The draw of Google+ is the ability to share information with subsets of your social group. Google+, the Google-operated social networking service, has recently added new privacy controls that are of interest to business owners. These controls offer users a more secure way to share sensitive information across the social network with “restricted communities.”
With the restricted communities, Google+ conversations can now be conducted on the social network with privacy-aware controls. This means that you can now open the community to everyone in your company or practice, or only a select group of individuals you would like to invite. There is no need to worry about sharing privileged information with everyone since all information posted in that community stays there. Within the restricted community, Google Drive files, events, photos, and videos can be shared. Other communities can be created for individuals outside the company, such as clients or business partners.
Administrators have the opportunity to set restricted communities as their default for an organization, or they may select another setting.
Google considers the Google+ service to be a “social layer” of its many online properties. They believe groups should be able to communicate in social forums without everyone else seeing their conversation, hence Google+’s circle feature. Businesses require more security than the circles have to offer, though, which is why they have come out with the restricted communities.
Accessing Google+ Communities
To create a Google+ community, locate the green communities icon in the navigation menu on the home screen and click “create community.” Next, select public or private. You will be able to decide if people can search for your community and ask to join, or if you would like it hidden. Once you give your community a name and click “create community,” you can begin sharing thoughts, files, videos, photos, and events with your group members.
For more information on Google+ and other advanced marketing strategies, contact Surgeon’s Advisor.