but similar in some areas, depending how one decides to utilize it. Buzz to me is more focused. Project management can definitely be a big plus for Wave, I have yet had a group to experience with that yet. Hopefully some day. ^^
Thanks so much for commenting.
Ching,
I haven’t jumped on the Buzz train yet because of all the other options out there, but I bookmarked this article for later reading.
Thank you Frank,
It’s a privilege to be bookmarked by you.
I appreciate it. Always great to see you here. Keep up the good work on TechJaws! I’ll be heading over shortly.
Buzz, buzz, buzz, Google is and was
The King of the Internet.
And Ching Ya is queen!!!
have I joined? I’m not sure, must check into that!
xo
Jannie Funster´s last blog ..Yes, Kids Do Say The Darndest Things — 3
Jannie,
Thanks so much for bringing your uplifting spirit here.
I wonder which social media app is your favorite, besides blogging? Looking forward to seeing you again. Take care!
[...] How to Optimize Google Buzz for Social Network Benefits [...]
Your guide is nearly comprehensive, but the first tip about organizing contacts is a powerful bit of promotion insight. In some ways that’s what I’m struggling to do to get my blog attention – get everyone I know who can help out in one place where they can help me make maximum impact.