Is Google+ Going the Distance?

Like every other social media geeks around the world we logged in to Google+ in awe for the first time and fell in love like George Clooney pursuing a super model du jour! It’s cool and we like the tight integration with other Google Applications, Products and Services.

Must admit, it’s about time somebody gives the runaway train known as Facebook a run for their money. It’s really two monopolistic behemoths battling each other for supremacy in the digital age. It will be fun to watch Facebook reverse engine Google Circles and Hangout in the not to distant future, judging from their past activities.

In the end, we think Twitter may have more to worry about than Facebook, although with a $7.7 Billion Valuation and having just raised beau coup bucks, Twitter should be in good shape. Although any company (Groupon, Facebook, Microsoft, Walmart, AT&T et al) looking at the Google freight train bearing down on them like the opening in Speilberg’s superb Super8 flick has reason to be nervous.

What we like about G+:

• The User Interface is cool and not too geeky – clearly, Google has learned from their mistakes (Buzz) and come to market with an elegant, well designed and thought out robust social platform.
• It’s easy to dive into Google+ (assuming you have some social media experience) and start building relationships and a stream.
• We like Google’s categorization capabilities, enabling one to distinguish between Casual and Family (our terms).
• The Google Profile, GMail, Picasa and related Google Apps/Product integration is seamless.
• We love the “Twitter-like” ability to have non-reciprocal connections; you can follow anyone.

What we don’t like:

• All together – “it’s another bloody social media platform that brands have to deal with.” Increasing time in the digital saddle and another set of apps, constructions, digital social mores, etc. to grasp and leverage. Your inbox just got busier!
• This is not an application for a just getting started with social media person – it’s a Ferrari best taken out for spins by experienced drivers
• One of the things we love about Twitter for our agency account and for multiple clients, is its inherent social glue capabilities; you can move that Twitter stream easily across a web site, LinkedIn, and many/many other platforms – Twitter personifies Web 3.0 connectivity. We don’t see this happening with G+ – this baby is going to be siloed forever within Google’s walled garden, unless Sergey Brin has a personality transplant.
• The Privacy controls are anemic to say the least – this needs to be improved moving forward.
• It’s a personal brand social network for now. Google avoided the still idiotic distinction that Facebook makes between Fan and Business pages. Maybe Google is going to sit back and think about this. Which is a good thing.

Stay tuned – the digital wars are just heating up! No words were harmed in this post………