JOBAtech: On A Google+ Rocket!

If exponential growth of a social network is any measure of its future success, Google definitely has an instant hit on it’s hands! I was invited to join Google+ by a coworker about 3 weeks ago. And I must say, I’m hooked! The introduction of friend “circles” really changes the game! There is no reason Google+ can’t reign supreme over the social network landscape. Read on!

The following information is essentially a review of Google+ from an individual focus. I will detail where features are ripe for achieving social networking goals and where Google has future opportunities. I will focus on the key sections available to all Google+ users: Home, Photos, Profile, and Circles..plus the “Extras”. Let’s dive in!

Home: This is where all information being received or shared in an elegant 3 panel layout. The left panel displays the user’s information and available view filters. The filters allow you to view all data or filter it by the available circles. The center panel maintains the visual representation of the content being shared. Here you can interact with the offerings by commenting, maintaining posts, and interacting with the new fangled +1. (More on that later.) The right panel offers the ability to invite others to the new network and a link to download the mobile app. (Android and iPhone) The major attraction in this panel is ‘Hangouts”. This feature allows anyone with a webcam to chat with up to 10 other +er’s and…hangout. I’ve never enjoyed the webcam experience. But, maybe Google+ can persuade camera shy users like myself into giving it a shot.

Photos: There isn’t much to be said about this section of Google+. I think the search giant just wanted to cover the social network bases, here. However, I did not like the fact that Google withheld the option to NOT import my Picasa photo albums. It’s a weird omission. I was relieved to be able to hide my albums from Google+ fairly easy.

NOTE: If you are an artist or photographer, please check your Picasa settings to ensure content cannot be downloaded and/or printed by others without your knowledge.

Profile: Who doesn’t want to see how their profile displays in the live application? This section does exactly that across 3 panels of which only 2 are being used. The left panel provides a brief representation of your avatar and who are in which circles. There is a horizontal menu across the middle panel presenting filters for Posts, About, Photos, Videos, +1′s, and BUZZ. It’s a very clean and simple layout that will attract a large swath of online users.

Circles: This is where Google+ hopes to differentiate itself from the competition. A circle is a group of individuals you tie together based on relationships. The new SoNet gets you started with a few circles such as Family and Friends. But where the feature really shines is with the ability to create your own! So, get creative with this thing. Also, its great to know a friend can reside in more than one circle. So when you set out to share new content, you choose the circles (and friends) wanted with confidence! Social networking has really been refined through Google+’s circles. This simple sense of control gives users a greater feeling of comfortable sharing. That alone will encourage users to interact more and more with Google+!

+1: I remember reading about the launch of Google’s +1 button a while back. I immediately began looking for ways to incorporate it into this blog. During that research, I received a sense of how much of an impact such a little interaction could be. Google touches millions of users with content daily. Now, intensify that by offering a tidy way to recommend content to your circles across all Google services. The ability to track what people are +1′ing offers Google another stream of information revenue to bait advertisers. This is HUGE for their search core business model!

Since joining Google+, I have invited a majority of my friends and family. The service already has legs and will continue to develop rapidly. It is uncertain how successful Google will become with its first, full-fledged stroll into social networking. But if glowing reviews continue to come in for Google+, it’s success is easy to surmise.