The Google Plus Apathy Malaise
Yes, Google+ is just two months old, and yes, they’ve had a great uptake in numbers using the service (currently 25 million and counting). But there’s a growing amount of talk about how it’s not majorly different from what’s currently out there.
Additionally, the majority of users fall within limited categories – early adopters, tech geeks, social media “power users” and marketers/agencies trying to decide on its potential business value.
For Joe Public, though, Google+ remains an anomaly, and one that has a big question to answer – mainly, “Why should I leave Facebook when everyone I know is on there?”.
Personally, I’m enjoying Google+, but I’ll admit the early novelty has worn off and I use it less than Facebook. I’m hoping that the various tools and apps Google has at its disposal will make an appearance soon and integrate smoothly, as I feel that could be where the real Wow factor comes into play.
We’ll see. For now, from a lot of the people I’m connected with, it’s okay but could be better.
How about you?
I still don't really use Google+. I signed up, being one of the "marketers/agencies" you refer to. But to be honest, Google+ would have to be so much better than Facebook for me to be bothered to really switch or use it more ( http://wp.me/p1JgHJ-V) And I don't see that. Yes, the design of Google+ is clearer and seems to be easier to use (would I be used to it yet) but I still don't really trust Google with personal information safety either. So I will look into my Google+ account every now and then and wait what happens.
schnoerrchen Hi Katharina,
Would you say you trust Google more, less, or just the same as Facebook when it comes to personal information and privacy? As they (Facebook) do seem to have more than their fair share of problems with that issue too?
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I would say I (don't) trust Google just at the same level as Facebook. Maybe I would say Facebook is mistreating my privacy in a different way but Google... well, they just know it all, don't they: they see me searches, I have my mail account there, now they want me do my social networking with them... I don't know if that feels so secure to me ;-)
I am still wating for the wave.
I have read the advantages from other's blogs thesaleslion (Marcus) gave a great example. None of my personal friends are on Google+ and I was just going to start to utilize it more... Maybe I am right in delaying usage if it may go away?
Thanks for your thoughts Danny!
ExpatDoctorMom Not sure if it'll go away, Rajka, and it definitely has its uses. Just not seeing the big "Wow!" factor I feel Google needs to really bring it to the game. We'll see. :)
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I have definitely not given it much time or attention lately. So yeah for me the novelty has worn off-or real life has taken precedence?
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newdaynewlesson Real life's a bugger at times, eh? ;-)
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Like everything else I've done so far, I just showed up. I have done some cursory adding people, but haven't really used it. However, I only use FB on a limited basis, so it's not much different . Since some of my twitter friends have now crossed over to my FB, I am picking the pace up a little bit.
It will probably be old news by time the time I get 'all in'. Oh well, if you set your expectations low enough you will never be disappointed, right?
bdorman264 Here's the thing, Bill - let's say you're the audience Google wants (or needs) to become the next Facebook (that may not be their goal, but obviously Facebook is the standard bearer at the minute).
What would you advise they need to do to make it interesting for folks like you?
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DannyBrown I don't think it is anything they are not doing, it just seems most of my time is twitter/commenting/blogging and I just go to FB as an afterthought because that is where I was first.
I think it would take a major shift of my core group over there and if that was the easiest way to engage at that point then I would probably be more on board.
I'm not adverse to embracing change, it's just I feel I still have so much to learn in the arena I'm in.
I use fb to stay in touch with people, and g+ to stay in touch with information. (ref. to the social graph vs. infograph thing that Robert Scoble refers to often) I already see a strong difference after a few days usage of g+ that i lets me really build up this "infograph" thing. I find from breaking news (learned about Steve Jobs 20 minutes before mashable) up to special interest information which I find by circling specific individuals. I never could "tap" into special interests like this on fb. In any case competition is good and so I stay with it and look forward what the future brings.
easytouch Good points. Huzzah.
easytouch Would you say G+ is more like Twitter then, Robert? Many breaking news stories on there before the main media channels (although this isn't always a good thing). So, G+ is the natural fit between Twitter and Facebook, and maybe Google doesn't want too many of either audience?
