We have been getting a lot of questions from clients about Google+, and our opinion is that it’s still too soon to tell how things will shake out with Google+ vs. Facebook. While Google certainly has the power behind it to challenge Facebook, you need to keep in mind that if Facebook were a country, it would be the fifth largest country in the world.
It’s clear that Google is capitalizing on some of Facebook’s weaknesses and has come to the table with a few really nice alternatives. However, it’s hard to believe Facebook isn’t also buried in the development process, brewing up some surprises of their own.
We’ve been testing Google+ a bit, and two things are attractive to us so far: Google+ Circles and Hangouts. Circles make it far easier to create a “circle of friends” than using a Twitter list or Facebook Friend List. Hangouts allows a camera switching feature as a great approach to video chat. The thing is, all of these features have to pick up steam. To be effective, a lot of people have to be using them, and it is too soon to tell if Facebook users will make the switch.
Our advice: stay focused on what you’re currently doing. Don’t let new features and functionality distract you. Remember, things come and go in the social media space. It is important to always have a strategy in place before big decisions are made. Oh, and, a sense of humor helps too, which is why we’re posting this infographic from Class Finders.
