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Google Friend Connect: Social Media’s Hottest New Opportunity

Posted by Brian on Friday, February 13th 2009

13
Feb

New Friend Connect Features

On Wednesday, February 11, 2009, google added some new features to help you connect to your google friends. You can see some examples of how this blog is using google friend connect.

Google Friend Connect Feature Montage

I’ve recommended to my personal friends that they integrate the new features & gadgets of the friend connect system to your network of sites.

Why Let Your Friends Connect? Watch this Video

Google wants friends to connect on their network so they can capture the explosive growth of social media. By implementing more social features into their friend connect network this will quickly spread like wildfire across the Internet. You can ride this wave if you get in early. I recommend you do this now!

My friend Russell Yermal has already added the social bar to his Success Man Blog. It will soon be on my other blogs, like Manifest Mastermind’s new blog. Russell’s latest post also talks about the new features of friend connect.

If you already have a gmail account, you’ll be able to connect with google’s friends as you see more websites and blogs popping up daily with friend connect features. As more people enter this new network, the early adopters will dominate it.

If you don’t have one, get a gmail account and start making friends on the sites that have friend connect features. If you don’t know how to get a gmail account, you can sign up for free on the gmail website.

Google hasn’t implemented friend connect on all their blogs yet, so that’s how new this opportunity is. What you’ll want to do is to visit google’s main directory of blogs, and look for blogs in your niche that implement friend connect. You’ll want to join these blogs and make friends with everyone on them as soon as they add friend connect.

If you take this seriously, you’ll dominate your niche on friend connect. Imagine riding the wave as this grows to 1 billion people! It’s totally possible. When this happens, remember that you heard it here first.

Here’s the biggest friend connected blog so far – google’s own Social Network Blog. Go there and make friends with everyone that you can.

I’ll be following the evolution of the friend connect system and blogging with the most current up to date strategies for using friend connect in powerful ways to explode your social network virally.

My friend Kim Meridian sent me a tweet about a blog post by Chris Lang that shows you how & why to implement the social bar.

Promote your Friend Connected Site Here:

Post a comment with a link to your friend connected site below. ALL are welcome to do so. This will become the most powerful resource directory for friend connected sites.

One of our readers was generous enough to offer assistance with installing Google Friend Connect on your website. Whatever deal you make with her is between the two of you, but please return the favor by doing something nice for her or to pay it forward to someone else:

I think this is one of the greatest features of social media marketing.

I’ve noticed that some are a bit “technically challenged” about setting up the Google Friend Connect app on their blogs. If you need help, please email me at andrea_howard@alltel.net and I will be glad to provide what assistance I can. It is a fantastic resource and I don’t want anyone to get left behind. If there is enough interest I will put together a screen cast video showing step by step how to do it.

thanks,
Andrea

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36 Comments Already

Brian Campbell Said,

February 13th, 2009 @3:59 pm

Here’s my list of friend connected sites:

http://briancampbell.com
http://manifestmastermindblog.com
http://stevereports.com
http://thesuccessman.com

Google’s Social Network Blog:
http://googlesocialweb.blogspot.com

Steve Pohlit Said,

February 13th, 2009 @4:05 pm

I know people are going to find this very helpful. Great job Brian.

Coming very soon is another video showing you how to set up Google Friend Connect on your site or blog plus why Google Friend Connect is an important part of your network growth strategy.

Notice the sequencing here. Don’t miss the previous messages and videos. Brian has developed a brilliant sequencing strategy for Social Media Mania.

This is very consistent with the entire sequencing strategy we offer all free subscribers and members of Manifest Mastermind.

Join our friends network at http://manifestmastermindblog.com

kystorms Said,

February 13th, 2009 @4:39 pm

I was wondering if there are help files to install in WP? This is an awesome idea tho, can not wait to try it!!!

Lori Said,

February 13th, 2009 @4:54 pm

Very Cool! I definitely like the bar better. I installed it on my main blog but hope to add it to others as well.

http://LoriArriaga.com

Brian Campbell Said,

February 13th, 2009 @5:05 pm

My friend and business partner Steve Pohlit is recording some camtasia tutorials. They should be available soon.

Nancy Sutherland Said,

February 13th, 2009 @5:44 pm

I have had Google Friend Connect on my site since they first launched it, but I had no idea what it could do until I read this post. Thanks as always for taking the time to share with us! I appreciate it.
http://nancysutherland.com

Mark Leonard Said,

February 13th, 2009 @6:42 pm

My understanding is that GFC will be releasing a wordpress plugin. That would really make this a no brainer.

http://blogfred.com

Dulcita Love Said,

February 13th, 2009 @7:18 pm

That was the first time I saw that feature on a blog. Here’s what I said on Twitter: http://twitter.com/dulcitalove/statuses/1201035570

“Just filled out my Google Profile: didn’t know I had one.”

Thanks Brian.

Lane Reiss Said,

February 13th, 2009 @8:22 pm

I figured out how to install GFC on my Squarespace site, but once it was on it, I was getting all kinds of page errors. Plus, the bottom of the widget was getting cut off, making it impossible to read all the entries. I removed it until I could figure out what was wrong.

Squarespace informed me all the coding was right on that end, and there must have been something wrong with the source code. If anyone here is good with Squarespace, and implementing Google Friend Connect on it, I would appreciate the help.

In anticipation of me getting GFC working on my site, here is where it will show up. I’ll let everyone here know when I get it working:

http://www.INMGuide.com

Thanks Brian!