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I stronlgy feel that Google is good on track this time to get the best of all existing systems (not only social networking, its about much more) but without the limitations. For example the spam problem. Google is really strong at that. They have experience from the search rank fights with blackhat SEO guys and also the technical assets needed to reach the target. For example I watched a long comment thread yesterday, and a spammer trying to post a link to an external site was taken of the system within 20 seconds and also his post disappeared "live" without refreshing the page ;-) The "digital passport" what they want to reach through strong identity focused measures holds great risks, but even greater opportunities for us. I am watching all those things happening online since 1993 and I am a great sceptic about privacy issues and also that until this summer all products of Google besides advertising (where the money is coming in) have only been little snacks to impress the competition. But this time, when G+ will be combined with Google Apps and the business users. Imagine the oportunities. You can then reach out and contact millions of contacts where the identity is checked through multiple measures. I would go this far in my vision that in 10 years even your financial rating will depend on your online reputation, and G+ will be one of the main sources of trust.
I was kind of excited about, because I use Google Apps with my site, and the possibility of integrating what I do with my site (which is built on Google Apps and Blogger) got me really excited. But then I found out that I couldn't join as an Apps account 'yet', which meant I couldn't get in there with the Google ID I wanted to use and take advantage of things like Circles, Hangouts and likes for promoting my site... at least, not now.
I don't know if it will ever replace FB, or what, but I saw it as a great social tool for people trying to network for professional purposes... and well... that just hasn't happened yet. Kinda feel like they're shooting themselves in the foot.
It just seems like Facebook is a nightmare for a person with ADD (self included). Whereas, I saw Google as a chance to reorganize.
Ah, well... we'll see what time holds.
nathanweaver I think that's probably the biggest disappointment, Nathan, the lack of integration with other Google tools.
Maybe they're drip-feeding so as to not overwhelm, but since the early audience is made of of tech savvy folks and Google fanboys (and I say that with respect), it seems odd to hold off on the tools they'd love to see in use, and the ones that could really set G+ apart.
Ah well indeed...
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In terms of how I spend my day — at least right now — it's just difficult to devote a ton of time on Google+, particularly because I'm a heavy Twitter and Facebook user. I have good networks in both of those places, and I get personal and business value from both. Since the G+ novelty factor wore off, it's just made more sense to me to continue to devote most of time to Facebook and Twitter.
But it'd be silly to close the door on Google+, because this is really only Phase 1 of a project that Google is obviously committed to. And there's certainly potential for it to evolve into a viable channel for some our brand clients. So I'll keep checking in on it and experimenting every now and again, and see where it leads!
BryanPerson That's it in a nutshell, mate - no (clear) overriding factor to be there, but no reason to close the door completely either. Let's see what next six months hold. :)
DannyBrown Exactly. And though I didn't mention this before, I'm not seeing much takeup of Google+ among my NON-early-adopter friends and family. I can't even imagine trying to make the case to my parents, for example, that they should try out Google+. They only joined Facebook about a year ago. And at least as of today, there's no real compelling reason for them to go someplace else.
I liked it but I am in that boat where I don't really see it as too different from the other tools out there. Just waiting to see what happens with organizational profiles to see the value there. But right now, as a nonprofit, most of my folks seem to have started a profile but aren't really using it. So wondering about it long-term.
JeffW I think that's the biggest problem, Jeff, the "Okay, what now?" scenario. Appreciate it's a new platform, but it's not from a new company - instead, it's one with a huge amount of resources at its disposal. It'd be nice to see them use some of them. :)
I agree that this "beta" thing is getting old and Google has to start rolling out its plan for Business as well as API's, but I believe that it is a superior platform to Facebook for managing friends and clients. The fact that everyone is still on Facebook isn't an argument to not move. Everyone was once on Myspace, everyone once wrote hand written thank you notes.
It'll take time. And maybe an old school advertising campaign that reaches the Facebook crowd may be a good idea.
rayhiltz I think the biggest difference is Facebook actually has sensible management, compared to MySpace. The day Murdoch took over was its death knell - love him or hate him, Zuckerberg is a smart cookie and knows threats when he sees one (hence the engineer lockdown mode).
MySpace also suffered from a horrible UI and a reputation for being for teens and bands. Facebook's demographic is far wider.
I'm not saying G+ will fail, but I do think it has a *lot* to do before it's a major platform.
I'm challenged finding the time to learn and monitor another SM tool and see no reason as of now to take time away from the other places I am active. I'm still keeping my hand in should Google+ find it's niche or just devour another site.
barryrsilver That seems to be the case with many, mate, the wait-and-see approach. Here's hoping there's something worth seeing. ;-)
Only Google would try and mix social media with math. When I see a thumbs up icon, a 'Like', or a 'Tweet' I know what that means - they are symbols of "sociability". But a +1? I know the math nerds at Google must have been giving each other calculator-high-fives with the launch of a name like Google "+", but for the rest of us, it just doesn't add up :)
OpEdMarketing You know, that's a good point. I know the +1 Button is a key part in Google's long-term strategy (and current search authority one), but the Facebook Like one is so well-known, it does make you wonder if most web users know about the +1 one?
