All about the “O”? Forget those cheeky Overstock.com ads. It’s all about the “+” these days. Google+ is making a big social splash, and individuals and businesses alike are still trying to figure it all out. Marketing expert Chris Brogan is one of a growing number who is starting to hash out exactly what Google+ is and is not. His take: It is not your blog.

Why? Chris writes that the branded blog is your personal real estate. Where you hang your hat, so to speak. You can customize or add and subtract features. You can collect and store data. Etc. So what is Google+ then? I agree with Chris—like other social networking channels, it’s an outpost (others have referred to these outposts as “digital embassies”). It’s where you interact. What’s more, it’s where those interactions help stakeholders learn more about you and how you will help them.

And it’s the place where you’ll learn more about them—and that, in turn, gives you the insight to build a better product, better manage your online reputation, and better engage customers, stockholders, the media, etc.

Are you beginning to define Google+ for your brand yet?