So here’s the deal…. my new daily blog and social activity will be over at Google+ you can use this link: http://gplus.to/comics or http://profiles.google.com/djcoffman
As far as I know, Google has opened up (as of Friday) to anyone with a Gmail account. If not, you’ll be in soon.
The Facebook Killer
In just less than a week playing around with CIRCLES and sharing, I realized this IS a Facebook killer, just like Facebook was a Myspace killer. Hell, I barely logged into Facebook at all this week, and when I did, I found myself annoyed for some reason after coming from such a clean and open layout. Listen, I can’t get into all the details of WHY it works better, but for me, it just DOES.
For Cartoonists and Creatives…
This is a game changer. No doubt. Not only might G+ be a Facebook killer, but it could likely be a DeviantArt killer too. Here are some quick examples of how I’ve used it.
#1 – Today, I was able to upload 65 pages into a “Hero By Night” album and share it with my circles AND the public within SECONDS. Maybe 20 seconds??? And within a few minutes it had been shared 6 times and I had a bunch of people connecting with me on G+… ON A FRIGGIN SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
#2 I realized quickly that broadcasting to special “CIRCLES” could be an interesting way to distribute a comic. Only the people you put in a special “circle” will see the post you share with that circle. The trick is, they’ve gotta ASK to be included. Within the first evening that circle had 80+ people in it. Every time I post an update or mention that I have a special circle for that comic, more people flood in with asks. Pretty cool! It’s sort of the reverse of permission marketing.
Sure, it’s easier to put a signup form or something automated for a mailing list together for your comics like in the olden days… but this is where G+ is different. They make it pretty darn easy to add people to circles. All I have to do is hover over a name and checkmark them in the “COMIC BROADCAST” circle and it’s done. Plus, this gives you way more interaction with your fans. Another added perk, if I want to checkout what all those specific readers are up to, I can just view THAT circle only, which makes it even easier and more powerful to connect with fans. For the guys who have already thumbed their nose at it saying “how do we monetize it?” because you can’t control ads or whatever…. you obviously just don’t understand the power of social as a business model. Sure, this isn’t the end all be all for web publishing…. but it’s awfully close. It sure seems like I’ve had more interaction with fans old and especially new in one week than I’ve had in over an entire year on one of my comic strips. Awesome…
Put simply… I love it!
#3 If you’re a fan of comics, the organization of your own private circles is just awesome. With one click I can check out what Ryan Estrada is up to right next to Adam Black and Sherm Cohen. Same goes for other topics too… social media gurus like Chris Brogan and Seth Godin… when you want to switch speeds, just switch circles.
ANYWAYS…. if you want regular updates from me, find me over on G+