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To Buzz or Not To Buzz? That My Friends, Is A Great Question

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Google Buzz

Did you ever catch yourself being closed-minded about something? I did. I was very closed minded when it came to Google and things like Google page rank for a long time. I was getting so tired of hearing Google says, ” do this!” or Google says “no never mind, do that!” it was really starting to bug me.

Then one day while I was practicing Yoga, I had a moment of clarity, you might call it an AHA moment, and suddenly it dawned on me. Google rocks!

Google Analytics Helped Open My Mind

This mind opening thought was most likely rooted in my positive experiences with using Google Analytics and what a rich traffic reporting tool it is. GA has always been my favorite Google product and I think its the best free resource for any marketer or webmaster.

So I began to explore Google’s Chrome Browser and now, quite frankly I’m addicted to it. I’ve discoverd many blogger-friendly Chrome Extensions (Zemanta, Diigo and Readability) and it seems I keep creating how-to videos for them! Eventually, I reached a point when I began to ask myself if I was going to Buzz or not…Finally I gave in and I extablished a Gmail account (something I had taken a sacred oath with myself that I would never do) and started using Google Buzz. It was boring at first, but soon I began to find several users that share great content and I continue to learn new tips everyday. So I thought this would be a good time to create a screencast so you can see what it looks like from the inside.

Google Buzz Preview Video

If you’re like I was a few weeks ago you’re still pondering the question – To Buzz or Not To Buzz. I admit that I’m enjoying Google Buzz now but you might not be convinced yet. Take a look at some other resources on the topic.

  • How to Optimize Google Buzz for Social Network Benefits an in-depth look at tweaking the setting in your Buzz account from Ching Ya
  • How to Import Your Twitter Contacts To Google Buzz Bishwajeet introduces us to TW2BUZZ
  • Google Buzz Boost Sharing on Google Reader by 35% TechCrunch highlights some interesting Buzz trends
  • Google Buzz is Trending Towards Professionalism Buzzite.com is a blog dedicated to Buzz related content
  • WordPress Plugin for Google Buzz with a Counter from Buzrr I first learned about the Buzz Plugin at SaveDelete.com

Buzz still needs some tweaks and it appears that Google is reacting to feedback from users and making improvements when necessary. One thing I would like to see improved is the dialog box for finding new Buzz to follower. I’m not sure why Google thinks I need to see the list of people I’m following already when what I’m looking for is a better way to find new and interesting people to follow.

Did you answer the Buzz question?

What do you think? Have you tried Buzz yet? What do you like or dislike about it?

Buzz_Ileane
follow my Buzz here

You can follow my Buzz here and use this link to check your Buzz Stats.

Image by: Thomas Hawk via Flickr

This post is part of our Guest Blogging contest, if you like it then why not sharing it with your friends by retweeting it? this will give credits to the author and a better chance to win one of our awesome prizes.  By the way.. you also can participate in our contest, it’s not late!

About

Ileane created her blog Basic Blog Tips to help you learn WordPress blogging and Social Media Optimization. Connect with Ileane on Twitter and watch her tutorials on YouTube for tips on using WordPress, Plugins, Twitter, Facebook, Google Apps and the latest in tech.

