After two failed attempts by Google to compete in the social realm, the search engine giant may have finally gotten it right.
With more than 100 million users (as of February 2012), Google+ has exceeded all industry expectations and has grown into a force to be reckoned with. And just a few months after Google+ was thrust upon the public domain, there was more exciting news with the introduction of Google+ for business. This long-awaited service enabled companies to build a branded profile page, establish a Google+ identity, and distribute content to the Google+ network.
But some businesses have held back. If your brand is currently on the fence about joining the Google+ network, here are five factors that might help you decide:
Google is important to your online business. Whether you run an e-commerce site or a personal blog, Google is vital to getting attention. Since this search engine is responsible for such a large proportion of online business, doesn't it make sense to try and get more out of it?
Personalized search and online brand presence. Having a Google+ page will improve your chances of dominating the first page of Google for branded searches.
Search is becoming increasingly more social. Although Google has not explicitly said how Google+ will affect search engine rankings, they have explained that content recommended by a stranger will no longer suffice. Google’s search algorithm will tilt toward social, and there are already some subtle signs emerging. Did you notice the recent update to Google Webmaster tools that now includes "search impact" in the "+1" metrics tab?
Targeted communications. The ability to create "circles" and group connections allows you to easily tailor messages and deliver promotions to targeted segments or demographic groups.
Google+ is not going away anytime soon. It is expected that more than 400 million people will join Google+ by the end of this year. Chances are that your customers will be there.
All of these favorable points don’t mean that there aren't some challenges to be overcome. At this stage, it still appears that Facebook remains the most prominent option for building an online presence, and people are currently showing somewhat limited engagement with the Google+ platform thus far.
Additionally, some Google+ functionality may be a bit theoretical at this point. For example, the ability to send targeted communications sounds like a great idea, but with very few people adding brands to their circles, it may be a little premature to start getting really excited.
Right now, it seems that people aren't yet completely prepared to divide their attention between both Facebook and Google+ -- but there may be a strong potential for this in the future.
Kim - I'm getting better at relearning the skimming with new timeline, but I do have to say that the linear method is far superior for this than current timeline. I am not throwing in the towel quite yet or quite so easily, but so far, gotta say old is good ;-)
We saw some horrfying stats from Comscore a couple of months back. Google+ users averaged 3.3 minutes on the site in January. You can't sell advertising on the back of numbers like that.
The old layout was somewhat better. I need to be able to scroll down the page and see what's there very quickly. I can still do that on my "Home" page, but on any Timeline there are now lags while older entries load. And the two columns are not easy to scan.
It's just all too much sometimes. I prefer to socialize on my own. I long for the days when people sent photos through the mail after an event I actually attended.
Do we have any stats on monthly use of G+? Google has a huge user base and most of them have/will "open" a G+ account but how many of them will go back to it again and again, like Facebook?
Kim - you desire to look at FB page quickly, like email inbox glances. Did you find the old layout better for this or is it the new one (or the same "but different"? And what is it that you are looking for in that quick glance, where do you go for that? Is it like scanning a newspaper page?
Mary - what do you vision life without Facebook to be like? Is it just the frustration with not being able to successfully navigate the Timeline that has taken you to this decision point, or are there other factors?
Yes, I know what you mean. However, you can find the way to avoid their moves to grab data, at least to a certain extent. It can be a fun and distracting way of spending your coffee brakes in the middle of a working day. That, given that your friends don't go irrational all of a sudden posting as much unncessary nothingness than the one you can bear that day. But this is why you have to know who you have there, right? :) Total strangers don't make it to my FB. I don't need thousands of "friends" to have friends.
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