Whitespace: What's the fuss over Google+?

Issue 75: July 2011

Google has stumbled in the past when trying to enter the social media world, but if the initial reaction to its Google+ venture is anything to go by the company may soon be overtake Facebook as the world's dominant social networking conduit.

The positive reviews revolve around two key features: customisation and privacy. Where Facebook has turned into a platform in which users generally expose everything to everyone in their network, Google+ makes it easy to tailor information to different groups of people.

Google+ is currently in 'field trial' stage with members only allowed to join by invitation from an existing member, a smart way of creating buzz amongst early adopters. And those early adopters appear to be impressed by three key elements of Google+: Circles, Sparks and Hangouts.

While organisations won't be able to set up a Google+ presence until later this year, these three tools offer immense possibilities. This month's Whitespace considers the potential of Google's next big thing to keep you head of the curve.

Circles: not all 'friends' are created equal

When you upload a status update, photo or link on Facebook everybody sees it (unless you tinker around with privacy settings) but in a recognition that in the real world we all have different social groups that rarely collide, Google+ givers users greater control over the information they share.

It achieves this by allowing users to place their social connections in different 'circles', such as workmates, friends, clients, business contacts and acquaintances. Each time you add content you're asked simply enough to click which circle you'd like to share the information with.

Circles is a solid enhancement for social media users, but it also gives organisations a valuable means of customising messages. The power of this development will be intensified with access to rich analytics that will provide brands with more insight into follower demographics.

Hang Outs: one click video adds up for brands

It's an informal sounding name but Hangouts may soon be a term that's regularly heard in workplace environments. In a nutshell, this application offers private virtual rooms that allow up to 10 social connections to conduct video chat.

If Google+ takes off it may well offer professionals an affordable and easy to use alternative to video conferencing. It's possible Google will also integrate cloud based productivity tools into Google+ so spreadsheets and presentations slides can be made visible during video chats.

As more consumers move towards online relationships with brands, video will emerge as a vital 'human element' tool. With Hangouts brands will be able to use Google+'s one click video as a customer service tool or a means of offering video workshops, product previews and events.

Sparks: your own personalised newspaper

Sparks is a personalised internet news feed that allows users to receive web links, photos or videos on topics that interest them. In effect it pre-empts what you're interested in, searches the web and delivers this information. 

For professionals Sparks has the potential to work as a customised environmental scanning tool; for marketers it provides another channel for the provision of branded media content that can help organisations further connect with audiences.

Sparks also allows Google+ users to comment on content, a feature that brings people who don't know each other together to discuss a common interest. Savvy marketers take note: this feature will be an ideal way to connect with people who have a specialist interest in your field or brand.

Does it all add up?

With a mere 10 million users taking part in its field trial Google+ is still a work in progress. But when a company with immense skill in the development of intuitive software technology releases a major product it pays to take notice.

Reports suggest Google is putting its full weight behind its social networking venture and may also bring AdWords, blogging, photo sharing tools to Google+. Future additions aside, Google+ is already proving more intuitive than Facebook and potentially more business-friendly.

The platform may not be available for organisations for a few months yet but it's well worth experiencing Google+ on a personal level and to start thinking about the possibilities of using a social media tool that offers more customisation, creativity and connectivity.

Whitespace is published monthly by the Australian Institute of Management - Qld & NT. Sign up to have a copy sent direct to your mailbox.