For those three of you who haven’t been keeping up with Google’s recent launch, Google+ is the newest in a long line of social networking websites. Like Myspace and Facebook before it, Google+ allows you to add “friends” to your network, share pictures, and meet new people. And while Myspace has fallen into oblivion since 2006, Facebook is, in my opinion, still superior to the newest kid on the social networking block. Here’s why:
The great pull of Facebook is that you can find almost all the basic information you need about any given member, so long as they’ve accepted your ability to check it out. There are sections for simple things like your age, location, and work experience, but also more in depth things like political views, religion, hobbies, favorite medias (books, films, music, etc), and your relationship status. Because Google+ is being marketed as a social networking website, like Facebook, it still has a ways to go. It’s much easier to start conversations and “socializing” when information like that which Facebook accommodates is readily available on people’s particular “profiles.”
While it can be argued that Facebook’s constant interface changes can get confusing, Google+ is even less user-friendly. For one thing, if you want to post a status message, you have to go to your “stream” (the same basic idea as the Facebook “newsfeed”), instead of having multiple areas in which you can post. One place that should definitely have a new status message box: your profiles. But moving away from that, the interface on Google+ makes it so that you have to click through several places before finding things that you want. Checking your notifications requires several-too-many clicks, and finding people isn’t the easiest thing in the world. Facebook is pretty easily-navigated, especially once you stop getting angry about new changes and just accept them.
I’m a social media consultant for a high end knitting retailer and an Arizona realtor, and one thing I stress for both my clients is a persistently-updated Facebook business/fan page. The first reason I suggest this is because, as you’ll read below, there are a freaking lot of people on Facebook, and it will expand any business’ wingspan to have a presence there. The second reason is that they’re incredibly useful and easy to use, just like a personal Facebook page. It’s easy to add pictures and pertinent business information that people will receive instantly, and a lot of times business Facebook pages are more helpful than a “real” website. This is because people can check out your page without leaving the convenience of their own Facebook page, and following your updates is as simple as a click of a button. RSS feeds and daily website visits just aren’t the same when you compare it to the ease of “liking” a page on Facebook. Your updates appear right alongside their friend’s, making it the easiest way to stay in touch with customers since, well, ever.
Back when Facebook was just getting off the ground, a lot of people resisted making the switch from MySpace because there weren’t enough people on the new site to warrant closing down your old account and jumping in with both feet. It’s the same problem today- even though Google+ has attracted a significant number of people, Facebook remains the most convenient means of finding people you know, just because it’s been around longer. It really doesn’t make sense -yet- to make the switch, because of the previous issues, and because simply, there aren’t enough people. Because it offers essentially the same benefits as Facebook, but Facebook has more people to reap these benefits from, making the switch now won’t do you much good.
While I have high hopes for this new service (all hail the mighty and versatile Google), as it stands today, I wouldn’t suggest making the switch from Facebook (or MySpace, if you’re still into that) just yet. But give it time, and I’m sure Google+ will exceed all expectations. Watch out, Mark Zuckerberg, just not quite yet. Maybe call Tom, I’m sure he’ll have some coping strategies.
–
Bri is a sophomore in college in Forest Grove, Oregon, and blogs twice a week at her personal website. If blogs aren’t your thing, she also posts videos once a week on her YouTube channel, and tweets way too much, and says silly things on Facebook. You can find her almost anywhere on the web by searching for BrisOwnWorld.
Related articles:
Loading ...
,
