Iuvo

Google+

It’s been a few days since Google’s new social networking service Google+ launched and the blogosphere has generally been scratching their collective heads and publicly stating Google+ would never surpass Facebook, that it was the new GeoCities (what?), or that people will never use it because change sucks.

Having been on Google+ for several days now, I question the conventional wisdom. How could tech bloggers judge a social network when their own only contained a couple dozen people at most? I’m an early adopter, as are many of my friends. At the moment my network is around 100 people and I find it to be robust, diverse, and importantly, fun. When I got my invitation to Google+ two days ago, I couldn’t wait to play with it. It was familiar, like Facebook, but obviously very different as well. Two days later, I am frantically trying to get as many people in my “circles” as possible, I am checking and rechecking my notifications to see if anyone’s said anything, I feel a funny sense of pride knowing I’m one of the few who are not only on Google+, but who even know what it is. I remember this feeling: it was exactly how I felt when I fled MySpace for Facebook and never looked back. This feeling of excitement and exclusivity is a marketer’s dream.

And there’s definitely excitement amongst a certain generation of people. My circle of friends is mostly older Millennials (born in the 1980s), tech nerds, and city dwellers. I announced publically on Facebook and Twitter that I would send out invites if people replied with a request–within 24 hours of that announcement, I’ve sent out 100 invites. Those people who’ve joined are actively using it, exploring it, commenting, curating their circles–so I do believe that Google+ will catch on slowly but surely, just like Facebook before it.

What does this mean for a small business trying to reach their market on the Internet? At the moment, there are no ads on Google+. But Google has some unannounced features for Google+ in the pipeline. Engadet has found code for Google+ Games, so it’s probably only a matter of time before we see Google’s text ads along the side as well.

New to Google+ and have questions? Check out my Google+ Explainer on my personal blog.

Questions, Give me a call — (646) 351-0659 or email me at info@iuvoonline.com

Janelle M. Jimenez : Social Media Strategist at Iuvo Online Media Consultants