Is Google+ Ready for Prime Time?

A little over four months ago the world’s largest search engine, Google, launched their third significant attempt at a social network. Google+ integrated existing Profiles and Buzz features with new Circles, Hangouts and Sparks, with Circles – the ability to organize friends into groups for content sharing – garnering the most positive publicity. In only two weeks 10 millions users accepted invites, and after Google+ was opened wide two weeks ago, quickly skyrocketed to over 40 million users. But what does Google+ mean to companies looking to social media as an acquisition and retention tool? And is Google+ the final nail in Facebook’s digital coffin?

On June 28, 2011, after months of rumours and discussion, Google launched their post-Wave/Buzz attempt at social networking, Google+. Invites were dispensed through influencers, each having 150 invites to hand out to Google users 18 or older with a requirement to use a real name. Important to businesses was a public request by Google for businesses to refrain from setting up accounts, and with the company actively shutting down those who disregarded the request.

Google+ looked and behaved much like the 750-million user behemoth, Facebook, with users sharing content out to those who had connected with them. The major difference with Google+ was an incredibly intuitive and simple method of sorting contacts called Circles. Users could simply drag a friend into circles such as Family, Friends, Acquaintances, Co-Workers, or specific niche interests. This made sure someone like myself could post pictures of my baby niece only to family and close friends, industry articles only to those in the industry, and pictures of my rare draught beer only to fellow craft beerophiles. While Facebook had long provided Friend Lists as a similar feature, it had never been as front-and-centre or as simple as Google+ had made it.

Influencers and digital superstars were quick to make the shift from Facebook to the new Google+, with 10 million users registering within the first two weeks of invite-only release. On September 20, 2011, Google lifted the front gates and opened Google+ wide to anyone over the age of 18 with a free Google account. The results seemed to be incredible and almost instant. In its first week of public release Google+ now boasted over 43 million users and a 1,269% increase in traffic, moving it from 54^th to 8^th place in HItwise’s Social Networking and Forums category. Cue the town criers and prognosticators who declared Facebook, with 750 million users, all but dead. So has Google+ eclipsed its rival and finally released the first viable threat on the social juggernaut?

What’s in a number?

43 million users is a hard number to argue against. From 10 million in two weeks to over 28 million in early September, then the massive jump at month end, pure user registration growth has been phenomenal when compared to other social networks. In a much longer timeframe the acclaimed location-sharing social network, Foursquare, has only recently registered its 10 millionth user. But Foursquare never had a search engine with the web’s most traffic on which to place a giant blue arrow alerting them to its new social network. And while Google+ has added significant numbers to their registrations, Facebook has continued to surpass Google’s network of sites in total traffic, creating changes that have further elevated these already industry leading numbers. One quickly gets the impression when using Google+ that, regardless of user registration numbers, that Google has merely created a tight-knit community of influencers and their fans, with segregated groups by niche interests held throughout. The true one-to-one/one-to-many community offered by Facebook is nowhere to be seen.

Pages

Finally, for the corporate customer interested in using Google+ to advance their business, the options are currently all but non-existent. Smart, socially-savvy companies can ensure their employees reference the company in their profile while becoming active and engaged in the Google+ community. But up to now no equivalent to Facebook’s Pages has been offered. Grandiose promises and plans apparently exist, but attempting to set up a business page now is likely to result in wasted time once Google deletes the rogue profile.

Google+ certainly provides a unique experience with more intuitive and fully-featured privacy options (although the importance of more privacy options outside the digital influencer echo chamber is up for discussion). But when it comes to dedicating precious time to a social media strategy the facts say jumping on Google+ now isn’t a cost well taken on. Understand what it offers, and familiarize yourself as a user, but be wary to shift from known, effective resources to the next big thing until the right opportunity presents itself.