Do you get enough variety in your diet? No, I’m not asking about fruits and vegetables — though it is a good idea to mix those in, especially since Summer is right around the corner! Actually, I’m referring to variety in your company’s social media diet. Just like the right balance of foods is important for a healthy body, a good mix of social media networks in your social media strategy is critical to a healthy online presence.

Overloaded on Twitter and Facebook?

Let me paint a potential scenario: a company wants to get started with social media. Since Facebook and Twitter are the big names in the game, they decide to put all their efforts into building out a strong presence on those channels. They are engaged in conversations, are able to distribute blog posts and company news/perspective and are even generating some sales through those channels. All is well, right? Maybe, maybe not.

Many Google+ users jumped on the search giant’s social network yesterday and
found a completely new layout waiting for them when they accessed their profile
pages.

The profile page, a standard feature on any social network, was redesigned
according to feedback that Google gleaned from users. It also introduces features commonly found on other networks in an attempt to broaden the appeal of the growing platform.

Here’s a look at what’s included in the changes.

New, Larger Cover Photo

One of the first things users notice when accessing their profile pages is the larger and
more prominent cover photo. Google had long offered two options for cover photo
styles: the filmstrip and the banner cover photo. With today’s change, everyone is
moving to a significantly larger cover photo that measures 2,120 pixels x 1,192 pixels.
This gives the most creative among us more room to work with to stand out from the
crowd.

I know you’ve heard it: Google Plus is a ghost town. A quick search for “Google Plus ghost town” turns up plenty of results. But is that criticism really warranted? I don’t believe it is. But the perception remains and I believe the fault lies in the mirror with how we use the network. So, what can we do about it? Read on and I’ll show you how you can turn your Google Plus ghost town into a boomtown.