So, Google+. The Death of Facebook or Gone in 60 Seconds?

The first thing to grasp is that Google+ IS NOT BIG NEWS. What? Yes, it’s big news in the PR/Marketing/Digital/Social Media worlds.The Twitterati are hyperventilating and bloggers are bragging about their invites like an LA housewife with a new pair of Jimmy Choos.

 But was it on the front pages of any of your Sunday papers? Or even in the first sections? Did anyone’s hairdresser say “so what do you think of that Google+ then?” to them? Have you overheard any builders chatting about it during their brew break? Thought not.  No, the reality is, it’s only big news amongst a pretty small niche of society. And that, I think, is the key to predicting its future.

Don’t get me wrong. From what I’ve seen it looks good. Very good. I’m not pretending that I’ve got an in-depth knowledge of its functionality, but it looks like it’s got some stuff that other social networks don’t. It may be that people prefer Google’s circles to Facebook’s groups and Twitter’s lists.  And despite Google’s recent track record in the social space I trust them to get it right.

 No. It’s the ‘death of Facebook’ I don’t buy in to. Facebook, in the social networking space, is an international institution on the levels of Coke and Pepsi. Google competing in this area is like Heineken launching a new cola. Yes, they’re a huge brand, but it would be a big struggle to convince the world to prefer their cola, no matter how good it tastes. To the vast majority of the world, outside our special interest groups, Facebook is for connecting with people and Google is for finding stuff. End of. And it will take a long, long time to change that.

So what do I think IS the future of Google+? It’s here to stay and it will be big. Big, maybe, like the iPhone. Despite the hype of Steve Jobs and their fan boys (and I fess up to typing this on an iPad) The Apple iPhone accounts for just 5% of the world mobile phone market. Now that’s a hell of a lot of phones, but it no way dominates. But to listen to certain sectors of society, and within the marketing fraternity, you’d think nothing else exists. And this, I think is the future of Google+. it will be a huge influence in the marketing/PR/digital space. It will be exploited by savvy brands to target certain demographics and industry sectors. But will it rival Facebook as a Global network for the common man? I don’t think so.

Steve Downes

Managing Director, Juice Digital, @stevejuice