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{ 37 Responses }

  1. Justin Germino says:
    I use Buzz and respond only when people respond to my buzz'es (is that right). I don't actively promote on Buzz with communication other than publishing to it from Ping.fm and my blogs.
    • Ileane says:
      I spend a lot of time on Buzz and I'm being introduced to some power users that are more interesting on Buzz than they are on Twitter. I've seen your buzzes (try spelling it that way) and liked a few of them.
  2. Kharim says:
    I have recently started using buzz, and have not really gotten the hang of it as yet. But I like to tweet :) .-= NEW from Kharim´s last blog ..Blog Engage – A Must For All Bloggers =-.
  3. Dick says:
    Hello Ileane and thanks for this great post. I joined Buzz at the height of the "panic" that ensued when people started trashing Google, accusing them of "hijacking" contacts from Gmail users joining Buzz. While Google made some assumptions about about Gmail users, as soon as there was an outcry Google fixed the problem and I think a lot of the bashing came from Twitter and Facebook supporters who were quaking in their clogs about Google entering the social mediasphere. But who better to enter the fray? I have to tell you that I am a Google guy all the way, always have been and the why of it would make a great post titled, Why I Love Google, but it would be so long no one would ever read it! Let's just say that if Google announced they were launching a new ship, calling it Titanic, then, right before it sailed, guaranteeing to all it would sink in the middle of the Atlantic, I would still be the first one to board! You ask why? Because I would have the confidence of knowing that Google would not let their passengers down. Not only would they pull off the rescue of the century without getting even one drop of ocean on anyone, they would make it up us by increasing all of our blogs pagerank to 9, guaranteeing 6- figure book deals for every single passenger and not hitting the iceberg until we had all been told the "secrets" to Buzz success. OK, so maybe that sounds a bit over the top,my point here is that I trust Google to do the right things, they may be this ginormous entity that some people like to trash but for me, when Google speaks, I listen! And not only do I listen I take action, so thanks for this post again, I am going to read the other articles and see how I can use Buzz more effectively and good luck in the contest! .-= Dick´s last blog ..Why Create a Blog for Your Business? =-.
    • Ileane says:
      Hi Payson, I think that some of your Google enthusiasm has rubbed off on me during the times we've been following each other around the blogosphere. I'm even following your Buzz now too. It's great to see you as always and I'm looking forward to interacting with you on Buzz. .-= Ileane@Blogging´s last blog ..Diigo Extension for Google Chrome Browser =-.
  4. thebondgurl says:
    Thanks Ms Ileane. I will try Google Buzz. I think that people should always remember that any social networking site is only as valuable as the people that they "follow". Not so much as the network itself.
    • Ileane says:
      TheBondGurl, Thanks for your insights. It's nice to see you here at FamousBloggers. You are so right! ;) .-= Ileane@Blogging´s last blog ..Grand Tour of FamousBloggers.net =-.
  5. Gautam Hans says:
    I have used Buzz, but i haven't seen many interactions from the people I follow. It is just a copy of friendfeed. Beside that it is time consuming to follow so many social media websites. .-= Gautam Hans @ Blog Godown´s last blog ..How To Use Email Marketing To Draw More People To Your Website =-.
    • Ileane says:
      I have FriendFeed and I see comparisons of the two services a great deal. For me the difference is I never really add anything directly into FriendFeed - I just auto-post from Twitter, Posterous and Plurk. The only time I view anything there is when someone starts following me and I go there to follow them back. It's real important to follow the right people on Buzz just like Twitter. One thing I figured out today is that I would rather follow an A-list blogger on Buzz because that way I get to find out what they are READING rather than what they are writing. Thanks for your support and your RT on this post. .-= Ileane@Blogging´s last blog ..Guest Posting Contest – Will I Be A Winner? =-.
  6. Kiesha says:
    Hi Ileane! As always, this a great informative post! I was hesitant about Buzz at first, too - but I'm slowly coming around. But you're right, it would be nice to see new interesting people to follow, although I think Google was trying to maintain people's privacy since it's so intimately attached with Email. I'm not really sure if it's doing anything special to my traffic, but I do like the ease of buzzing and then adding my own comment. Keep this up and Google might have to hire you! :) .-= Kiesha @ We Blog Better´s last blog ..The Julia/Julie Blog Project – An example of what better blogging can do for you =-.
    • Ileane says:
      Hi Kiesha, I'm doing some research and so far I've found that Buzz results aren't showing up in tracking reports. This post has the details: http://buzzite.com/2010/03/30/google-buzz-results-not-showing-up-in-website-tracking/ If you hear anything different please let me know. I'm sure this is going to be another hot topic. Thanks for your support and for helping build the resume I'm going to submit to the big G ;) .-= Ileane@Blogging´s last blog ..Guest Posting Contest – Will I Be A Winner? =-.
  7. Kevin Tea says:
    I keep my email as a self contained toolkit, there is no way that I would want to integrate a facility like Buzz into that part of the way that I work. If I want to integrate with others I have MSN, Skype, Google Talk, Wave, chat in Facebook , etc. Oh and as a final resort the telephone. Google made one big mistake (another was dropping its excellent Notebook facility) in integrating Buzz with Gmail and expecting everyone to fall in love with it. The simple truth was that Buzz was a step too far and too quick. .-= Kevin Tea´s last blog ..Panic Free Guide To Getting Started With Google Apps =-.
