Congrats! You’ve scored an invite to Google+. Now what?
Google’s social media platform launched on June 28 with a limited roll-out. Social media buffs clamored for invites, posting desperate pleas on Twitter and Facebook. Snagging an invite to Google+ was a sign that you were a cutting-edge techie.
Now that Google+ is growing by leaps and bounds (one analyst claims the service now has 10 million users), the initial excitement is leading to confusion.
Does Google+ actually offer users anything that Facebook and Twitter don’t?
The jury is still out on Google+, as you can see from this Twitter comment by Meagan Adele Lopez. Meagan was one of a dozen users who responded to my query, “What is your first impression of Google+?” While this was not a scientific poll, their answers meshed with my own thoughts on the service.
This brilliant illustration by Roy Marvelous of Cruisesurfingz sums up our Google+ experience:
"Stages of Google+ Emotions" by Roy Marvelous (cruisesurfingz.com).
All the joy of a ‘tech conference’
In one week, I experienced every stage of the Google+ life cycle:
disinterest > intrigue > joy > confusion
I was elated to get a Google+ invite from fellow traveler Lily Leung on July 5th. I immediately logged on, updated my profile and began searching for friends to add to my “circles.” I’d experienced this rush before, when Facebook and Friendster launched; except this time, barely anyone I knew was on Google+.
I resorted to begging for Google+ friends on my Facebook page:
Alas, few travelers stepped forward. Invites were still in short supply and it seemed like the only people on Google+ were social media marketers and bloggers. Roy Marvelous once again captured the mood in a Google+ post:
Most of the posts on Google+ in the early days were about Google+, so I picked up helpful tips and news about the service. I found myself interacting with a totally different set of people than on Twitter and Facebook, where my contacts tend to be in the travel industry (bloggers, PR reps and enthusiasts). I enjoyed the feeling of being “in the know” and reading the musings of tech insiders.
Still, it wasn’t fun… it was simply informational. In the words of travel blogger Roni Weiss:
For some Google+ users, the experience has been underwhelming.
The learning curve
Once they’ve filled in their profile and added a few friends to their circles, Google+ users are left wondering, now what? There is no definitive guide to the service, so users must learn about features in piecemeal.
When travel blogger The World of Deej posted a Facebook update with a link to his Google+ profile, one of his followers replied,
“I *think* I added you, but not positive.”
Learning the ropes takes time and effort, which taxes the resources of users who already juggle several social media pages.
‘Circles’ and privacy
The most obvious difference between Google+ and Facebook are its friendship “circles.” In theory, this makes it easier to protect your privacy. While you can’t have a totally private, unsearchable profile, you can choose to limit your information to users in specific circles.
Circles appeal to users who are frustrated with Facebook’s confusing privacy settings:
On Google+, you must add a user to one of your circles in order to follow them; they do not know what list you place them in. Standard circles include friends, family and acquaintances, but you can add new categories. I created a circle for travelers, since most of my social media contacts are travel bloggers.
For some users, circles seem to take away privacy instead of enhance it:
When it comes to amassing friends, Google+ is more like Twitter than Facebook: you can follow people who aren’t following you back. It puts the burden on users to mark their content “for friends” or “for circles” so they aren’t shared widely.
The downside: There is high potential for an accidental, Anthony Weiner-style public post.
Unique features
Thought Twitter was a time suck? Wait until you try Google+!
I find it incredibly hard to ignore the little red box at the top of my Gmail inbox, which announces new Google+ activity. If I click on the icon, I can check my Google+ updates without ever leaving Gmail. Needless to say, checking Google+ is more addictive than a marathon of My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding.
Google+ is integarted with Gmail, so you can check your Google+ updates via your inbox.
Integration with Gmail is a major “pro.” Other draws include:
Only one of my 85 followers (friends? fans? circle buddies?) claims to have used “Hangout,” which is a key point of differentiation between Google+ and Facebook. This feature allows up to 10 users to have a group video chat.
This feature is perhaps the most intriguing, and would be useful for journalists (video interviews) and travelers (virtual tweetups).
In fact, a traveler meetup has already been born (in theory). During a discussion with fellow bloggers, Travmonkey.com editor Paul Dow suggested naming it “Google Plus Travelers Hangout,” or #GPTH. While I think this acronym sounds like a sneeze, I’m excited at the prospect of meeting– and seeing– other bloggers on Google+.
Is it a fad?
If it’s true 10 million users are active on Google+, it would be hard to dismiss the platform as a fad. But it remains to be seen if Google+ will replace Facebook, which has 750 million users.
Only time will tell if this prediction– from blogger and self-proclaimed “nomadic tech worker” Josh Cohen– will pan out:
Your opinion
What do you think of Google+? Share your first impression by leaving a comment below!
You can also join the discussion on Google+ at gplus.to/lesliekoch, on Twitter (@leslietravel) or on Facebook (Facebook/DowntownTraveler).
