Google+. Some call it the wasteland of social media. But, the recent introduction of Google+ Communities has breathed some life into the social network of late.

I still say the numbers are a little inflated (I think most would agree), but Google+ remains a solid niche network for the right industry/audience. And, now with Google+ Communities, you have another component to consider and add to your marketing arsenal.

But, from a professional development perspective, what are the Google+ Communities to start joining and following? It’s a little tough to find them now. Google gives you a few options for discovery. First and foremost the “Discovery” section right below the Communities you’re a part of:

Of course, you’ll most likely be invited to participate in a number of Google+ Communities if you’re a semi-active G+ user. And finally, you can use the “search” function seen above, as an easy way to search for a specific Community.

After trying all that, if you’re still coming up dry, I thought I’d give you 14 Google+ Communities to join, as a PR counselor or marketer, that I’ve found to be helpful (or at the very least, pretty interesting and engaging so far). These are all G+ Communities that have been recommended to me by friends, colleagues or readers of this blog:

Google+ Community: Public Relations

Recommended by: Matt LaCasse

URL: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/103424429865042936135

Notable: THE best PR G+ community I’ve seen so far. Limited spam and self promotion and a bunch of smart PR people sharing ideas/notes (so far).

Google+ Community: Google Analytics

Recommended by: Arik Hanson

URL: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/114481059214254340537

Notable: Wondering if Adam Singer will get more involved here…

Google+ Community: FIR Podcast Community

Recommended by: Arik Hanson

URL: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/112349929544876511942

Notable: FIR geeks–your place to hang with Neville and Shel…

Google+ Community: Brand Socialites

Recommended by: Lauren Fernandez

URL: Private–only open to brand-side community managers and social media strategists (tweet @brandsocialites if interested)

Notable: Lauren, a community manager for Landry’s, said this was one of her best resources in terms of commiserating with other community managers who work for big brands. Given the fact that it’s private, I’m inclined to believe she’s probably right.

Google+ Community: Cult of Mac

Recommended by: Arik Hanson

URL: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/115732139854478597898

Notable: Lots of good Mac info shared here on a regular basis including how-tos, fixes and tips.

Google+ Community: Hacker News

Recommended by: Adam Singer

URL: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/104388679763490357266

Notable: A community to channel your inner geek…

Google+ Community: Community Managers

Recommended by: Bob Stanke

URL: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/101510889779807726729

Notable: One of the better community management communities I’ve noted so far, too.

Google+ Community: Women of G+

Recommended by: Lauren Gray

URL: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/108184092497168993542

Notable: Not sure what to make of this community, exactly, but it was recommended to me for this list by more than one person.

Google+ Community: WordPress

Recommended by: Jason Keath

URL: https://plus.google.com/communities/109526871298488380216

Notable: Seems like a legit community bent on helping people. Many of the posts are questions about WordPresss, which are quickly followed with helpful answers.

Google+ Community: Podcasts

Recommended by: Jason Keath

URL: https://plus.google.com/communities/102333709604116814839

Notable: Limited self promotion–and if you’re looking to get started in podcasting (for yourself or on behalf of a client) this might be a good place to start.

Google+ Community: Geek

Recommended by: JR Rochester

URL: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/115337878880453992565

Notable: Where else can you learn such geek tidbits like the date Temple Run 2 will launch? 🙂

Google+ Community: Content Marketing & Social Media

Recommended by: Lauren Gray

URL: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/111129321876252584400

Notable: Mostly link sharing, but a lot of good stuff here if your title includes “social media.”

Google+ Community: Google+ Discuss

Recommended by: Bob Stanke

URL: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/115758385206378551362

Notable: A Google+ Community about Google+. Meta. But pretty good. Lots of Q&A here–if you’re a G+ newbie, this is a good place to start learning.

Google+ Community: Nexus 4 owners

Recommended by: Mike Keliher

URL: https://plus.google.com/communities/102044494332238610337

Notable: Say you’re NOT an iPhone fan, chances are you either have a Samsung phone, a Blackberry or a Nexus. Here’s your one-stop shop for all questions, issues and concerns.