    • Ileane says:
      Kevin, do you think you would integrate Buzz when Google makes it a stand-alone product? I was lucky, I didn't even have a gmail account (remember I used to be sick of Google) so there was no intrusion for me. I guess I would have been a little miffed if I was a past gmail user though. Hopefully the upgrades to Buzz will come soon. Thanks for sharing your view. .-= Ileane@Blogging´s last blog ..WordPress.com is Still The Bomb! =-.
      • Kevin Tea says:
        The problem for me is how many chat/communications tools can one person accommodate. Wave promised to be the great saviour and I cannot even give away invitations. MSN I still use with some contacts and I have Google Talk loaded but never used it. I occasionally chat to friends in Facebook. The more people I associate with on the net I have this fear the more tools I will need because they all use something different. Maybe the answer is to be a totally anti-social curmudgeon and not talk to anyone :-) .-= Kevin Tea´s last blog ..Panic Free Guide To Getting Started With Google Apps =-.
  8. Evelyn says:
    Hi Ileane, When Buzz came on the scene, I didn't like how it was integrated with my gmail account and to tell you the truth, I still don't like that part of Buzz. The jury is still out on Buzz. I tell you, it will take some getting use to. Overall, I think the features are cool, but there is still some work that needs to be done. Take care! .-= Evelyn´s last blog ..Save Money And Still Eat Organic =-.
    • Ileane says:
      On the Official Gmail Blog they announced Better controls for buzz in your inbox http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/better-controls-for-buzz-in-your-inbox.html Have you had a chance to update any of your settings yet? I hope you can find some new tips that will help address your concerns. Thanks for your input! .-= Ileane@Blogging´s last blog ..Grand Tour of FamousBloggers.net =-.
  9. Kevin says:
    I am still wrestling with how I am going to use Google Buzz. I am still unsure of all the benefits but this post and Ching Ya's post have greatly helped me. Thanks! .-= Kevin@ShootingtheBreeze´s last blog ..Balancing Life: A Father's Perspective =-.
    • Ileane says:
      Hi Kevin, thanks for the comment. I find Buzz very useful to find new and interesting people, and I think it's important to do that. I don't think it will replace Twitter but it will be the next level of engagement because we don't have the 140 character limit. People can converse in complete sentences with each other and no url shorteners are needed! I think I'm following your Buzz already, but if not I'll do it now. Nice to see you here. .-= Ileane@Blogging´s last blog ..Diigo Extension for Google Chrome Browser =-.
  10. Suresh Khanal says:
    There should be something in Buzz still to unfold. If this were all a buzz has to offer, I'm sure, Twitter is much more powerful and friendly. Anyway, there needs bit longer acquittance to develop feeling and proximity, so, would be early to cast vote for and against Buzz. yes Ileane, still in a state of "Buzz or not to Buzz" .-= Suresh Khanal´s last blog ..How much your domain name cost? =-.
    • Ileane says:
      Hi Suresh, As I learn more about Buzz I'll keep you informed and maybe you will say Yes! Open your mind.... Thanks for your comment, your honesty is much appreciated. .-= Ileane´s last blog ..Grand Tour of FamousBloggers.net =-.
  11. Ileane says:
    Hi Web Design, speaking of browsers, did you hear how well Chrome did when tested for security issues at Pwn2Own 2010? Check out this post about it when you get a chance. http://www.downloadsquad.com/2010/03/25/pwn2own-2010-google-chrome-is-the-last-man-standing/ I hope to see you Buzzing soon, thanks! .-= Ileane@Blogging´s last blog ..Grand Tour of FamousBloggers.net =-.
  12. Ileane says:
    Dana, I found it boring at first too, until I found some good bloggers to follow. If you follow me you'll see that I try to share interesting articles that are often very different from the links I share on Twitter. Don't get me wrong Twitter is still my number one tool for blog promotion and relationship building, but I'm learning new things from Buzz that I don't see on Twitter. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. .-= Ileane@Blogging´s last blog ..Grand Tour of FamousBloggers.net =-.
  13. Dana says:
    I already tried google buzz for a while and I find that twitter is still more interesting. :D .-= Dana @ Blogging Tips Blog´s last blog ..How To Create Blog Logo Easily by Using GIMP #1 =-.
  14. Web Design says:
    That's what happened to me also. I was addicted to Firefox and its plugins, now Chrome dethroned Firefox and it has a special place on my desktop. :D However, to be ontopic, I have not tried Buzz, yet. I was quite annoyed by the fact they integrated it in GMail, but maybe I will give it a try, in the future. :)
  15. Wayne Liew says:
    I like Buzz and the idea of threaded conversations but the fact that it's adoption rate is slow makes me wonder whether it will be worth the effort for me to broadcast my messages over there. Also, I think it is a mistake by Google to incorporate Buzz inside of GMail simply because emails and social networking don't go together. Yes, it's undeniable that this will get them a lot of users to try it out but for me personally, it will be better if it is a totally separate platform. .-= Wayne Liew´s last blog ..What Google Starred Results Means to Search Engine Optimization? =-.
    • Ileane says:
      Hi Wayne, I didn't hear that the adoption rate was slow, but I guess it all depends on what it's being compared to. Since everyone with Gmail got Buzz by default I would think that made the adoption rate quick but please share what you've found. I did hear a rumor that Google has plans to make Buzz a stand-alone application but I won't believe it until I hear it from Google. Thanks for your input. .-= Ileane@Blogging´s last blog ..Grand Tour of FamousBloggers.net =-.