Will Google+ Become a Social Media Powerhouse?

Since the launch of Google+ last year, Google’s answer to Facebook has gotten its share of buzz.  According to Google+ for Dummies author Jesse Stay, Google+  is positioned well to do everything it has promised to do, and more – to become a true social media powerhouse.  Here’s why:

Total Google Integration

The +1 button has penetrated the web, and we are just seeing the tip of the integration iceberg.  Google is working to integrate its social network across all its products, even going so far as to kill off products that aren’t Google+ friendly.  Those products that are capable of cross-integration are getting tweaked to perform well with the social media platform.  Even Google’s flagship product, its search engine, has joined Team Google+.  Now, you can even see what your friends have +1′d in your Google search results.

Sharp Focus on the Product

According to Stay, the entire Google team is sharply focused on developing and improving Google+, including its integration into existing Google products, as I mentioned above.  Google is releasing new features every week, each one adding up to the summation of a social media game changer.  As more time and resources are invested into Google+, it’s clear that the company is putting lots of eggs into this basket.  This focus and investment bodes well for the future of Google+.

Fueled by Facebook Competition

Once Google+ was fully launched and steadily growing its user base, Facebook must have looked back and caught a glimpse of the new kid on the block gaining ground–and threatening its market share.  Needless to say, the two have been in fierce competition ever since.  This competition is benefiting the consumer, as each network tries to one-up the other, making rapid improvements to both products.  Google+ is benefitting from this early-stage competition, as it gets the opportunity to work out any kinks as soon as possible.

Tighter Niche Marketing Capabilities

With the addition of Google+ Pages, marketers have new opportunities for communicating with customers on social media.  They can separate audiences into circles and target messages to specific circles only, creating unparalleled custom communications in social media.  Google+ is offering marketers what has often alluded Facebook–increased privacy and personalization for their social media marketing campaigns.

Primed for Mobile

Google+’s position as a major player in mobile might be the most convincing reason the social network is here to stay.  Google owns Android, which will create powerful synergy between Google+ and mobile capabilities.  According to Stay, soon Google+ will likely be integrated into the operating system of all Androids, making it a native feature of any Android-powered device.  Users will have access to enormous sharing capabilities by default.

For example, when you take a photo with your phone, you could very easily share it on Google+.  Also, you could organize your contact list into circles, and all Google+’s location-sharing features will be native to your device.  Simply put, Google’s relationship with Android guarantees that wherever you go, Google+ will help you share your life with everyone in your circles.

Are you using Google+ for business?  What advantages do you find that make the network worth investing in for a long-term social media strategy?

Image courtesy of creative design agency Arrae

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 19th, 2012 at 9:00 am and is filed under Marketing, Social Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.


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