Considering I'm questioning my life on Twitter, G+ is in the same boat. That said, I do like the hangout feature and am contemplating using it more.
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Ari Herzog Do you see the Hangout option (at least the multi-user one) as a serious option, or more a gimmick that will be under-used?
DannyBrown The first time I joined a hangout there were 10 other people from around the world -- and one of them tried an experiment, bringing his laptop and tethered phone into the car, and drove around Los Angeles like an episode of COPS. Whatever he saw driving, we saw alongside in his video stream. I imagined future uses of this if/when Google hangouts is synced with Google latitude and other programs.
For my own use, I see it as a viable way to schedule mini town hall forums. People can enter and leave.
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Ari Herzog See, THAT sounds pretty cool and something to make non-users think about.
Google+ is useless to me when there is no unique informative or entertaining content.
In the meantime, I'll at least post my latest blog post in one more spot to keep up appearances.
JayDolan Good point. I know I'm guilty of sharing some of the same stuff on there as elsewhere. Then again, there are new people there that I don't know elsewhere, so it's a fine line. ;-)
Danny, I am at the same stage as you are. I loved it, I still like it, but Facebook is still in front of it for me. I obviously needed coffee when I left a comment on that post of yours, I see a spell mistake :)
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DannyBrown OMG, I loves that guy :)
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The initial excitement of Google+ has subsided, now we'll see if it has longevity. I think there are some reasons for it to succeed namely peoples utter contempt towards Facebook. Time will tell.
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hackmanj Thing is, mate, for the average Facebook user, they're probably unaware of the reasons for contempt. So is that something Google needs to overcome? I'm thinking of the UnThink platform currently making the news, and its counter to Facebook and other networks' privacy issues.
Jane Public here, and on G+. I'm still finding G+ interesting, and amused to see G+ features turning up, dressed slightly differently, on FB ;~)
Diana of Elephant's Eye Gotta love the "immitation is flattery" approach by those social media guys ;-)
G+ leaves a lot to be desired. It combines Twitter with Blogging in a sense. The threads are superior to Facebook. But lack of 'friends' is an issue. And I agree they must improve and integrate before they lose momentum.
HowieSPM What would be the best use of integration for the everyday user, Howie, to make it more appealing in general (if the beta phase was over)?
Hey Danny,
I haven't had a lot of time to spend there but I do love the Hangouts feature! I'm not sure where it's going, in terms of a business tool, but I do see personal applications; family members connecting there en masse! My children't cousins are spread out across Canada and the US. Imagine a "gathering" or reunion of 10 or them online. I think it's cool
As for the rest, I'll wait and see.
Lori
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Lori The Hangouts are definitely intriguing (though I haven't really tried them fully yet). Do you think that would be enough to sway people over, now Facebook has the Skype option as well as various Facebook video chat apps?
DannyBrown LOL, I was wondering just that after I posted my comment Danny. I don't think the Hangout feature would be enough to sway people over, only that it could be used for that. I see way too many "funny" videos being posted :o I don't know what that's about and have had to unfollow someone already!
For sure, it's a super challenge for Google to do this. The only way it will work is if all the newbies go over and/or all the ones already deeply indoctrinated in Facebook decide to go over. How does that happen? I don't know.
Does anyone else have the ability to have 10 people on a video chat at once? But then, it will probably be only a matter of time until they do!
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Lori I guess dedicated video conferencing, but these are obviously premium (hence the better quality). But be interesting to see if it's taken up or just seen as a gimmick longer term. :)
I share your feelings, Danny. I spent a lot of time on Google+ in the first couple of weeks but almost need to remind myself to check it out today. I am inclined to go where the people are and, as you put it, Joe Public isn't on Google+
Darren Sproat I hear you, mate. For me, I log into email, Facebook, Twitter and then G+. Often it's because I get an alert to a reply on a thread, as opposed to a new jump in. Hmmm...
Some other sources are also showing decline: According to analysis from Experian Hitwise, there was a 5.5% drop in U.S. visits last week to 1.16 million. http://www.investorplace.com/2011/08/google-plus-v... (Thanks for mentioning our site).
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