Bluepost Digital

It’s a topic of considerable debate… Google+: what will be its fate? When we look at the social media landscape in a couple of years’ time, who – if anyone – will reign supreme? There are plenty of opinions flying around, so the social media team at Bluepost decided to get round a table to see if we could gain some clarity on the issue.

On the plus side (no pun intended), the team liked the platform’s visual appeal and were impressed with its range of features. But the conversation very quickly turned to some of the challenges that Google+ faces, which may or may not be surmountable at this stage in the game…

So, Google+… who is it actually for?

Well, at first glance it seems the platform is for everyone. The branding is clean and non-offensive, repelling no one in particular. Group chat features such as Hangouts and Messenger have perhaps been designed with younger audiences in mind. The Ripples feature is a handy tool for brands and proactive influencers. And then of course there are Circles. But, could it be that the platform is trying too hard to be all things to all people? No doubt Google would like to mimic Facebook’s success, attracting users from all walks of life. Facebook didn’t start out that way, though. It took many years to evolve from a platform for US college students to a universally appealing hub. Perhaps Google+ has taken on too much too soon, and in trying to appeal to everyone, it’s actually appealing to no one in particular.

Circles – are they really all that?

When Google+ first launched back in June, it was the Circles feature that jumped out as new and exciting – as of course it was intended to. For a short time, it seemed as though this was what would make the platform different. Even when Facebook improved its own ‘lists’ function, Circles still seemed a lot cleaner and easier to manage. But… how many users really need the process to be made cleaner and easier right now? Personally, I can already achieve what I want with Facebook messages, Google chat and emails. So, are Circles really useful enough to encourage people to move all my friends and social media interactions from other platforms over to Google+? Asking around the team, the general answer seemed to be ‘no’.

What happens in a case of Goliath versus Goliath?

It is unfortunate that Google’s two most recent branded social media ventures met such sorry ends, despite their sophisticated features (Wave) and ease of access (Buzz). Perhaps that’s because the company didn’t quite understand the needs of its audience. Or perhaps people sensed Google was increasing its presence in the social space for a bigger piece of the pie, not for the love of it? Another theory is that people don’t really want a social platform from the search engine giant. That’s not what Google is for. It’s known for its complicated search algorithms, its effective PPC, and its intuitive email system. Despite its successes with certain acquisitions, such as YouTube, what the brand itself isn’t generally associated with are friendly, cohesive communities. Maybe Google believes that it is bound to attract success eventually. But in a battle between the likes of Facebook and Google – such as the one being seen at the moment – we’re being forced to choose between one Goliath and another. There’s no underdog for people to back here. So, perhaps Google would have been better off disassociating itself slightly – even if only symbolically – and launching Google+ under an entirely new brand.

And what’s the verdict…?

The above are just some of the angles we debated during our team chat – there’s plenty more to discuss. I can’t help thinking that at the moment much of this is academic, though. Whether we believe it has a future or not, Google+ is here right now. The platform will have an impact on search (it’s Google after all). And there are audiences on there who brands could benefit from talking too – regardless of whether the numbers have been rising or declining recently. So we’re not ready to write off Google+ just yet. Let’s see how the story unfolds. And if this platform does go the way of Wave and Buzz, no doubt more ‘hard-won’ lessons will have been learnt.

Do you think Google+ has a future? Let us know your thoughts below. Or join in our #BPDdebates on Twitter next Friday, 2nd December 2011, at 1pm: @bluepostdigital.