Is Google Plus Better Than Facebook?

Is Google Plus Better Than Facebook?

The hot debate in the social media sphere is the emergence of Google’s new-ish social platform, Google Plus. Can its estimated 40 million users topple the 900 million members of Internet Goliath Facebook?

 

Integrating Search with Social Media

If you’re using Google Plus, then chances are your search results incorporate the results of the interests of those in your circle. And companies, beholden already to Google for its algorithm and who spend millions (if not billions) of dollars every year tailoring their websites so that they’re search engine friendly, know that. With Google (naturally) favoring its own social network over Facebook – which builds presence the old fashioned (old fashioned?) way via links, it may only be a matter of time before everyone who uses Google also uses Google Plus.

Can 900 Million Users Ever Be Wrong?

On the other hand, how many social media websites does one need to join? The answer is probably not more than one. Yes, everyone hates Facebook’s constantly shifting privacy settings. And no, constantly changing the news feed isn’t all that smart. Yet – people keep joining, don’t they? It is, without question, the social media network to which all other social media networks are compared.

In addition, everyone knows how to use it. It’s intuitive, makes photo and link sharing easy and everyone gets the concept of “friending” (or “defriending”). Google Plus can’t claim the same – circles? What circles?

Read more about why some people have switched to Google+

The IPO of the Year

Let’s not forget that Facebook – as of early May 2012 – is the Wall Street investment banking community’s flavor of the year. The deal is hugely oversubscribed and estimated to raise an astonishing $15 billion dollars. One can only imagine what the company, already the undisputed behemoth of social media, will do with that amount of money. Google, by comparison, raised a mere $2 billion in its market debut in 2004 – although when Google premiered it was (and remains) the king of search, a free service that everyone used then and everyone still uses now –whether or not Facebook is still the king of social media in 8 years’ time remains to be seen.

Building a Web Presence

Nevertheless, savvy businesses join both Google Plus and Facebook (plus Twitter and Pinterest). Apparel retailers, drug rehab facilities, auto parts discounters, home services providers – every business needs a web presence.  And with Google page rank chief in the minds of Internet marketers across the world, it isn’t likely that they’ll flout what Google clearly wants, which is to compete against Facebook for social media domination. And as ironic as it is to compare Google to David, whether or not it will slay Goliath is a spectacle sure to delight even the most jaded technocrat.

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18 Comments

  • avatar

    I am sure that most people among 400 million people in G+ should have already used or currently using Facebook. Personally speaking, I do have account in both. But what matters me the most is the primary Social Networking site I use. It depends on my likes, my friends, my society, the trend and my culture too. There is a possibility that there could be big shift occur from Facebook to G+ in the future as it happened before from other Social networking sites to Facebook. We have to wait and see.

  • avatar

    So far, Google is the one company with enough power to beat Facebook one day in social media.
    But I agree that G+ needs to be reinvented somehow. The circles concept is tame and difficult to grasp. What if someone adds you to their circles but you don’t want to be added? Are you obliged that the person can see your updates and what you’re doing?

  • avatar

    Google+ is, in my opinion, a failure in Google’s part. Google+’s niche is already dominated by Facebook. Also, Google should have more Socially Engaging aspects/apps, kinda like when Facebook overcame MySpace as the most popular Social Network site when they introduced games and applications like Farmville and the like.

  • avatar
    moniqueseibel 

    on 

    Truthfully, even if it is better than facebook, I’m not ready to completely make the transition. I finally feel as though I’m actually utilizing facebook at this point. I do make sure I share my content on google plus, but that is the only real commitment I’ve made so far.

  • avatar
    moniqueseibel 

    on 

    I do think it is hard to compare the two quite yet, as facebook has been more longstanding than google plus. However, I also have much more experience with facebook and have significantly more contacts on there versus google plus. Nonetheless, I’m learning how to utilize google plus as it is becoming increasingly popular.

  • avatar

    From my experience, Facebook is a lot more useful and easier to use. It makes it so easy to share content and be known by more people.

  • avatar

    Regarding the statement that “people keep joining”, if anything I’ve noticed a sharp decrease in my Facebook friends adding new friends – I know I certainly have. I wonder if they have a grasp of what percentage of the new signups these days are simply fake accounts or just more advertisers looking to set up a page of their own – rather than real people/consumers?

  • avatar

    Great article! I think the most important point to keep in mind is:
    “Savvy businesses join both Google Plus and Facebook (plus Twitter and Pinterest)”
    I personally like Facebook & Twitter better as a platform. Plus the ease of use. So I was hesitant to join Google+. But as a business we can’t think that way. We have to use all the tools at our disposal. And since there is definitely an audience on Google+, we can’t ignore that.

  • avatar

    I joined Google Plus, but I never look at it, nor do any of the people that I knew that joined about the time that I did.
    One thing I did not like right off the bat…I had a google e-mail account that I used for business/resume purposes and Google automatically started sending my personal Google Plus e-mails to that account. I tried to change the setting so that I could list another e-mail as the one I wanted to use for Google Plus information, but my business e-mail was listed as the primary e-mail address with no option to change it. Google should not assume I want my google e-mail attached to Google Plus.
    I think FB is so ingrained in all of us, it will be some time if it ever happens at all, that Google Plus will replace FB. Now if Google would PAY ME to use their site, then that would be a different story!

  • avatar

    Facebook is sti;l better then google plus, I think mainly because it is more widely used. E.g. only two friends are on plus, yet over 300 are on facebook. I suppose it comes down to practicality. But I tend to agree that facebook is lagging and if I had the choice, ie. if my friends wee all on google plus I would choose the latter.

  • avatar

    Of course , both Google Plus and Facebook have their good and bad points but generally it can’t be said which is better because everything varies depending to individual preferences of the users. While some users prefer Google Plus others prefer Facebook. Since Facebook is the most famous social network it appears to be better. I hope that the situation doesn’t repeat again, like Facebook won over Myspace, Google plus might win against Facebook.

  • avatar
    Isabellas2007 

    on 

    I have to agree Facebook is starting to lag behind. However, I do not think they will falter anytime soon. I know that Google + is coming up, but I do not like it nearly as much as Facebook.

  • avatar
    BudgetWays 

    on 

    Personally, I think Facebook is much more widely used, especially by friends and families. Google Plus, on the other hand, seems to be mostly companies and people that are using it for marketing or for their business. Although that may change over time, most people only need one source to reach out to their friends and family, so the average person will likely only use the network that their friends use.

  • avatar

    Social media sites…ah I believe I’m on all of them! But I must admit I do use Facebook the most. All my friends and family are on Facebook! Great post, cheers!

  • avatar
    Lawrence Sander 

    on 

    As technology runs its path dinosours are made. Look at AOL, MYSPACE and all the others. Do you think history will repeat itself and make FACEBOOK a skeleton?

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