Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge Google fan. I love Gmail in particular. It’s so easy to use, the Gmail search function rocks and the enhancements such as priority inbox make it a pleasure to use.

Then came Google+.

Word spread pretty quickly about this new network, but I was leery. I recalled Google Wave, which was a giant fail. Google Buzz certainly got buzz for invasion of privacy but hardly seemed to take the online world by storm. Google+, however, was being discussed as some kind of game-changer, something that could potentially take on Facebook.

At that point, I had to pay attention. Getting an invitation seemed impossible at first, but reports quickly surfaced that there were millions of Google+ users. Currently, the estimate stands at 10 million – for something that’s still in Beta stage.

I got my invitation and signed up. One of the first things I noticed is how a few of the social media types I know were already on there, but complaining about yet another site to populate. I understood how they felt. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn… and more – and Google+ too? How much can one person stand?

This time it looks like Google is on to something. I found Google+ much easier to use than Facebook, and I really liked its privacy policy (Google must have learned and retained a lot from the Google Buzz debacle). One thing I hate about Facebook is that every time the site makes a major change, I have to go in and manually update all of my privacy settings. What a waste of time!

There are also layers to Facebook that take some time to learn. Google+ is far more intuitive and user friendly. Creating circles of friends, acquaintances, people who share interests, etc. is extremely easy with the drag and drop function. Following news feeds is also easy. There’s still a lot to learn and explore, but Google+ is worth checking out.

At this point, the 10 million on Google+ doesn’t rival the 750 million on Facebook. But Google+ is still developing and has yet to become widely available. In addition, there is a Google+ for business being rolled out, and this application could be very attractive.

Mashable.com reports that Google+ is very male-dominated right now, particularly by tech geeks. Of course they would be the early adopters. Given how popular Google is, don’t discount Google+. I use Gmail and Google+ was seamlessly added to my email page and in fact, now sticks with me wherever I am within Google. I don’t need to click open another tab on my browser, it’s just there as I work. The ability to have email, news feeds, social networking all together in an easy to understand format is extremely attractive. And did I mention that I now have Google+ on my Android phone? It was so simple to set up, much more so than some of those other social networks.

Interested in learning more? If you need an invite, leave a comment below (just a comment, not your email) and I’ll be able to contact you for your Gmail address, which you’ll need for me to send you an invitation.

To get started, here are some great articles with enough tips to keep you busy for weeks:

* 40 Google+ tips for newbies http://www.marketingprofessor.com/social-marketing/40-google-plus-tips-for-newbies/

* Google Plus vs. Facebook: 6 Things Google+ Has That Facebook Doesn’t http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/15/google-plus-vs-facebook-_n_899922.html#s300815&title=Hangouts_Video_Chat

* The One Google Plus Feature Facebook Should Fear http://www.allfacebook.com/the-one-google-plus-feature-facebook-should-fear-2011-06

* Facebook Seems Worried About Google+. Should it Be? http://www.webpronews.com/facebook-seems-worried-about-google-should-it-be-2011-07

If you’re already on Google+, share your impressions!