Finally, after many mis-starts and social media product debacles, Google gets their social networking offering down right. The downside is, there’s no reason to call this a “Plus”, it’s just catchup.
Google has learned from failed attempts
Historically, Google has been complacent when it goes to social networking, not having realized how quickly Facebook was going to grow many years ago, innovation in this category was lackluster. Amid several attempts most have failed (see the chronology of failed Google attempts), there is hope with yesterday’s announcement. In previous launches, their efforts were mere copies of Facebook’s (+1 vs Like) or struggled with too much complexity (Wave) and privacy woes (see my additional analysis on Google vs Facebook vs Twitter).
Yet strikes the right balance with Google+
Although I’ve only spent a few hours cruising throughout Google’s latest endeavor, “Google +1” I found myself strangely comfortable with the feature set. Groups (now called “Circles”), A wall with a cascading microfeed, Chat tools, commenting tools. In particular, great care was taken to craft the “Share” feature which makes it crystal clear on which circle or even in public you’ll share information. In the past, both Google and Facebook have miffed on how information will be shared. Being a late adopter has given Google the advantage here, they’ve had a few mistries, seen where Facebook has fallen, and have put the right features together.
But offers no reason to migrate From Facebook…yet
Yet, despite the familiar balance of features and site structure layout, this looks like a bare bones version of Facebook (minus the excessive ads, applications, yesterday tabs, and confusing user interface). As a result, I don’t see how this differentiates from Facebook. There is one saving grace that could make this tool unique, “Google Sparks” which is a conversation starter around different topics, that could leverage the Google search and media features.While only on the first week, I’ll reserve final judgement, but there isn’t a compelling reason why someone would switch to Google+ after setting up their social connections on Facebook.
The Bottom Line:
When it comes to features, Google is at parity with Facebook, but isn’t compelling for a mass immigration of social behavior. They must quickly integrate Google’s unique products like YouTube, Gmail, Apps, and others to slowly attract users over.
Below is some screenshots, and here’s a link to my public Google+ profile.
I agree with you. There needs to be a real motive for making the switch, however, do you think it is possible for the two social networks to co-exist and perhaps compliment each other. Â For example, google+ refines group communication in such a way that it can be a very versatile teaching and training tool. Also, if someone is a world renowned expert on something, I could see the potential market in that the expert could charge a fee to join the circle and get exclusive interaction (chat, video, resources, etc). What do you think?
Thanks Terence. Â Good point on them co-existing. Â In their current state, we can see Google just catching up, but it’s not clear on how it be a different use case. Â
Bottom line is, this is a ‘me too’ but hasn’t shown us why it’s a plus.
I think that the entire Google
suite of tools makes G+ VERY compelling, once they hit their stride. I™m not sure FB can or wants to
compete with that level of engineering. As a creator of social experiences and apps I can tell you we’d much rather write apps with Google’s set of api’s than Facebook’s any day.
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Google just needs to keep making
things easy, something they are quite good at, to win. I’m not sure the switch needs to be sudden to be victorious. This could unroll much like the gradual adoption of gmail addresses. People saw value and dropped their old accounts.
I think that the entire Google
suite of tools makes G+ VERY compelling, once they hit their stride. I™m not sure FB can or wants to
compete with that level of engineering. As a creator of social experiences and apps I can tell you we’d much rather write apps with Google’s set of api’s than Facebook’s any day.
Â
Google just needs to keep making
things easy, something they are quite good at, to win. I’m not sure the switch needs to be sudden to be victorious. This could unroll much like the gradual adoption of gmail addresses. People saw value and dropped their old accounts.
If Google+ doesn’t inspire people to leave Facebook, will people on Facebook use Google+ as well? Will most Facebook users pass on Google+? Any thoughts?Â
I see a great need to discuss certain topics with “my” audience, public or private instead of a discussion within a specific news paper or blog. This could further disrupt online news papers.
I see a great need to discuss certain topics with “my” audience, public or private instead of a discussion within a specific news paper or blog. This could further disrupt online news papers.
I see a great need to discuss certain topics with “my” audience, public or private instead of a discussion within a specific news paper or blog. This could further disrupt online news papers.
I see a great need to discuss certain topics with “my” audience, public or private instead of a discussion within a specific news paper or blog. This could further disrupt online news papers.
If they’re offering nothing really new and cool for early adopters, they’re relying on attracting a large group of people in the middle of the bell curve for whom Facebook is important enough, and lacking enough in minor experience details, to overcome the switching cost of moving platforms. Seems unlikely, and they’re smart enough to know that. Maybe, as Steve Brennan pointed out, they’re embracing an osmosis strategy–but I suspect they’re just putting the foundation in place for something more compelling down the road. I’m guessing they don’t even know what that is yet, but know they need parity with Facebook as a baseline.Â
I’m mostly drawn to the idea of starting over and focusing on my actual friends this time around. Other networks, while full of lovely features, are just too noisy at times. I like to think of Google+ as a quieter place, at least the way I anticipate using it.
