Google’s I/O Developer Conference just wrapped up, and after a lengthy presentation featuring a beautiful UI update and integration into Google’s key products, it’s now clearer than ever that Google+ is here to stay. I’m here to tell you why you need to use it.

I’m Carter—a 22-year-old college grad with a million followers on Google+ who started a nonprofit from that audience. I’m a walking case study in why Google+ is an effective platform. I was an early adopter who made sure that I used that platform to the fullest, and it paid off. But as time goes by, that first-mover advantage is quickly slipping away as the network matures.

Ghost town? What ghost town?

When I tell people I have over a million followers on Google+, they basically fall out of their chair. “HOW!?” is the typical response. There are several explanations as to “HOW!?” but the most important is that Google+ is being used…a lot. When Google+ was in its infancy, a few Mashable articles claimed that Google+ was a ghost town. Google quickly showed that their social network had 150 million active users and over 500 million signups. Today the number of daily active users sits at 190 million.

I can hear you yelling at your computer, “But Google makes you sign up for Google+! No one is actually using it!” I knew you’d say that. Here’s why you’re wrong: It’s true that a Google account makes you sign up for Google+, but Google transparently distinguishes between people who have an account and active users. (more…)