(I posted this earlier on the Dallas Plussers Network Blog)
As you look around Google+ you will obviously see people, places or things posting incomplete profiles. What does that say to you about them?
We don’t spend a lot of time talking about the dark side of social media at the Dallas Plussers Networking gatherings, but it is sometimes important everyone know why people do what they do on Google+. Knowing this also helps Plussers understand the changes social networking has undergone since Google launched G+.
One of the issues many Plussers have with G+ has to do with the incomplete profiles so many people generated. It is important for Plussers to know the need to complete their personal or business page profiles and knowing how others see incomplete profiles usually convinces them of the need to have a complete profile.
Incomplete profiles give off untold and nonverbal negative messages to those who view them. To further help you understand what incomplete profiles are telling the public, here are just a few of the messages Plussers receive when seeing an incomplete profile.
I Don’t Care
Most people who post incomplete profiles have developed a I Don’t Care attitude. There is a wide spectrum reasons for those who have this attitude. On one end of the spectrum are those people, places and things who are just setting up a Google+ account to see how it works. They sometimes truly do not care, but most of the time are not aware yet of the message they just sent out to the world when they finished the profile without completing it.
On the other end there are those who violently don’t care. They purposely did not complete the profile because they have an alternative motive for using G+ for which knowing who they really are is not what they want.
Either way, Plussers who see incomplete profiles during their review of the update stream receive these people’s message loud and clear.
As a result viewers develop their own I Don’t Care attitude and refuse to have anything to do with anyone who has an incomplete..or at least they should develop a less caring attitude because within that spectrum of people not completing the profile are the spammers and scammers of the world.
I Don’t See The Need
One of the other reasons Plussers use to justify not completing a personal or business page profile boils down to being them not seeing a need to complete their profile. This mainly comes from those people coming to Google+ thinking it is another Facebook and their popularity on Facebook..although it being artificially propped up by Facebook…should gain them immediate fame on Google+. They strongly feel all they need to do is just mention their name..or the name they made up and use on Facebook..and everyone will automatically know who they are and want to place them in their Google+ community.
Feeling there is no need to complete a Google+ profile is a strange attitude to have, but these people are out there and most of them are the people who rant that G+ is worthless for interaction..or say there is nobody on G+..or say..none of my friends are on G+ so why should I bother completing my personal profile?
I Don’t Want Trolls To See What I Look Like
As you search Google+ you are going to see a large number of Blueheads as profile photos. These are commonly known as Knuckleheads.
Having no photo, or posting a picture of a cat, tells the world..I don’t care what anyone thinks. Or I don’t care to show everyone what I look like or how awful they THINK they look. Some of the more unfortunate misunderstandings of social networking come from the people who are afraid someone from the dark side of social networking will see who they are and stalk them in real life. This is a true concern, and the cases I have reviewed where this actually happened did so after the person spent too much time posting Foursquare Check-Ins and Twitted everywhere they were going. The odds of someone finding another person from their headshot photo are around 1 in 10 Million that actually could happen so to not post a headshot photo really is not Troll Bait, as it is commonly referred to.
All of these reasons for not posting a photo are ligament, but unfortunately what not showing a headshot photo is really telling the world is the person does not care about themselves. If someone is out to gain the full benefits of social networking they Have To Show Their Face.
It is human nature to shun away from something or someone who appears to be uncaring. Plussers out searching for likeminded people are looking for those smiling faces and will seldom click on a profile photo that gives off the message that the person does not care about themselves.
Don’t Want People To Know Where I Am Located
Another shot in the foot is to not fill out the location portion of the profile. It is advisable to not post your exact address, but to post at lest the city you reside.
Many newbies to Plussers see that telling Google where they are located is giving them information they can use to scam them. In reality, Google probably already knows the person’s exact address. However, I also know Google is not interested in letting anyone know that information. So, on the most part, Google+ is probably one of the safer places to show the world what city you live in.
Showing a city location helps others in your city to find you. Yes, it also shows businesses looking for people in a city they do business, but on the most part that could be a good thing since they usually are looking to send out specials to these people once there is some interaction with that person.
Again, not showing a location sends off a negative message. Many Plussers will not view or place anyone in their circles who do not show where they are located.
Bottonline:
Not completing the Google+ profile works against those Plussers. Google discounts their value to the community and generally will not promote their content to the search engine. The content posted in the profile is searchable and becomes very valuable for those who are out to gain attention on an issue or interest they have. To keep from sending out the wrong message it is highly advisable you complete your Google+ Profile.
Let me know how I can help.
