Hey you! Yeah YOU there using social media in any type, why aren’t you choosing Google+ as a great networking resource. In fact, you the sports fan should be getting on the progress this young platform has made in 2 years. My experience with Google+ began shortly after access was opened to the public. I immediately began to meet people via the Hangout feature through public hangouts. Being that is was a small community in those days; it was easy to connect with all types of people. Thus, it was great to meet people with entrepreneurial experience, broadcasting experience, as well as overall technology experience.
Upon learning of my passion for sports, it was suggested that I create a website dedicated to bringing sports fans into hangouts to talk about sports. I said great, but how? Well, first step is to buy the domain name, and secure some server space. The technical side of this is the small part of the puzzle. The other is building a brand page, and well, being respected as knowledgeable sports person in the space. Keep in mind this is all suggested as the space was building. For example, brand pages were not available in the very beginning, and had to be implemented. The Hangout On-Air feature was in its testing stage, and you had to apply with the head of hangouts for access. Google+ had a lot of unknown details in the beginning. Most new people to the site in those days were not necessarily internet people looking to help develop a new space.
So, where do sports come into play? As brand pages were intro introduced, more brands began to show up on Google+, then the +1 buttons to compete with the Facebook and Twitter buttons. The sports category of the Suggested User List (List you are asked to follow when joining Google+), keep expanding daily. Expect to find pages for the NBA, ESPN, SportsNation, NESN, as well as personal profiles and pages for Lebron James, Chris Paul, and Tiger Woods.
The goal with Sports Chat TV is use the latest technology to bring the world sports community together through uncensored conversation. The episodes are Hangouts On-Air that are broadcasted live to YouTube or through your Google+ stream. Yes, this means the wave of the future could be this type of streaming to the masses. The possibility for cable TV deals to be available in this way could be a shift for sports broadcasting such as Comcast Sports. The era of watching TV on your own accord has shifted with the availability of the DVR, episodes on network sites, or streaming services such as Netflix. The onslaught of technology in this way has made competition in the cable and satellite tv realms steeper. Internet ready devices have made the popularity of the internet grow.
How can companies continue to stay relevant when there are many options for entertainment? That is the beauty of stumbling into the world of Google+. The platform is young enough; the community itself has been able to guide the platform to what it is presently. Google is a powerhouse of knowledge, and I am not just talking about Google the search engine. The company itself employs great people to value feedback from its users. The ability to sit with fellow free thinkers in a hangout to chat about improvements that can be made was some of the most enticing conversations I have had the pleasure of joining.
That’s just the tipping point though. It’s great to have ideas, but to implement them in a way you the person can be happy with is the key. I believe my ability to impress people in my endeavors on Google+ have been the way my passion for sports is shown. You have to believe in the product you are selling, and even if this means it’s just an idea. When Sports Chat TV was launched two years ago, there really was not a clear cut direction the site was going to go. The sports community had to believe that it was worth it to participate. I also believe that being a pioneer with a sports chat in hangouts has also impressed Google as well. They have rewarded the ingenuity with adding me both personally and professionally to the Suggested User List. There has been much debate over the SUL since its inception. I personally find it to be a privilege, and not a right of being a thought provoker on the platform. I find it brilliant that the community team at Google+ rotates people through with the exception of celebrities, political dignitaries, and leaders of industries.
The parameters of a platform such as Google+ have to be dictated through the participation of the users itself. As the popularity of Google+ continues to grow, the posts by the above mentioned sports brands are growing exponentially. It is now normal to see brands to find the value of Google+. Have you checked out the Hangout On-Air Mark Cuban (billionaire, entrepreneur, Dallas Mavericks owner) did about a year ago? The sky is the limit for sports to get to the next level. So tell my why you have not chose to get involved with sports on Google+ again?
