Well, here’s why Google+ will not only survive, it will go onto bigger things. Currently (as well as obviously) the main competitor is Facebook, with other smaller Social Networks continually chomping at the heels.
The Main Game
“If you’re a user who gets the service for free, then you’re the consumable as opposed to the consumer”
Dwell on those words for a while. Within both Facebook and Google+, users are provided all services at no charge. The business models of both these gigantic Social Networks is targeted advertising which leverages complex and ever-expanding user data. Your interactions are constantly analysed and your profile data is the foundational bedrock of display advertising from businesses looking to find the new clients.
As the social network user, you are the consumable.
Why Is Google+ Going To Remain?
Google has been in business since 1998, processes around 24 petabytes of user-generated data every day and had advertising revenues of USD$28 billion in 2010. Google+’s tentacles are slowing weaving it’s way through every product and application that is under Google’s control.
We’re now seeing the importance of linking Blog and article content to your Google+ Profile, utilising the rel="author" HTML tag, for both content authority as well as SEO advantages. These same tactics to integrate Google’s current range of products, including search, will continue to bolster Google+ and how it morphs in the future.
The Facebook Haters
While Facebook has a user count of more than 800 million, there’s also a lot of people who dislike it. Whether that be it’s previous ignorance of privacy or lack of respect for user feedback, there is enormous scope for the rest of the world’s population to seek out and begin using an alternative that better fits their needs.
Personally, I find Google+ a better solution when I’m browsing Circles for interests such as Photography, Social Media and Relationships. While I know Facebook is now placing emphasis on the use of it’s enhanced Lists, I’m currently loving Google+ Circles for information delivery.
And For Business?
Whether you like it or not, both these networks are in it for the long haul.
They’ll both continue to innovate, enhance and grow feature sets to attract larger social market share. Read this as ‘They’ll continue to grow to get more and more user data so they’re able to make more money through advertising’. Those are the facts when it’s boiled down.
Since there’s likely to be distinctly different user audiences, preferring one network’s feature set over the other, businesses will also need to expand into Google+ for their advertising needs as well as online presence. Potentially, many businesses’ target audience will inhabit Google+ or even both networks.
Your Turn
What's your view on whether Google+ is likely to disappear? Please do let us know in the comments.
Martin is the General Manager at Traffika. Follow him on Twitter @Martin_Cooney or Google+
