*How to Send a Private Message on Google+

*How to Send a Private Message on Google+
H/T dustn.tv 
Two caveats.
1. Make sure the To is just to the person and public is deleted.
2. Do not plus mention someone else in the body of your message. They will be able to read the message as well.

#googleplustips   #privatemessageongoogleplus  

Originally shared by Dustn.tv

How to Send a Private Message on Google+

This will eventually be a longer-form blog post for dustn.tv but until then, this is the quickest, easiest and most effective way I know to send people private messages on Google+.

Now, of course you can try using Hangouts but if you're reaching out to someone who you don't have a prior connection with, Hangouts may prove to be unsuccessful or take a while due to the privacy filters. 

This technique will make sure that the person gets your message every single time. 

1. Start a new Google+ post.
You can do this from the stream or from hitting the square talk-bubble with the plus sign next to your profile picture in the top right side of your screen. 

2. Use a *Private Message* title
This indicates to the person that the message is only between the two of you, and helps it to stand out when they see it in their notifications stream. 

3. Include a +mention in the message
This is crucial. Don't forget to +mention their name in your post because this will ensure that they get a notification about it. Without this step your post may never actually be seen. 

I can't tell you how many times people have tried to send me private messages and I never saw them because the person didn't +mention me. It wasn't until later that they finally got a hold of me and said "Did you see my private message?" My follow-up question is always, "Did you +mention me in it?"

4. Make sure nobody else is in the To: field
Make sure you clear out any circles from the To: field before you send. I've accidentally skipped this step before (quite a few times) and made a private message public. 

Use this for Good, Not Spam
Much like anything, if you use this for the right reasons and don't abuse it by spamming people like crazy, it will be a very effective tool for you. 

If you have any other questions about using Google+, I'd love to hear them as I prepare a series on Google+. 

#googleplustips   #socialmedia   #gif