I’m mostly drawn to the idea of starting over and focusing on my actual friends this time around. Other networks, while full of lovely features, are just too noisy at times. I like to think of Google+ as a quieter place, at least the way I anticipate using it.
I’m mostly drawn to the idea of starting over and focusing on my actual friends this time around. Other networks, while full of lovely features, are just too noisy at times. I like to think of Google+ as a quieter place, at least the way I anticipate using it.
I’m mostly drawn to the idea of starting over and focusing on my actual friends this time around. Other networks, while full of lovely features, are just too noisy at times. I like to think of Google+ as a quieter place, at least the way I anticipate using it.
I’m mostly drawn to the idea of starting over and focusing on my actual friends this time around. Other networks, while full of lovely features, are just too noisy at times. I like to think of Google+ as a quieter place, at least the way I anticipate using it.
I’m mostly drawn to the idea of starting over and focusing on my actual friends this time around. Other networks, while full of lovely features, are just too noisy at times. I like to think of Google+ as a quieter place, at least the way I anticipate using it.
I’m mostly drawn to the idea of starting over and focusing on my actual friends this time around. Other networks, while full of lovely features, are just too noisy at times. I like to think of Google+ as a quieter place, at least the way I anticipate using it.
I’m mostly drawn to the idea of starting over and focusing on my actual friends this time around. Other networks, while full of lovely features, are just too noisy at times. I like to think of Google+ as a quieter place, at least the way I anticipate using it.
Google+ will never be the new Facebook (though all the similarities), I think the most interesting possibilities lies in new combinations of social functions and existing products in the Google portfolio. Think about Google+ combined with Google Docs – a better way to collaborate and share documents in groups. Â
@jowyang google+ offers option to export all data out, open vs closed especially for photos is +1 over facebook
Google needs a better communication strategy around how they are differentiating their offering compared to Facebook et al. Â I can’t see switching to Google + until they offer a a few compelling reasons that I can’t get out of FB. Â More, the lack of “apps” and a robust 3rd party development platform renders the release a weak “me too”, Johnny come lately, Facebook light platform. Â My initial take on Google+ is that like Buzz and Wave it has some interesting features, but G+ will probably share their same fate.
So far everything I’ve done on Google+ has been completely different than what I do on Facebook. I’m not seeing it as a “me too” at all.Â
A huddle works similar to a Group.Me conversation — the FB functionality for group communication in this manner is not that compelling. A hangout (either professional or personal) for collaborating on projects or catching up with friends face-to-face. Seeing there’s a potential for YouTube integration there (there’s a link, but I haven’t seen it work for anyone yet), hints at the potential for sharing YT views while in a hangout. I’m sure that docs sharing will follow once they figure it out. Also, I think the ability to segregate content based on ties to others feels a lot more granular than what FB offers — or at least feels easier than what FB offers.
So far, my vote is that this is a unique experience. I get that the Google+ stream and the FB wall are highly comparable, but the overall Google functionality and future possibilities are giving me more reason to want to spend time there than on FB. Of course, I’m not sure how easy the experience is for the average user. But who knows, FB’s UI/UX hasn’t always been the easiest and people have managed.
Google+ is not a Facebook clone. Â Google has 2 distinct advantages Photos and Mobile
(1) Photos. Sharing photos from Flickr, Picassa and other web sources is very easy. Â There’s also no limit to the amount of photos you can store or share on Google+. Â This is not the case with iCloud (supposedly 1000 before they disappear). Photos is the carrot that would make me want to return. Â Also the ability to share with groups of people or individuals is very appealing.Â
(2) Mobile. Â The UI/UX on mweb is actually an enjoyable experience. Â There’s a nearby feature similar to Colors. Â But what’s great is ability to upload photos from mobile. Â From Android this is even easier because you’re always logged in and can share seamlessly. Â
I think you hit it, it is the opportunity to throw away the cluttered FB experience and start over. Â Just like apps learn from failed experiences, users (FB) can start over and avoid the mess that they’ve help create. Â Even if Google+ were a complete knockoff in every feature, my ability to re-lauch my own social life–MySocialLife V2.0–would compel me to give it a try.
As of now.. Google+ is Google Buzz +1 but Facebook -1. Good start and there is opportunity for Google+ to thrive where Google social efforts have not, but I really hope it doesn’t become another FriendFeed or Buzz for a few people to talk about the product and nothing else.
Nobody has addressed what the impact will be on brands or corporate accounts. Is this, and will it continue to be about people/ individuals or are you seeing a Page or something so entities can play in this space,too?
google has gotten it right this time . and with the power of android integration the possibilities are endless. just thing of it phones and computers with cameras being able to talk to each other regardless of platform ,the future looks great for the google and the fall of facebook is near. you all may laugh now but in 2 years facebook could look like myspace.
I don’t believe Google Groups are the same as Circles. Circles are merely lists of friends who are unaware who else is in that Circle. I would argue that there’s a huge need for Google Groups in Plus so that people can collaborate towards common goals. Circles seems serves the same purpose as Facebook friends lists.
they are similar but its easier to use than Facebooks version. the people on your lists dont need to know which list they are on. all your friends in real life dont know just how close each is to you or to each other ,thats not what the circles are for. its to stop people from sending out shouts or alerts to the wrong groups.like the little girl that sent a birthday invite to 15000 pepole.
