March 30, 2012 | 5 Comments

Woops, Forgot To Check Google Plus Again

Google plus is projected to hit 400 million users by the end of 2012. Some are even suggesting it may overtake Facebook.

But here’s my question…

How often do you actually check your Google Plus page?

I’m ashamed to admit it, but I probably only check it once a week, and if I’m really neglectfully, once every two. This is pretty poor considering I am CEO of a social media dashboard company, and edit the popular social media blog you’re reading this on.

I have a theory… everyone is signing up to Google Plus because, let’s face it, everyone is on Google in some capacity, probably most heavily Google Talk and Gmail. But, when push comes to shove, they are going back to the tried and trusted Facebook to keep up with their social connections.

The Bigger Picture

It has been my thought for a while that Google is less concerned about the day to day posting as a network, but more about the social element that having a platform like Google Plus affords. Want to use Hangouts? You need a profile. Want to recommend content so that it features higher in Googles new “Social Search?” You need a profile. Google understands that a social element is essential to keep their product set relevant in this socially connected world, but I’m not sure the play has ever been to simply “rival Facebook.”

Opening the API

One thing the folks at Google haven’t done yet? They haven’t opened the API for developers to integrate (except a few chosen companies in a very beta way). Once apps can integrate with it fully (not just post to it like plugins allow) we may see a major spike in usage.

What are your thoughts?

How have you been using Google Plus? Do you see a place for it in the future? Has it helped your business? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this. Connect with me on Google Plus, though I can’t promise I’ll check it

Tags: facebook, featured, google plus

Author:Tammy Kahn Fennell

Tammy is the editor of this fine blog, and the CEO of MarketMeSuite, the premium Social Media Inbox for Small Businesses. Go on, you can even use it for free! You can follow Tammy on Twitter @Tammykfennell.

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http://keithbloemendaal.me/ Keith Bloemendaal

I am actually on it more than FB and Twitter combined now… only reason I saw this article is because you +1ed and it showed in my stream.

I have personally grown a a more responsive audience, and at a faster pace than any network I have been on. Took only a couple of weeks to pass my FB friends (650), and after 3yrs with this Twitter account (I switched to my name after a year using a branded Twitter handle), I am already halfway to that same number of followers on Plus as I have on Twitter (less than a yr on Plus)

Oh, and the API… yes to an extent I agree, but I don’t have the spammers that opening the API would bring either. If you want to interact on Plus, you have to spend time on Plus. It deters those looking for a quick fix/buck because they can’t connect it with all their other accounts and schedule everything….

So, on a personal level, yes I think Plus is the absolute best place to “Hangout” (pun intended), but for brands, there is still work to be done.

Bottom line is this, it isn’t going anywhere.
- Tammy Kahn Fennell
  
  yep i agree google isn’t letting this one fail. (wave, buzz…. )
http://about.me/eisema Henk Eisema

I’ve just posted my comments on
http://socialmediatoday.com/marketmesuite/480973/how-often-do-you-check-google-plus As soon as it’s visible (it’s my first comment) I can copy-paste it over here!
But I’m a fan of Google+!
- Tammy Kahn Fennell
  
  Thanks Henk!
  
  Funny, I was just sitting here watching TV and a big advertisment for Google + came on! They were definitely positioning it as a “social network” beyond business connections, beyond what I’ve really seen people use it for yet. They showed a bunch of older gentleman all on a hangout together watching youtube, and then ended with the guy putting pictures of his grandchildren into a special folder on Google Plus “grandchildren.” Very warm and fuzzy…. so maybe they truly are trying to rival facebook… we’ll see!-Tammy
  - http://internetbusinessmastermind.com Ralf Skirr
    
    Yes, I noticed that, too. There is some incongruence in positioning g+.
    
    - All the current power users of g+ keep saying: facebook is for friends and family, g+ for passions.
    - Vic Gundotra keeps saying, that g+ is not a social network like facebook, and that the press doesn’t understand what g+ is.
    - Google’s advertising, though, is consistently going the opposite direction: they clearly position it as social network to connect to friends and family, i.e.Facebook competition.
    
    If they’d ask me, I’d say: Major PR fail.