Admit it! You’re Terrified of Google+

August 17, 2011 By 27 Comments
Buffer

Google plus vs facebook logo

Right now it wouldn’t surprise me if you’re confused and rather scared. Just when you were getting to grips with Facebook and maybe Twitter, suddenly along comes Google+.

In the month or so that I’ve been on Google+ I’ve been watching it grow from a gentle breeze to a rumble of thunder, partly with fascination but also horror.

Horror, because I haven’t quite figured out its point of differentiation yet.

To begin with it felt like a Facebook clone but now it’s more like the bastard cousin of Facebook, Twitter, FriendFeed and Skype. And I don’t get it.

Are Your Struggling Too?

So as a business user what do you make of it all ?

Are you on Google+ yet with a defined purpose in mind or are you just looking around, there because you’re afraid the next Pbig thing might pass you by.

I can see that like Twitter and Facebook it’s all very nice and dandy for engaging, connecting, wasting time and getting your thoughts and ideas noticed by others. But doesn’t Twitter do that? And, besides, a lot of my connections from Twitter are now doubling up on Google+ too. So where do I follow them? Where do we connect?

I’d be anxious about losing track of people across the holy trinity of social media sites – Facebook, Twitter and Google+ – if it wasn’t for the fact I’m trying to finish a business kit I’m planning to launch during the fall.

Perhaps I’d get more out of Google+, understand it better, if it was on HootSuite: another stream to follow, another account to post to direct to just like all the rest.

I’d also be anxious about losing track of people across the holy trinity of social media sites – Facebook, Twitter and Google+ – if it wasn’t for the fact I’m trying to finish a business kit I’m planning to launch during the fall.

Don’t Forget Business Profiles Are Coming

To top it all Google are planning to introduce Google+ Business Profie Pages just to make things even harder for us small business users. Harder, because it takes time to develop profiles and feed them. Harder because we need to figure out how to use them.

Still, it could well be that G+ Pages trump Facebook if they allow us to integrate business profiles with Google Search, as I’m sure they will.

In the meantime I’ll watch and observe, dip my toe in the water, and think my way through Goolge +.

Come and find me there!

Did you enjoy this article?
Share
the
Love
Get Free Updates
Filed Under: social media Tagged With: , , , ,
About Jon

Owner of Jontus Media, marketing consultant, lifelong Liverpool FC support and podcaster. Guarded by basset hounds .

  • http://YourStressMatters.com Dr. Rae

    Sorry Jon, as yet I’ve not had the opportunity to experience Google+ ;(

  • Pingback: Jody Koehler

  • Pingback: Mark Harai

  • Pingback: Ingrid Abboud

  • Pingback: Stan Faryna

  • Pingback: Linda Machado

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    No problem. Just let me know if you need an invite :)

  • Pingback: Jontus Media

  • Pingback: Jon Buscall

  • Pingback: Roy Wells

  • http://twitter.com/MostDarren Darren McLaughlin

    Jon, Google+ is similar to the other social networks as far as business promotions go, I think.  Be yourself and engage heavily with influential people.  The bio gives you a lot of real estate to promote yourself and your brand.  

    I have 148 invites that I haven’t been able to give away.  I wonder if after the initial enthusiasm about the site being new people are experiencing ‘social media fatigue’ and don’t have the heart to really contribute on G+.  

    Either way I’ll keep on using it the way I have, which could be described as ‘business casual.’

  • http://YourStressMatters.com Dr. Rae

    Love an invite, thank you Jon♥

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    I’ve just done that for you !

  • http://YourStressMatters.com Dr. Rae

    Thank you Jon, looking forward to receiving and reviewing♥

  • Anonymous

    Never quit learning. I say that to myself and my staff almost everyday and it seems to quell the fear somewhat. But yes, I’ll admit it. I’m terrified of google+.

    I’ll overcome my fears and venture forward but if you don’t mind, I’ll follow you. Thanks Jon!

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    Good for you Billy !!! Every time I look at it right now I’m like….Er????
    I’ll help you if you help me :=)

  • Pingback: SWF & Co.

  • Tom Redwine

    Jon, good point about being able to access G+ from Hootsuite, or Tweetdeck, or any outside function. The release of the API will probably cause more interest and more conversation. 

  • Pingback: Tom Redwine

  • http://www.linkama.com/ Kimmo Linkama

    Jon, I find myself in pretty much the same situation as you. I haven’t yet really made up my mind about what I want my G+ to evolve into. Somehow it doesn’t seem to make sense to just import all my Twitter, LinkedIn etc contacts there. It should become something new. But what?

    That’s why I’m mostly just wandering on G+, somewhat aimlessly, I’ll admit. Anyway, I just followed your cue and “found you there” (you may have seen the notification flashing in the corner of your screen if you’re online just now…)

    It will be interesting to see what the G+ business profiles will be like — especially what the extra features are that we’re promised.

    There’s no shortage of established social networks, so we have good time to mull over the whole thing and let the ideas and decisions emerge by themselves.

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    Hi Kimmo,
    Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

    Yes, I’m curious to see what the business profiles will offer. Something different to Facebook ? Perhaps not.

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    Hi Tom,
    Thanks for joining the discussino.

    I’m definitely waiting for Hootsuite integration. I just don’t remember to check G+ yet because it’s a case of opening another app.

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    Darren, Like you I still have stacks of invites away. My impression is that it’s the social media and marcom folk that are on the platform at the moment. 

    It needs better integration with apps like TweetDeck and Hootsuite. When (if) they release the API we might see an upswing. 

    (sorry for the late response. Disqus played nasty with your comment)

  • http://YourStressMatters.com Dr. Rae

    Hello Jon, I received and thank you once again for your invitation to join G+ 

    I joined a week ago and have been looking at and for the potential G+ offers.  

    Frankly, there are too many social network media and for me too little time for all of them so I’ve decided to follow Billy, this comunity and you to lead the way through all of them ; )

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    Hi Rae,
    There ARE so many social networks, aren’t there. It’s getting hard to follow and keep up with what’s going on. At some point there has to be a radical falling off for one or two platforms. I don’t see how all three (Twitter, Facebook, Google+) can survive unless each has a really different point of differentiation. Especially from the business user’s point of view.

  • http://YourStressMatters.com Dr. Rae

    Totally agree with you Jon.  What I’ve been seeing — and frankly currently doing myself — is repeating what’s been placed on Facebook and Twitter.  My reason for doing this is to assist those of my followers and friends on the 3 networks who may be looking for a particular post.  I know when I return to one or the other and I’ve missed some information posted and unable to locate I’d like to find the post with some ease.  I need some more time with Google+ to see if my thinking pans out.  At this point I’m still struggling with how to “Have Dr. Rae in circles (6)”  visible, currently only your image is seen even when I click View all >

  • http://www.jontusmedia.com/ Jon Buscall

    I’m impressed. You’re certainly getting to grips with more than me at the moment on G+. I had a look around a few profiles this morning and saw that a lot of people who are, say, very active on Twitter with a large social media presence just aren’t as active on G+. I wonder if this is a good indication of where it’s headed.