Google Plus – The Second Biggest Social Media Site?
Google Plus, the social mediasite that was once deemed “the future killer of Facebook,” has now surpassed Twitter as the second largest social media network in the world. Google Plus had a rocky start, and over the last year and a half, has been disappointing at times, however, over the last month, its usage has skyrocketed with new tools implemented for business users and now has more active users than Twitter, according to a report by GlobalWebIndex. According to this study, Google Plus has 343 million users while Twitter has 288 million. YouTube and Twitter have been fighting for third place, with YouTube edging ahead with 300 million users.
GlobalWebIndex Reports Surprising Numbers
The new report by GlobalWebIndex created the recent buzz around Google Plus’ rising popularity. Before being released, everyone had high hopes for the newest social media site being released by Google, however, it didn’t do well in the beginning. It wasn’t until the last six months, after introducing new and improved tools and features for businesses, that Google Plus and its users soared. One such feature is Google Hangout, undoubtedly one of their most popular features. According to GlobalWebIndex, there are approximately 130,000 interviews across the world using Google Hangout. Approximately 25 percent of global Internet users are active on Google Plus and check in at least once a month. Twitter and YouTube are again tied, both with 21 percent of Internet users checking in that regularly. Some of Google Plus’ numbers should be taken with a pinch of salt, as a Google Plus account is created automatically when users sign up for a Gmail account, but their active user numbers are still impressive.
Businesses Should be Using Google Plus
Google Plus may still be lacking in areas of personal usage, but that hasn’t stopped them from getting ahead of Twitter, YouTube and many other popular social sites. Business users can benefit from using the site through integrating all accounts, marketing their business and networking with others in the same industry. Because it is run by Google, you can integrate your Google Plus profile with other accounts like YouTube, Flickr, LinkedIn, Gmail, Google Docs and more. It has become a one-stop hub for social media connection. If your business has a Gmail account and uses Google Docs, these can easily integrate with your Google Plus profile page. Similarly, a consumer searching for products you sell in Google Search may find articles published on your website, which will also show your Google Plus profile and picture in the results thanks to Google Authorship.
Google Plus Features for Business
Business users especially have features to make Google Plus well worth it. Unlike other social media networks, Google Plus is offering a variety of tools specifically for businesses and their marketing efforts. Included among them are the ability to view social account activity in Google Analytics, publishing articles connected to your Google profile with Google Authorship, and of course, Google Hangout, which lets you have business meetings and interviews without leaving the office. Google Plus continues to show benefits for personal and business users, and rolls out new tools and features on a regular basis. Aside from Skype, Google Hangout is the most popular way to have live video feed, and this is only the beginning. Before too long, users of Google Plus might even surpass Facebook users.
If you’re wondering how you can leverage your Google Plus account to help your business’ online presence, take the time to get in touch with Infintech Designs. Their professional social media team can help you to see how Google Plus can benefit your online marketing.
Infintech Designs
3110 Magazine St., #120
New Orleans, LA 70115
Sources:
https://www.globalwebindex.com/thinking/social-platforms-gwi-8-update-decline-of-local-social-media-platforms/
http://www.netnewsledger.com/2013/02/01/google-plus-second-largest-social-media-network/
