Yes the world is all a twitter about Google+ which is Google's real social networking application. And my initial reaction is, it's a Twitter killer and will be an effective alternative to Facebook. I've had a hate, love, hate, relationship with Twitter over the years, but I think Google+ puts Twitter out of its misery. Sorry if you like Twitter, but it kind of sucks. So, here's why I think Google+ is a Twitter killer and why I like it in addition to Facebook.
- Twitter posts are kind of like spitting out your car window while cruising on the NJ Turnpike. If someone is following you or happens to see it, someone might read your Tweet (ie - gets hit by your spit). Otherwise, the Tweet just makes the Tweeter feel better.
- Twitter has no real advertising model and they are out of time. Yes you can run promoted tweets or promoted trends, but their model has suboptimal targeting so no sophisticated, one:one advertiser can use it.
- Are you a celeb, football player, etc? Then maybe your tweets can get you some earned press. If you are a regular person, do you really think your friends are online waiting anxiously to read your tweet?
- Twitter is another site or app you need to access.
- Finally, not to leave Facebook out of this rant, but the one thing Twitter has over FB is its ability to broadcast worldwide. One of my beefs about Facebook is that it isnt easy to just broadcast to groups of people.
Google+ solves a lot of Twitter's problems, my one main issue with FB, and then has something that the other two are desperately trying to get which is more utility. Here's why...
- G+ gives you the ability to broadcast publicly or to specific circles
- There is a slick interface to add friends and to put them in circles.
- It's really easy to message to specific circles; yes you can do something like that with FB but it isnt as slick.
- Google's entire basis for existence at this point is advertising
- I love the hangout application
- G+ finally gives Google the application that wraps everything together. Gmail, Account, AdWords, Social, YT, etc. Twitter and FB can't do that...
- If I'm awake, I'm in AdWords. So having everything linked to my Google account is very efficient.
I think Facebook is too large and too embedded in the web for Google+ to displace it. Twitter on the other hand is dead man walking. I think G+ can easily replace it and once G+ is linked with news sites like FB, it will be an effective foil to Facebook.
PardonMyFrench,
Eric