Marion – I’m confused. Isn’t stopping people from sending the wrong updates to the wrong people the same as sending the right updates to the right people? Again, I think Circles are similar to Facebook friend lists, and Facebook Groups are similar to Google Groups.
right but facebook hasnt made it easy for folks. im very computer savy and dont like all the hoops i have to jump through with facebook to send an alert out to the people whome you want to.everyone loves facebook because all there friends are there not because its easy to use.ive been there early on and dont really like it but if you dont use it no one hears you.just would like some real competition.
right but facebook hasnt made it easy for folks. im very computer savy and dont like all the hoops i have to jump through with facebook to send an alert out to the people whome you want to.everyone loves facebook because all there friends are there not because its easy to use.ive been there early on and dont really like it but if you dont use it no one hears you.just would like some real competition.
I don’t see why people would have to leave Facebook for Google+ to be successful. Most people I know who use social media have a presence in more than one social network. If Google+ offers something of value that’s a bit different from what’s currently on offer, is it not possible that people will use it in addition to other social media options that they currently use?Â
I agree with other posters that Google+ doesn’t have to be called a replacement for Facebook, but the converse of your article’s title can be argued just as easily, once you’ve got enough people to follow in Google+ that your stream is worthwhile (which took me less than 3 days). Â You say Google+ doesn’t offer a reason to leave Facebook, but my reaction has been that I can’t think of a compelling reason to continue to use Facebook.
My wall on Facebook is already a joke compared to my various Google+ streams.  Every time I log into Facebook, my feed is full of junk from new stupid app invites for me to block, a hundred invites to events I don’t care about, and 30 friend requests from people I’m not sure whether I’ve met.  Since the “friend” relationship has to be two-way on Facebook, you can’t toggle which friends can clutter your feed without removing them entirely, which takes away their ability to see anything you post as well. In contrast, Google+ lets me have a stream full of great tech blog info by letting me create circles full of people I like to read, whether they know and follow me or not.  Twitter works the same way in terms of showing me only posts from people I choose to follow, but in Twitter I have one stream to sift through.  In Google+ I can quickly change my stream to show me only what my co-workers or family members are chattering about with a single click.  If I have a gig someplace I can announce it to just the circle of people likely to be interested without cluttering the streams of people who won’t care about it, or creating an invite and hand selecting recipients. As even your article states, audiences are far easier to manage with this circle model than Facebook groups.The +1 button is far from analogous to “Liking” something on Facebook, as long as you use it outside the Google+ site.  In Facebook, if you like a band or company profile, it adds nothing but a little link to their Facebook page to your profile, and a bunch of spam to your “News” section.  In Google+ people have an optional profile tab that displays all of their favorite sites, articles, media, etc. to exactly the audience they want to see it.  As a visitor to someone’s profile, that’s infinitely more useful in telling me something about a person or providing me with useful information I may not have found otherwise.It’s hard to say that Facebook’s photo albums are anything but dwarfed by Picasa’s feature set, the Facebook calendar is nothing compared to Google Calendar, and a lot more people use their Gmail address book to store their contacts than those trying to accomplish the same thing with their Facebook friend list.  If you’re an Android user, your Google address book is the same as the one in your phone by default.  Google Groups gives your group members better control of notifications than Facebook groups and offer you a lot more moderation tools.  Gtalk offers video chat, XMPP,  and better integration with 3rd party clients, website integration and mobile device support than Facebook’s chat feature.  They’ve even taken that a step further with the Hangouts feature in Google+. Â
I can see what you’re saying about how Google should integrate some of these things into Google+ better, and maybe it’s in the works, but check out that toolbar at the top of your browser when you log into Google+ (or check out the attached image). Â You’re already logged into any Google service you want to use and can share any content you generate using other Google services with your Google+ circles and contacts. Â You choose only the features you want to use, and everyone in any circle you share with is already logged in using their own Google accounts as well, so it’s already integrated into a single browser session.
A lot of it might take a gradual change in the way people think about sharing, and about what they’re expecting from their social networks. Â Perhaps those that already use Google products in tandem will be quicker adopters as well, but if Google+ lets me say things I would never say in front of a potential employer or my mom without making me “unfriend” those people, and it offers me a more useful feed than my Facebook wall, and it does every single thing Facebook does (minus the stupid games so far) either directly or by using a completely developed free-standing web app integrated with the same account, what compelling reason can you give me NOT to stop using Facebook and spend more time on Google+?
I totally agree with your point of views.But Google is manipulating its algorithm and including the content from Social media in its search results.So it’ll be mandatory for the webmasters to use G Plus.Isn’t it so?
I’m not sure by using Google+ you can manipulate search engine results any more than facebook. The whole philosophy of Google is about giving quality & relevant results in the search results and if they start to give preference to Google+ users then they are going down a very dangerous road when they manipulate rankings. I’m pretty sure Google will let Google+ boom or bust based on it’s own merits as a social media platform.