Did you know you have a business card you hand out every day on Google+?
Hover your mouse over any Google+ user’s name. You’ll see a little popover box with their avatar, their name, a link to add them to circles (or showing what circles you have them in already), and in most cases, a tag line (usually showing the person’s place of employment or location).
This is known as a hovercard.
Think of your hovercard as your business card on Google+. Most of the time, it is the only chance you’ll get to introduce and “sell” yourself as someone worth following. The only customizable part of your hovercard (aside from your avatar), is the tag line. What most people don’t realize is you can customize what shows in that byline.
Now look at my hovercard in the image above. You’ll see that in addition to my employer, I have a list of keyword phrases that give you a quick synopsis of what I’m about, what you’ll mostly get from me on Google+.
Most people will not click through to your profile. The few seconds they hover over your name in a post or comment are the only chance you have to “sell” to them that you’re worth circling. Your hovercard text can do the job for you.
How to Customize Your Hovercard Subtitle
Adding that custom text is easy!
1. Go to your Profile page and click the Edit Profile button.
2. Scroll down to Employment and click on that section to edit it.
3. Click in the first box at upper left (your current employer).
4. After the name of your employer, add any text you want to have show in your hovercard.
5. Make sure “current employer” is checked on that row.
6. Click “save” and “done editing.” That’s it!
Whatever you entered in that box will now show beneath your name when people hover your name link on Google+. I recommend keeping it short and sweet: emphasize the main value someone will get out of adding you to their circles.
Don’t want anything in your employment box?
You can still customize your hovercard text. If you don’t have anything in your current employer box, the hovercard text defaults to the following (in order):
- Places Lived (top location)
- Occupation
- Profile tag line (under your name)
(Thanks to +Linda Lawrey who taught me this little hack back in the early days of Google+!)
Video How To Version
If you’re more of a visual learner, I’ve created a “quick and dirty” 90 second video of How to Customize Your Google+ Name Card on YouTube:
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This is really useful about the hovercard. Thanks!
Very useful – thanks!
I did notice that I could not see the changes on my own hovercard until after I signed out of and back in to Google+