• Google Plus is a quite well-known social platform for small business owners, and it has made quite a few changes to its stream.
• The new Google Plus stream looks way better than it did before, and we think you should get active on a Google Plus profile of your own.
• Find out what the new changes are and see for yourself whether they are better than on Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media platforms.

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For some months many of us have been wondering why a large empty space has been positioned on the right hand side of the Google Plus stream. Now we know.

How has the Google Plus stream changed?

The Google Plus stream has now become a multi-column affair. Which adjusts between one, two or three columns depending on the device being used.  I for one, think it works really well.

It's now possible to quickly scan through numerous updates. With a wide range of picture sizes now being used, it's also a visually appealing experience.

The other major benefit that Google Plus Stream has maintained is that YOU decide what to read. Either by perusing the stream which shows updates from all your "connections". Or by allocating connections to specific "circles" and viewing the stream for each specific circle. 

Compared to Facebook which heavily filters the updates you see, Google Plus Stream now gives you a better visual experience with content that is under your control.

The updates displayed on the LinkedIn home page are certainly not as visually impressive as those on Google Plus stream, with the rendering of pictures often being far from perfect. Neither service offers the level of personalisation which you can achieve using Google Plus circles. 

Savvy business people will be able to use Google Plus Profile as a very effective information source. Don't be surprised to see another major increase in the usage of Google Plus stream over the coming months.        

Other new Google Plus Stream enhancements include:

• Hashtags - When these are clicked, they now "flip" the current item and allow you to browse a range of related information, right from within the Google Plus stream.
• Google Plus Hangouts app - The group video application has been enhanced to operate across desktops, Android and iPhone devices.
• Photos - Improved photo editing features have been made available, including an auto-enhance feature.

Now's the time to establish yourself on Google Plus profile. It's really starting to take off, which is the best time to grow your network on any of the social media platforms. 

You can find Google's blog post on the new Google Plus stream here: New Google+: Stream, Hangouts, and Photos.

How active are you on your Google Plus Profile? Do you like the new Google Plus Stream changes?