Over the weekend, I got a Facebook note from my friend Garry Trammell.

He wrote:

” Have a couple of questions for you, when you have time to respond. I suspect you have been spending some time with Google + and I wonder what value you find with it. I’ve not had time to explore it yet, and that is one of the main drawbacks for me. I can’t really keep current with corporate expectations, family time, FB and Twitter connections, serving in the church, etc.

Do you think G+ will catch on, and even if it does, what lasting value do you believe it has, that has stark advantages over FB.

I guess I need someone to offer me compelling reasons why I should make the time to interact on an additional SM site.

Your thoughts?”

Garry is not the first person to have expressed this concern about time management and one more social media platform.

Maybe you have had these questions, too:

How will I find the time to integrate G+?

Do I need to find the time to integrate G+?

Is G+ worth my time investment?

Let me say first, to Garry and to all of you who may be asking these questions, that I cannot answer those questions for you.

Instead, I want to give you 12 questions to consider when deciding whether or not G+ is worth your  time investment. In my next post, I’ll give you a suggestion about an experiment you could try as you make your decision.

12 Questions to Consider When Deciding Whether or Not to Try Google+

  1. What are my goals for using social media?
  2. How much time do I have to invest in social media?
  3. What social media platforms are my core customers (or friends) using?
  4. What social media platforms will my core customers (or friends) be using in the future?
  5. What do I most enjoy about my current social media interactions?
  6. How important is it to me to stay on the cutting edge?
  7. What would I have to give up to spend time on another social media platform?
  8. Am I willing to give up time spent on something else to engage in a new social media platform?
  9. What would I hope to accomplish through involvement on another social media platform?
  10. Can I meet my goals for social media involvement without G+?
  11. What do I want to do?
  12. What might I be missing if I choose not to try G+ now?

A few final thoughts for Garry:

Yes, I think Google+ will stick around.

Yes, I see value in Google+. It offers a flexibility and potential for depth of interaction that exceeds both Twitter and Facebook.

And… this might not be the right timing for you to try Google+. If it is, I look forward to seeing you there. I hope you’ll add me to your circles.