How do your circles grow...

So this is something I've been thinking about over the last few days, I regularly see posts sharing circles and asking for nominations for lists.


This is my uber-cool circle or, this is my amazing engagers circle. If it is a subject based circle, like photography then fair enough, the rest of this post really doesn't apply, but for the other types and let us take engagers as an example, it does. So these are circles of people that you engage with and engage back with you. This, I suppose, means you have some interests or personality in common, but how are these circles and lists relevant to me on a personal level?


I don't have any history with these peoples, how did you find them in the first place? Will then engage with me like they do with you?


So I looked at my own circles, apart from the #NYCHIRL circle, I've never added a circle. I've never added anyone from lists either. So how did I end up following  770 people?


Looking at my circles there are a couple of distinct groups, people I know in real life and people I've met on Google+. The real life portion is fairly obvious, but the online is not so. Virtually all of the people I follow has been organic growth. Back in the day of invite only I met a couple of people, and to be honest I'm not even sure how. From there I interacted on threads and in comments, this lead to me circling and following. Almost like a neurons in the brain, bridges were formed and strengthened with interaction. Which leads to new bridges and the ever increasing network, every time I add a new node(person) I create a new link, each time I interact on that link it becomes stronger. This is very true of the relationship I am in. It started on Google+ and through interaction has become stronger and stronger, because of the level of interaction I can comfortably say it is the strongest link I have in my network. The reverse is true too, if interaction starts to wane then the strength of the link or bridge does too.


So if someone new to Google+ wants to follow this method of organic growth rather than be placed in a network by shared circles or select user lists how do they start? Where do you begin?


There is a big clue right at the top of the page, why not just search? Pick a hobby or an interest and see who is posting about it. Join in and start the interaction. You might not end up being friends with the original poster, but you never know who you'll meet in the comments. Business pages as well, look for something that interests you or that you have a passion about and join in the conversation.


Let the network grow from there, organically. Google+ is about people and the bridges and bonds you form in day to day interaction, follow this method and I think you'll have a much richer and relevant experience.