I love it. It’s so clean and pretty to look at at. i really like the circles so that i can both share info with certain groups and read info from certain groups – it helps to block out a lot of the noise. And it’s really social – i’ve chatted with tonnes of people i’ve never spoken with before on Twitter and FB.
I tried the hangout for the first time this evening and had a blast with some blogging friends that i’ve never met beyond the written word before. A big thumbs up from me 🙂
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Good to hear your feedback on the Hangout! It seems like a useful tool for travel bloggers and people with common interests.
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I joined just so I could be one of the cool kids, but I think I’ve gone to the site a total of 5 times. I think I already spend too much time on social media and I don’t need another site. I will only start using Google+ because I’m a blogger and should keep up with the social media sites that everybody uses. I rarely ever use my personal profile on Facebook and I’m sure it will be the same with Google+.
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There’s definitely a feeling that if you aren’t on Google+, you are missing something epic! Most of my Google+ contacts now are traveler bloggers.
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Great article (especially liked the quote from me!). 🙂
I think Google+ is still evolving and working out the kinks, but it certainly has the potential to be great. I like the way the Circles feature works more like Twitter in that other people can ‘follow’ you, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to follow them.
If they ever come up with a way to migrate your stuff (like all the pictures you’ve posted) from FB to Google+, more people may jump on board. But for now, it’s like starting with a clean slate.
I’ve only used the desktop and mobile (browser) interfaces, but I’ve heard the Android based app has more features/capabilities (like being able to upload pictures through the app).
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I’m not sure I’d want to migrate everything from FB to G+. I like the idea of starting fresh– from the outset, I am making G+ more of a professional page. It would be great if I could link it to Facebook Pages, however.
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Great summary of some pros and cons. So far, I only see the most techy/social media type folks getting really into this. I have 600+ friends on Facebook and maybe 20 have joined Google+ so far. My brother joined and we agreed we can’t see anyone else in our family trying it out. There’s just no point to using it when the vast majority of people I want to interact with are still only on Facebook.
I already have lists established in Facebook to limit my status updates to defined sets of people and am a part of several groups that interest me and provide great interaction. I actually prefer Facebook’s privacy settings which allow me to pick and choose exactly what info I want to share with whom. As far as I can tell so far with Google+, it’s an all or nothing approach (with your profile info) – either you’re public or you’re not.
I should also note that I have never used Gmail as my primary email account and really can’t stand it. I use it only as an email for my junk email to go to. So the integration with Gmail is completely useless for me.
I believe I am likely in the minority, but so far I am just not into it. It’s more work and no real benefit. And I guess a lot of the things that people find wrong with Facebook don’t really bother me so I don’t see Google+ as any big improvement.
p.s. nice job working a reference to My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding into this post. 🙂
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Interesting that you prefer Facebook’s privacy settings. I find them very confusing! When I set up my G+ profile, I had the option of selecting “for circles” or “public” for most of the components. I chose to make them public since I am sharing the same info on LinkedIn and Facebook Pages.
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interesting post.. so far I’m a newbie to Google+ so cannot really comment. I just find it another way to waste time on the internet.. and not half as fun as FB;) LOL
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Agreed, G+ is a HUGE time suck! I’ve sacrificed Twitter time to use it. It’s so hard to ignore that bright red button on Gmail; it’s like AOL’s old “You Got Mail”!
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This is a great thorough review of Google+. I love the drawing of the stages of uses. I wonder how Facebook is responding?
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Well, Facebook touted a big reveal at a press conference after the Google+ launch. But their announcement was underwhelming; they have introduced a video chat feature with Skype. it doesn’t really match Google+ Hangout, which lets you video chat with 10 people.
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I have yet to join. I am at social media saturation right now, so I am going to wait.
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I hear you Ted!
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Hi Leslie,
I just got a Google+ invite yesterday so I’m still on the stage 3 emotion. It’s something new and I had fun with the circles.
It’s really hard to tell this early if it will be able to replace Facebook although I think Facebook already has its roots deep in the ground and that may be a real challenge for Google+.
For now, I’ll just savor the newness of it and the chance to avoid the mistakes I made with Facebook.
Great post on the pros and cons, thanks for sharing!
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That’s a great point– G+ is a way to start fresh and ‘avoid the mistakes I made with Facebook.’ I’m treating G+ as a professional account from the outset, whereas my Facebook profile started and remained a personal one.
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Woohoo, I’m famous!
Basically, I think G+ will be perfect for a few kinds of people:
1. People who hate Facebook (probably lots of them) but still use it because there was no decent alternative.
2. People who are scared of Facebook. The ones who deleted their account, never signed up or stopped using it.
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Roy, thanks for sharing your “Stages of Google Emotions” with us. Love it! I’ve added a link to your website.
