Google+: 2 Years and Counting
After 2 strong years, Google+ is now the second most active social network in the world. It has grown tremendously and has now surpassed Twitter on the social media network. Google+ has over 400 million users and counting. It still has a lot of catching up to do in order to take over the number one spot, Facebook, but it is very well on its way.
Most businesses have started to get involved with this social network due to the SEO boost is received by being backed by the number one search engine, Google. Although there are some who use this platform for personal use, a lot of the users are on it for business. Being a recent graduate, if I would have known, I probably would have used Google+ a lot more to interact with the college and use Google Hangouts with others in my classes. I realized not a lot of college students know about all the benefits Google+ can offer.
In fact, not a lot of students know about Google+ in general.
Through personal and business use for ME Marketing Services, I’ve learned to use it and I’ve learned to like it. I actually find it enjoyable! The platform itself is very professional compared to Facebook. It has all the same capabilities as Facebook, such as the lists (circles on Google+), status likes (+1 on Google plus), and being able to post statuses and share links, photos and videos. But there’s more!
Like Skype, you are able to video chat with others on the Google network. I’ve used Google Hangouts a couple of times for business purposes and it is great. Quality-wise, it is better than Skype. I always have trouble seeing the other person clearly on Skype but with Hangout, I have never had that problem. The video conference I had, had great quality. We had eight users and we did one conference at night since that was the only time everyone was available. People from different states (Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Kansas, Ohio) got together on this Hangout and we got a lot of planning and brainstorming done. That was the first time I realized how great this platform was.
Another awesome aspect about Google+ is their mobile app. It is better than Facebook’s mobile app by far. I have not had any problems with the rate at which pages load on the Google+ app. I have had to struggle numerous times on the Facebook app because it wouldn’t load the most current data, it was slower than using dial-up internet, or it just plain out wouldn’t work at all and would crash every time I try to open it. Google+ has dominated the mobile app field. It’s fast, it’s easy and it hasn’t crashed on me (not even once). The Google Hangouts app is also a perk. You can do conferences on your phone and iPad by just using the app. The clarity is unreal and the quality is great, straight from your phone. The clarity is also better than doing FaceTime. Try doing a Hangout from your phone.
After just two years of existence, Google+ has already surprised us with tools other social media sites haven’t been able to do. It is the more professional way to use social media and the number of users continues to rise daily. I would say that this network is one of the better ones out there right now. As for the upcoming years, we will just have to wait and see what Google has in store for us.
What are your thoughts about Google+? Do you use it more for business or personal? What do you think is going to be the next big thing Google+ comes out with?
