Google+ has one singular objective, the sole purpose for their existence: Beat Facebook. For that reason, things have gotten a bit more heated in the Social Media space. Google+ is the latest hope in the Internet giant's quest for Social Media dominance and to do that they have a mighty mountain to climb before they will be able to put a dent into the existing stranglehold Facebook has on the segment.
When it's all said and done, it's all about two letters - a 'U', and an 'X', otherwise known as User Experience.
If any one company has the funds, and the intellectual assets to deliver Facebook a telling blow it is Google. What Google+ must do to begin making inroads is leverage the existing popularity of their award-winning properties like Gmail, Docs, and YouTube. One aspect where Google+ is vastly superior to Facebook from the start is in the area of privacy. That may be simply due to the "open to all" nature of Facebook, but Google+ is designed so users must take specific actions to have open communications with other users.
Facebook, in an aggressive move, announced some important upgrades to their site ahead of their f8 developers' conference. One not so interesting feature is "Top Story," which allegedly prioritizes posts based on its content categories and users interests.
It's one smart algorithm if it can divine what is relevant to a user if that user doesn't spend the time to tell it so. If that algorithm is based on click history it will only be semi-accurate at best.
The new features that appear to have user appeal are the new Twitter-style newsfeed that will deliver updates in real-time, and enable larger photos to be displayed. Also planned for the next-gen version of Facebook is music and hi-res video. It's still not clear what Facebook has planned on doing with music and video, but a Pandora-like music service would become a huge revenue center were it to be implemented, and likewise were a Hulu-style video service deployed would produce similar results.
Strangely enough, Facebook's search feature is superior to what Google+ offers; Facebook's search algorithm has intuitive characteristics that Google would do well to emulate, insofar as separating sitewide results from web results. On top of that, the way Facebook handles video is simple and efficient; as this is an area where Google excels, Google+ would benefit by raising the bar, and taking video integration to the next level.
Facebook also has a variety of dynamic third party apps that empower people to promote their bands and music on a global basis. This is a lucrative niche market Facebook has slowly usurped from Myspace, and one Google+ should exploit, and pursue with a User Experience a cut above what Facebook can do. A musician's Facebook page offers fans the ability to listen to high-fidelity audio, and then download or buy (as the case may be) the cuts they like. The same holds true for the HD video Facebook hosts for musical artists, making it easier to build a personal relationship with fans. If Google+ can swipe the musician community away with an improved User Experience, they give Zuckerberg the enhanced pucker-factor at the same time, and that kills two birds with one stone from where they sit.
Not to be outdone, Google lobbed the first of what will be many volleys to come, with a pre-emptive strike ahead of Facebook's announcement by opening up Google+ to all users. Up til now, Google+ has only been available to new users by invitation only which puts them a little late in the social game.
There is a lot on the line for Facebook, with expected annual revenues to exceed $4 billion in 2011, a more than $2 billion rise from their 2010 earnings. Google sees the Social Media space as ripe for the picking, with their eye on Facebook and their top spot.
In addition to opening up Google+ to the masses, Google has added, or integrated, something that was sorely lacking, improved search functionality; and it is still to be determined whether or not. On top of that, the "Killer App," Google is playing a super-sticky card with the implementation of Hangouts, their multi-person video chat component, only on Android-based (for now) smartphones and tablets. Hangouts will allow a user to hold a video chat session with as many as nine other users.
And sticky just gets stickier for Google+ with the introduction of On Air, a feature that will allow Google+ users to broadcast their Hangouts to anyone interested in watching. This is going to be big in academia, and Internet Marketers promoting their products online.
However, that's just a small taste of what Google+ could become. The seamless integration of Gmail, Gtalk, Google Voice, along with their other industry leading properties could give Google+ the edge they need to make a dent in Facebook's market dominance.
A huge edge Google+ has over Facebook is HTML5 over FBML, the Facebook Markup Language is a simple, but flexible markup language that gives Facebook its smooth and easy page transitions, and rapid media display. For the rest of us (Apple included), HTML5 is the preferred markup language for displaying video on websites, and designing responsive mobile apps. The result is a faster and more responsive web experience for users.
Integration with select third party apps such as Twitter, along with apps still to be developed will go a long way to hacking into Facebook's market share. Whether Google acquires another company, or builds a new in-house division, Google+ must have games. This is one aspect Facebook has the market cornered, every (insert name here) ville game Zynga can come up with is available on Facebook.
Some believe all Google will need is good marketing to have Facebook by the short hairs, but that's just not realistic.
Getting new users in the door will not be a difficult task to accomplish; keeping them will be the trick. With all the different marketing mediums Google has at their disposal, Google+ will have no trouble attracting new users. If they are patient enough to have an engaging user experience awaiting them, Facebook may have some rough waters ahead.
Author bio: Kate Manning didn't expect to find herself at the intersection of business, marketing, and the Internet, but with sound writing and editing skills, she makes the most of it with MBA Online.