There has been a lot of buzz going on lately about Google+ (or G+ for those that just can't manage to type out "Google"), Google's latest foray into Social Networking. This invite-only beta program has been out for a little bit, and has already gathered over 10 million users.

So what makes this thing so special? Well, here are some of the features of Google+ and my initial reactions.

 

 

Profile

Profile generation is easy-peasy, lemon squeezy. It uses your existing Google account (Adwords, YouTube, etc.) and generates a "profile" for you. The information you provide on your profile is used to introduce yourself to anyone looking at your profile. It includes your occupation, employer, etc. None of it is required, but the more you provide the more people get to know about you. Information is segmented into tabs across the top of your profile, and you can choose which tabs appear by editing your profile.

If privacy is important to you, make sure you click on the gear on the top right, and edit your Google settings. This will help determine how you show up on Google+ and to the world. You can lock down your profile, or open it up to the world... 

Because this is an invite only beta so far, I wasn't able to test what a new user would go through, but I assume it would be a similar experience as signing up for a general Google Account. Once you are in, you still have to fill out the profile form and upload a profile picture.

Circles

Circles are what make Google+ unique.  Well, not entirely unique, since Facebook has "Groups", but Google+ makes it so much easier. If you've been on other social networking sites, you've probably made "friends" with people that aren't really your "friends" but you were just being polite, or they were an old boss or something. Now you can categorize these people into a circle. The default circles are Friends, Family, Acquaintances, and Following. You can add as many circles as you want, and then share your content based on those circles. For example, you may not want your co-workers or bosses to know you were out drinking until 2am before a big business meeting, so you can specify that only your friends can see the party photos you post.  Don't worry, nobody knows how you've classified them in a circle, so feel free to name you circles whatever you want.

The interface supports a drag-and-drop functionality, so it makes it really easy to add people to your circles. You can even add a single person to multiple circles.

Stream

Your stream is basically a list of things your friends are posting. This could be anything from the latest YouTube viral video to pictures of their kids, to what they are doing. You can share based on circles, or you can pick "Public" and anyone that stumbles upon your profile can see what you've posted. You can also view your stream based on your circles, so if you only want to see posts from your family, you can click the family circle stream and only see posts from that circle.  This really helps as your list of friends grows. 

You can also comment on posts, and carry on conversations. Which is what social media is about right? (See my post, "Social Media Doesn't Work if you are Anti-Social")

Sparks

Sparks are feeds based on a specific subject or search term. You can set up a Spark, and it will be easily accessible on the left column. For example, I have setup a Spark based on my interest in Kites. This will show articles and blog posts based on Kites. You can have as many Sparks as you want. As Google says in their documentation, its like when your grandfather used to clip newspaper articles out. That's probably the best metaphor I've seen for Sparks. Except your grandfather is Google, and they probably don't try to give you butterscotch hard candy.

Hangouts/Chat

A Hangout is basically a video chat. You must first install the Google Voice/Video plugin on your browser, but once you do, you can "hangout" with up to 10 friends in one of your circles.  The possibilities for small businesses or internal groups is tremendous. Just set-up a circle of co-workers or clients, and you can video chat in real-time.

Chat is similar to any other instant messenger out there. But you can limit who can chat with you based on your circle.

+1's

This is a strange concept borrowed from the olden days of the Internet. Giving someone a "+1" is to show that you like something they said. Google has taken this concept and applied it to everything from posts to videos to photos. That way everyone in your circle can see what you've recommended, liked, or agree with.

Photos, videos, etc.

Just like any other social networking site, you can share photos/videos with your friends. It is tied into Picasa (Google's photo sharing/editing/album program) and you can post your pictures right from the popular desktop app. This is by far superior to handling photos in Facebook in my opinion.

Ok, So What's Missing?

Google+ isn't everything to everbody. There aren't any Google+ games or questions. But to me, that is what makes Google+ so attractive. I would expect that Google will add gaming in the future, but for right now you won't be able to satisfy your addiction on Google+.

On a special note for businesses thinking about how they can leverage this new network. Not so quick. Google is developing functionality just for businesses and brands, but its concentrating on the consumer side of things. They have actually discouraged businesses from creating profiles on Google+ and are actively deleting profiles created for that purpose.  Just be patient, you will get your chance. Here is a video explaining Google's position : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=at_azOmh69A

Conclusion

Overall, the look and functionality of Google+ is very nice. Its a clean interface and it is fairly straight forward in its function. But the true value of Google+ is in your network or circles and being able to segment your content. I'm going to take a wait and see approach to Google+. While Google certainly has the money and the engineering prowess to create a kick-butt social network. Its going to be a tough road to compete against Facebook.

From my initial impressions, Google has a good product, but it remains to be seen whether it will get people to switch over from their familiar social networks to try something new. Right now, Google+ is getting a lot of buzz from the tech community and social media folks, but that doesn't necessarily translate into mass-market appeal. Google+ has some unique features that help distinguish it from other social networks, but will it be a contender to Facebook, or if it goes down in flames like other Google social products? Only time will tell.

Circle me @ http://plus.google.com/102703482803721598559

 

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