For those in the know, Google+ is being “talked about,” even to the tune of 500 million registered users and 343 million active users. With these numbers, they have overtaken Twitter as the number two social media network for active users, of course behind Facebook. The top 100 brands on Google+ now include more than 20.9 million fans which is up from 222,000 in 2011. Some that have discovered and decided to make the change away from Facebook and other social networks have found many benefits and advantages in its uniqueness.
Google has also given its push of the social network priority over other social networks on Google search, even the opportunity for select posts on Google+ pages to be found in search queries. With Google Local and Google Authorship given more credibility and even boosts in SEO rankings, Google has demanded that people look their way for their social network consideration.
With all this being said, when was the last time you heard any of these in public, etc?
* How many followers do you have in your “circles?”
* Newscasters talk about Google+ (instead of most common Facebook, Twitter, YouTube)?
* TV commercials promoting their Google+ business page or address?
* In everyday social media face-to-face conversations talking about Google+?
If you’re like me and everyone I have talked to offline… Google+ needs some major marketing help to figure out how they can be put on the lips of the common everyday social network-type user.
A report released by Global Web Index share that of the 90% of the world’s Internet users, 25% of this number regularly use Google+ with Facebook having 51% regular usage and 21% for Twitter. I don’t know if I agree with this because my idea of ‘regular’ usage is daily, where there’s might be once a month, etc.
The future of Google+ seems like it has the looks and feel to become the #1 social network but the team at Google needs to figure out how to get the words “Google Plus” on the tongues and minds of social network users.
Numbers are numbers but there is much more potential when it has the same popularity in the media and in the public’s eye.
Do you agree? What do you think are some reasons that it doesn’t have the same type of buzz of Facebook or Twitter, though has more users than Twitter?
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Swish Digital: Digital Marketing Agency, Social Media