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Used to be we clicked buttons to share to del.icio.us and Digg. Then we shared with Facebook and retweeted with special Twitter buttons such as TweetMeme, which is still my favorite.
Google April 13 added a Google Buzz button, proving that it has gotten serious about letting publishers share Buzz users’ links to interesting news items and blog posts with other Buzz users.
Previously, when users wanted to share Buzz, they had to copy a link from one Website into their Buzz window. Google’s new copy-and-paste Buzz buttons let Buzz users launch links to Buzz.
These publications are now using the Buzz button right off the bat: TechCrunch, Mashable, Washington Post, The Huffington Post, Glamour, YouTube, Blogger, MySpace, GigaOM, PBS Parents, PBS NewsHour, The Next Web, TweetDeck, SocialWok, Disqus, Vinehub, and Buzzzy.
Here’s what it looks like on GigaOm and note the little battery icon counter next to the Buzz button:
Clicking on it produces this easy Buzz posting UI:
ShareThis, Meebo, Shareholic, AddThis and AddtoAny also now use Google Buzz button into their sharing functionality.
This is very exciting and could be very valuable for Google as it seeks to move past the nasty privacy imbroglios, improve the management tools and expand its Buzz user base, which currently is in the millions.
How many of the approximately 176 million Gmail users use Buzz is unclear. Google won’t share more specific numbers.
Website publishers can add the Google Buzz button to their Websites by going to buzz.google.com/stuff, and copying and pasting JavaScript code where they’d like the Buzz buttons to appear:
After placing the button code into your HTML, Google advises publishers to reload the page to make sure the button shows up, and click to see the posting box users will see:
Change the parameters and Webpage to your heart’s content by learning more about the Google Buzz API here.
Again, all useful stuff as Google seeks to gain more traction for Buzz. Google has built it and offered easy access for publishers to add buttons with the Buzz API. Will they come is the question.