Some say Facebook’s reign as the champion of social networking is coming to an end with the introduction of Google+. I disagree; Google isn’t aiming to directly compete with Facebook.
See what I mean after the break.
As portrayed in the recent movie The Social Network, Facebook started as the brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg. Zuckerberg reportedly started the social network in his Harvard dorm room and nurtured it until its explosion in 2004. It was safe to say that Facebook successfully took over where Myspace left off. Today, Facebook has over 500,000 million users and is valued at approximately $70 billion. It’s clear that Facebook has a chokehold on the current social media scene, but some say that reign is coming to an end with the introduction of Google+.
Google+ is a social media site introduced by Google that aims to promote “real-life sharing rethought for the Web.” It’s apparent that the catchphrase Google is using portrays the notion that Google+ is a social media site. While I wouldn’t argue with that point, it’s important to realize that Google’s priority isn’t to compete with Facebook.
Google is one of few companies whose name is used so frequently in our lives that we forget it’s a company, and not just a verb. When was the last time you told someone to Google something? I bet it wasn’t in the too distant past. Google does search, and they do it well. However, what makes Google so good at search? As most of you know, it’s the algorithm Google has concocted in its extensive history.
How does Google’s algorithm relate to Google+, and how does this context affect the Google’s view of Google+ being Facebook’s competitor? It’s a simple solution: Google wants you to use Google+ to find out who you are (your profile), who you communicate with (your “Circles”) and what interests you (your “Sparks”) so they can incorporate all of that information into their algorithm. The more information you’re willing to give Google, the better off they are. Google doesn’t care that everyone checks Facebook for comments and likes; Google cares that you helped them strengthen their monster of a search engine.
What are your thoughts on Google+? Have you used it and do you use it often? Do you think Google+ is a direct competitor to Facebook? Let us know in the comments!
