Melanie Pinola's 15+ Awesome Google+ Tricks You Might Not Know About radically expanded my knowledge base regarding what can be done in Google+. That may speak to my sad lack of knowledge but that doesn't mean they won't help you become master of the game.
5 Tips To Up Your Google+ Game
Link Your Avatar To A Photo Album
Showcase your creative work...Click on the left menu and select Profile. Then under the Photos menu, scroll down to Profile Photos, and in the dropdown menu, select 'Add photos.'"
Use Formatting Symbols
For bold, italicize and strikethrough, see Google+ Cheat Sheet.
Google+ Ripples: Post Analytics
Shows you how many public shares any particular post has gotten, how it's been reshared over time, and other statistics about your posts. To see the visualization and details, click on the drop-down box on the top right of any post and select 'View Ripples.'"
Up Your Hangouts Game
3rd party apps support Google+ Hangouts including Hangout Apps and Hangout Toolbox.
Auto Backup Pics on Android or iPhone
Turn on the auto upload feature in your Google+ mobile app, where you can set the photo size for the backups."
Now that you and Google+ are best friends, don't forget to add me to your circle!