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Dear Google: You’re doing a great job of promoting Google Glass. Launching GooglePlus? (Which I love!) Not so good. In fact: terrible.

Screen Shot 2013-07-27 at 4.31.37 PMGoogle has generated huge amounts of earned media with a Tom Sawyerish promotion of Google Glass. They got people to apply to spend $1500 on the prototype and then doled out the first 8.000 samples to the people likely to spread the most interesting news about their uses for Google Glass.

Google chose well. There’s been a Google Glass marriage proposal and a Google Glass video of an arrest and an NBA draft pick interview caught on Google Glass, plus scores of “my first Google Glass days” accounts.

Why Everyone is so confused about Google+
Effusive praise of GooglePlus – arguably the most important social platform yet – not so much. In fact, there is a lot of “Google+ is a ghost town”. There’s even an “I hate GooglePlus” Facebook page!

G+PhotoSizeChangeAnd, dear Google, do you want to know why so many people are confused about GooglePlus? Because Google has published too much information, too many videos, and mountains of instructions that can only be described as unclear.

Here, for example, is Google’s explanation of the +1 button that is Google’s version of the Facebook Like (but not really.)

Impossible explanations abound
I defy anyone to read this and understand the difference between Hangout Parties and Hangouts on Air

I’ll explain – Hangout Parties are video chats you can have with friends and family. They aren’t recorded and you won’t end up with a video you can post on YouTube. They are only for the invited guests.

Screen Shot 2013-07-27 at 4.58.02 PMHangouts on Air are automatically recorded – and any number of people can watch them if you’ve told them the broadcast will be happening. The videos are automatically posted to your YouTube channel, if you have one. (By the way, Google ruined the way yours looks a couple of weeks ago when they turned your cover photo into a big black blob without telling you) You can edit them and search optimize them from within your channel.

Then there are just plain Hangouts. Which are not recorded. Got that?

Ample rewards for learning GooglePlus
Want to learn about GooglePlus? There are user forums, user communities, Google’s own myriad of posts, videos, PDF, slide shows, and blogs.

Why is there so much information? Because engineers run Google. Brilliant engineers who create really great products that they are not good at explaining to ordinary mortals.

Google’s making Google Plus sound a lot more complicated than it is. The bottom line is that GooglePlus is so rich in features and benefits to engaged users that if can make one’s head spin. But that’s a good thing.

And the reward for taking the time to learn about it is better search placement, hugely active communities of specialists and experts who gleefully share information and kindly help newbies.

Don’t believe the naysayers.
They are, in a word, wrong about GooglePlus.

If you need a guide, I’m available for hire and I’d love to help you learn to take advantage of the many wonderful features of GooglePlus, teach you how to make it work for your brand, and turn you into a convert.

Dear Google: Call me! (917-566-5855)
And, dear Google, I’m also available to consult to you on how to simplify all the “help” information you’ve created.

Cover image change graphic via AutoRevo