Worth Your Time? Google +
Google +
Google + launched a few weeks ago and I’ve been lucky enough to get in on the beta and start to test it out. So, what is this Google +? It’s a rival of Facebook, meaning you can add people to your network and share collaboratively with them via links, video’s, status updates, and “likes” although Google calls them “+1′s”. Yes, it’s ANOTHER way to SHARE. Click here to see some screencaps of the features of Google +.
So, how do you get on Google + social network? You can request an invite from someone you know – please feel free to request an invite from me here if you’re interested. Big thanks to Nancy Myrland for adding me! Remember, it’s still in beta .
But what’s even more interesting is that the legal community is already creating a Google + community started by Adrian Lurssen. You can check out who’s already on Google + in the legal community in the links above. And a few of my friendly colleagues have already written a few posts about their take on Google +. Samantha Collier writes a post Google + In a Nutshell and Nancy Myrland writes Google Plus: It’s Early But Interesting. Be sure to check them out!
Now, all that being said, here is my take on Google + and the skinny you need to know:
Google + has a few things working for them with the launch of this social network:
- For starters, they already have a following (millions of users AND a reputation) which is great for creating a strong social community.
- Google already has many products that integrate to create a social network community for sharing: Gmail, YouTube, Picasa, Documents, Blogs, Patent Search, Trends, and of course Analytics just to name a few.
- There is a Google + Mobile App that allows for sharing anywhere anytime.
- +1 was launched first leading up to the big Google + debut.
Here’s what they need to work on IMHO (in my humble opinion):
- Google + doesn’t integrate with all the mobile apps and websites for ease of login like Facebook and Twitter. You can’t just enter your Google name and be linked to authorize an app.
- There isn’t a strong way for businesses or law firms to benefit. It’s more for individuals at this point in time.
- The Google +1 icon is starting to show up on many sites so folks can in a sense “like” a post or page, but it’s not easy to see what others have +1′d (like Favorites in Twitter).
- There is no way to aggregate data like there is in Twitter around a specific conversation. Not good for sharing at events or conferences to keep the buzz going.
While my first insight to Google + is fun, I’m just not sure at this point it’s advantageous of your time unless you just like to be on the cutting edge and have some spare time to try it out. If you are a user of social media channels, at this point, it’s more important to send the right message and produce good content (adding Google + to sharing it might be nice once the following picks up). However, the more legal folks that jump on board, the more advantageous it will become for your time. Click here to see some screencaps of the features of Google +.
Are you on Google +? How do you foresee it being used in the legal community?
Natlaie, thank you very much for your mention, and your link to my Google+ post. It is an interesting time for those interesting in marketing via Social and Digital Media. As we see Business Pages open up legally on Google+, we will see more and more firms and other businesses build pages to make sure they are there. The urgency to get there exists, but users don’t exactly know why because it’s still, in large part, a mystery service.
I would much rather take my clients down a path of creating a Marketing Plan that outlines they who, what, when, where, how and how much before they spend countless hours tackling yet another marketing tactic, which is what Google+ is, without understanding why they are there. Time and resources are in great demand, so I urge firms to make sure they act strategically about their intentions.
Again, thanks for your kind and generous mentions!