Google gives another try to Social Media with Google+
What is Google+?
Here we are! Google released a new social media platform and everybody involved in the social media is talking about it: Google+. With the hegemony of Facebook and Twitter in particular, but also Youtube or Linked In, only a giant could invest so much time and money in launching a new successful social media sharing platform.
Google tried in the past to get more involved in social media, using another way than just facilitate Facebook and Twitter integration within the search results. You probably remember Google Wave and Google Buzz. After 2 successive flops, Google had to do it right. There are tons of articles out there talking about Google+, how to use it and what it does differently from Facebook and Twitter. In my opinion, Google+ is a mix of both, keeping the same status-photos-videos-links sharing features.
Google+ is an advanced Facebook in the way that it handles all Facebook features with a better interface for the users.
- It is indeed easier to sort you contacts in lists called circles in Google+ using the drag and drop feature. If it is possible to sort your Facebook Friends in different lists, the Facebook feature is way less intuitive.
- Same thing for the status updates: in order to share something with a specific group of people, Google+ makes it easier than Facebook’s little “lock”. Also, just like Facebook, you can select the stream you would like to see: which updates of which circle are you going to read about today?
Google+ is a more comprehensive Twitter. Twitter is indeed difficult to understand for most users as they don’t get the following-followers aspect and they can get overwhelmed very easily by the huge stream of update and link you get.
- Same deal in regards to sorting your “following” Twitter contacts: the circles make it easier.
- If on Facebook you can’t be friends with famous people, you can follow the updates sent by Shane Gibson (Thanks Shane!) or Larry Page on Twitter, and now on Google+.+
- Twitter doesn’t handle the sharing limitation to a specific group of contacts. Google+ handles both: limited sharing AND public sharing.
What’s new with Google+?
The major feature integrated by Google in their social media platform is the Google+ Hang-out feature. You all know the live chat on Facebook (which they just updated btw). Google+ has the same option but they integrated the video chat to it. Just like on Skype, you can have a video chat with friends within your circles and even share and play Youtube videos while talking to them. If you cannot search for a video yet, this is definitely a + for Google+. 
Google+ for businesses?
They are working on it! Facebook took 2 years to get the business aspect finally up and running, with a major update back in February 2011. Business Google+ will be released soon. They are testing it with thousand of beta-companies as they say in the video below.
The future of Google+
A lot easier to use, better interface, Google+ seems to be able to generate millions of users (there are already 10 Million of them). But after all, I don’t think Google+ can expect the same success Facebook has. In fact, Google just released a new add-on for Google Chrome in order to see your Facebook updates within the Google+ interface. Better than being competitors, Facebook and Google+ seem to be collaborating and giving the end users the choice. In my opinion, Google+ will reach mostly advanced social media users who wants to get away from the crowded Facebook and Twitter worlds and fake accounts, and start fresh with a brand new social media network.