Lane Reiss

Brian Campbell Said,

February 13th, 2009 @9:05 pm

Thanks for sharing this Lane. I’m not familiar with Square Space. What type of site is it? Social Networking?

Alexandra Said,

February 14th, 2009 @1:46 am

I just installed Friend Connect to my web-site at http://www.earthshod.com and so far it seems to be pretty nifty!

Will Johnston Said,

February 14th, 2009 @10:37 pm

Hey, here’s my Friend Connect (and Facebook Connect) enabled site: http://willfjohnston.com

Thanks!

Will

Will Johnston Said,

February 14th, 2009 @10:37 pm

Here’s my Friend Connect (and Facebook Connect) enabled site: http://willfjohnston.com

Thanks!
Will

Robert Chiarito Said,

February 14th, 2009 @11:35 pm

I have been trying to add the Google Friend Connect feature to my website and also to my blog, which is powereb by blogger. I am not having any success. Can you please advise?

Brian Campbell Said,

February 15th, 2009 @1:04 am

@Robert – it’s on my list to prepare a tutorial on how to add GFC to blogger. Keep following the blog and you’ll see it soon.

Mark J Holland Said,

February 15th, 2009 @5:43 pm

The value just keeps coming with Brian Campbell.

Here is my friend connect site:

http://markjholland.blogspot.com/

Stay Happy
Mark J Holland NLP Mind Coach
http://www.markholland.com.au/

Sandy Said,

February 15th, 2009 @8:27 pm

Brian, I’ve spent this weekend trying desperately to follow your GFC instructions. I get the point where I have to download the two files and neither my URL or blog name are being recognized and I can’t seem to find the correct folder to save the downloads into. HELP! My site is run by Yahoo!…followed their instructions and got a blog, but can change the default template to upgraded template WP offers. I followed instructions again, ended up with another blog, which I don’t want at this time. So I’m so very confused. Please if you can help eMail or call. Thanks Sandy

Brian Campbell Said,

February 15th, 2009 @9:06 pm

Sandy – this is Steve Pohlit, our training video shows the importance of saving Google’s files in a place on you C Drive where you can find them. It also stresses the importance of knowing how to access the server where you site is hosted. Now I cannot specifically address the Yahoo situation as we use third party hosting which is easy for us to manage and is the basis for the training video. Hope you get this resolved. At the end of the day you want 2 files from Google on the server that hosts your site. Hope this helps.

Kathy Tarochione Said,

February 16th, 2009 @6:52 pm

Hi Brian, I went and set up the WordPress Blog. I’m getting the hang of it, but I’m really having a tough time with the Google Friend Connect. I think I’m following the right stuff, but I guess not. I’ll keep trying. I really love it.

Here’s my new blog. It’s BRAND NEW! http://www.kathytarochione.me/wordpress

Any suggestions would be helpful.

Paul Flood Said,

February 17th, 2009 @12:40 pm

Hi Brian,
Did I make the insider group? I posted the blog, video and facebook video.

GFC is up on http://www.smallbusinessmarketinguide.com

Everybody is welcome to join me to learn some very powerful strategies to dramatically increase your sales and profits.

Paul

Dean Delker Said,

February 17th, 2009 @12:59 pm

Friends & Lovers,

I just added Google Friend Connect to my “The Dean of Easy Street” website at:

http://www.deandelker.com/

Working on getting my blog back up next.

Blessings and Wealth,

Dean Delker

Austin Said,

February 18th, 2009 @12:57 am

I also just added Google Friend Connect.

http://austinsloan.com

Now I need to work on updating my website.

David Slocombe Said,

February 18th, 2009 @1:35 am

Wow Brian and Steve. You guys just keep on giving. You are true Go-Givers.

At http://blog.baldguyinabluehouse.com I share who won the weekly Lawttery of Attraction. Plus I have insights on giving,gratitude, receiving. It is a whole lot of fun at the blue so come on by.

Learning…Enjoying…Sharing

David

Scott Bannon Said,

February 22nd, 2009 @5:17 am

What a great way to be sociable, I appreciate the “giving” going on and the info on Google Friend Connect.

My site where I’ve just added it:
http://www.obannonsleap.com

Thanks!

Andrea Said,

February 22nd, 2009 @10:50 am

I think this is one of the greatest features of social media marketing.

I’ve noticed that some are a bit “technically challenged” about setting up the Google Friend Connect app on their blogs. If you need help, please email me at andrea_howard@alltel.net and I will be glad to provide what assistance I can. It is a fantastic resource and I don’t want anyone to get left behind. If there is enough interest I will put together a screen cast video showing step by step how to do it.

thanks,
Andrea

Gregory Said,

February 25th, 2009 @11:40 am

My freind-connected blog http://gregory.kneller.ru/
I have setup it as a free google service.

Tommy Fake Said,

March 2nd, 2009 @4:13 pm

Check out our website for The Genuine Fakes. We are starting up a brand new WP-site with GFC and provides probably the best genuine Swedish powerpop!

Tommy Fake / The Genuine Fakes

Googling Social Said,

March 7th, 2009 @6:06 am

I have a modest little site about Google Social Networking and a free GFC tutorial here:

http://googlingsocial.com/gfc.php

Any feedback or questions on my five part tutorial would be welcome. It is your input that allows me to know what material and hurdles new GFC users face and hence I am able to help the new guys (that’s everybody) when it comes to doing GFC right the first time.

- Chris Lang