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I should also add about copyright and google+ there was a bevy of worry going around regarding posting photos on there, and who own them. At the moment, google is claiming rights not good.
That said, so does facebook. Which is worse as anyone and anything seems to think it’s alright to post anything on FB.
Personally, G+ has a lot more flexibility in the making than FB, and the user interface is so much better.
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Good point. Seems like every social media site has a copyright issue; I’m thinking of TwitPic on Twitter. I def wouldn’t want to create a blog only on G+ and not know whether I own the content.
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I’m happy to be a part of Google+ but I’m sure still confused as how to go about using it! I have +1’d a couple of articles and commented on someone status, I add people to my circles but I haven’t really used it much!
I like the idea but I just need some direction, or to give it some time I suppose. I would love to be included in the #GPTH though! Thanks for writing this article Leslie!
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Annie, would love to hangout with you through #GPTH 🙂 I’m still learning the ropes of G+ myself. Today I spotted a comment that someone left on July 11– guess it was buried in my ‘notifications’.
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My personal opinion is that Google is way too late to the game. Will people use it? Of course, as many are in love with social media and trying out the newest thing. My initial reaction? “Ugh, another social media thing to keep up with!”
I feel like it is duplicating what is already being done on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Even with the new features, I am not sure that it really is all that different. I’ve joined and while I haven’t spent much time on it, it doesn’t blow me away. I think you can call Google+ the Facebook for techies.
I already have the same friends on FB, Twitter, and email. Why do I need another platform to update and keep up with the same friends I already have? It’s nothing against Google but I don’t see that they are offering me anything really new nor am I motivated to keep up with the same friends on another social media site. Seems redundant.
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Jeremy just summed up all of my thoughts perfectly. Better than I did above. 🙂
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I guess you haven’t tried the Hangouts feature yet then….? I found that to be pretty impressive (up to 10 people!).
Besides the likes I already mentioned in my quote in the article, I’ll add a couple more to it–you can see who other people share their post with, and you can direct messages at individual users (yes, Twitter has that option and you can post on someone’s wall on FB too but this gives you the ability to make it private between you and that person).
Are either of these things (or any of the other things I already mentioned in my original quote) “game changers”? Probably not. But it at least gets Google into the social networking “game.” Now…whether they have staying power and whether they can pull users from other platforms and dominate that “game”…remains to be seen.
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hi can u please send me an invite, so i can check it out?!!! MWAAA!!
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I received 2 invitations to Google+ but I haven’t done anything with them because I had no clue what it was. After reading this, I think I will be waiting. I really don’t have the time to give to Facebook so I know I wouldn’t have time for this!
Thanks for this information, a very timely post.
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It looks pretty cool, but as a paid Google Apps user, I can’t access Google +. Sigh…
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Paid Google apps user? That sounds way cooler than G+ user 😉
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I was born to Tweet and I was able to figure out Twitter in a short time. I am not a big fan of FB. Been on there for a while, started working it a bit around the beginning of the year. I don’t understand it, it doesn’t engage me and if it went away tomorrow, well, I wouldn’t care. I will probably start G+ at some point, but it will be kicking and screaming.
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I hear you. I think G+ has cut into my Twitter time. There’s only so much time in the day!
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Here is why G+ is so genius: Circles. We all have a mix of FB friends from high school friends who know everything about us to the co-worker we just met last week. I think we have all been in the position where we wanted to post something on FB and held it back because well it may not be funny to all or it may offend someone. Well, with Circles, you can control who sees what. I know FB has Groups, but it is clumsy and it shows people what group they are in, in G+, you don’t see what Circle you are in, so it’s much more natural. I personally already have posted about ten times as much stuff on G+ in the last week compared to FB, and I don’t see that changing. Absolutely great discussion!
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This is a great comprehensive review – love it! I’m still getting the hang of things over there, but I am liking it so far. I like that it’s so clean and seamlessly integrated w/ Gmail and such, and also that things are so much more conversational. I feel like many of my contacts (or circle friends or whatever) are more acquaintances (i.e. travel bloggers from Twitter rather than highschool friends from FB) but now it’s a good opportunity to get to know them better. So far so good 🙂
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An interesting read and the comment section provided some good feedback as well. I think that I will take a wait and see approach before jumping in. Social media tools are great but I’m necessarily looking to add one more to an already crowded plate – especially if the jury is still out on whether or not it’s the ‘real deal’ or just another fad.
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Well it doesn’t mean we have to jump to another social media but I would like to consider it as another option. how about that? I am excited to try it. Wondering what it looks like. Congratulations Google!
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I really wonder how Facebook will react on this. G+ is definitely the biggest threat in years for it!
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Possibly why there are many marketers and SEO in google+ is because we are slaves of Google because we tried to learn the google algorithm… We can weigh the pros and cons of Google+ against FB so we can make or break Google+
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