Google Plus (and minus)

Posted by Kenneth Ronkowitz on


“If content is king, then context is god.” - Gary Vaynerchuk



Google+ is an amazing social media site that allows users to share photos, play games, listen to music and engage in chat.

OR

Google+ is another failed social experiment by Google.

You will get both sides if you talk to users and non-users.


The number of Google+ users continues to grow, if for no other reason than it is tied to all the other Google tools (Gmail, Docs, Search etc.). It surprises people when they learn that YouTube is the second-largest "search engine."  Many Google account holders are on Plus and don't even know it.


If you believe the prognosticators, like Forrester Research, then Google is in a better position than Facebook to bring marketers the “database of affinity.” I hear more frequently that Google+ is a good marketing tool for businesses.  That database of affinity is their ability to collect our interests and preferences and gain insight into each of us as users.

Not that Facebook and others are not trying to gather the kind of big social data that brands want.

Both networks roll out new features like local listings, Google hangouts and verified content.

Google+ has more than 100 million active users and still continues to grow. Facebook has almost 800 million users.

Both are making a play at business. They are in this area to make money. Google+ Communities is a way to tap into prospects and put your business in Google Places for Business. 

What about education? Google Hangouts are a very good way to interact with students, especially if your school uses Gmail and Google apps. Google Circles provide a way to organize classes and groups. How about free HD video broadcasting through Hangouts on Air?

Ripples is another newly introduced  Google+ feature that creates an interactive graphic of the public shares of any public post or URL on Google+ to show you how it has "rippled" through the network.

Education needs to look at how business uses Google+ and decide of there are educational application.  If a business integrates Google Maps with their Google+ profile, it can help them connect with local customers and provide guidance to their location. Does that help with the marketing of a school?

Right now, Google+ does not have the user frequency that other social media sites have, but its too big to be ignored and probably "too big to fail." It is time for schools to define their Google+ strategy. 

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