Every one of us Google+ users possibly can think of many good reasons why their friends should join them in Google+. I give you eleven of the juiciest ones with which you can entice the Facebook and Twitter crowd with a short summary of an original article that appeared in Tom’s Guide.
1. This time Google is serious
Google did an incredible job incubating the whole platform with early adopters and influencers. They’ve had a very open dialogue and are still listening to everyone. Use the ‘Send Feedback’ box diligently if you notice bugs or have an idea about something that could be made better.
For the more advanced users here’s a good tip: Create a bookmarklet with “javascript:appfeedback.startFeedback(event)” for Google+ (or just copy and paste that into the address bar and hit enter). You can now send feedback with interactive elements like the share box, menus, and dropdowns.
2. Google owns about 23% of browser market
Whether you use Internet Explorer, Mozilla’s Firefox, Opera or Chrome, Facebook works roughly the same way; your Twitter feed still flows nicely down the page. The browser is just the frame around the picture; why would it affect which sites you use?
Well, because now a browser has become much more than just a frame. It powers your Internet, via page rendering and functionality.
The ability for developers to quickly build integrations in Chrome with Google+ is great. Google also has an open canvas within Chrome to augment Plus’s touchpoints and functionality; the toolbar at the top of Plus, Gmail, Reader and few other Google properties will only grow. Whether you’ve joined Google Plus yet or not, odds are you’ll be +1’ing within a year. You simply don’t have too much of a choice in the matter.
3. Google owns Android
Apple recently made waves when it announced that Twitter would be integrated in iOS 5 this fall. This move is a reaction to the inevitable Android and Plus synergies. Apple likely recognized that its grasp on the hardware market was going to continue to loosen as the appeal of Android devices goes up—especially now that Plus has been released. Android surpassed iOS in terms of percentage of market share in March 2011.
4. Google owns all the tools competitors want or are flailing to acquire
The Youtube integration is a super cool feature for adding videos to a post. What about the rest?
A dominant email provider? Check. (Gmail). A blogging service? Check. (Blogger). A voice-chat infrastructure? Check. (GChat). Photo albums, mapping tools, scheduling tools, news aggregators and ability to build personal websites? Check, check, check, check and check. (Picasa, Google Maps, Calendar, Reader, News and Sites.)
5. Google owns business applications and servers
For one thing, Plus makes sharing to only business associates and sharing to every one except business associates quite simple. Want to share an industry newsletter? You can choose to share it with only your “Work Together” list. Or, if you want to share personal content you can prevent business associates from getting the post.
Perhaps Google, via its ever-growing suite of business applications and tools, will start providing intra-office Plus for sharing work related content among co-workers. Any manager looking to foster a healthy office dialogue would welcome a forum where colleagues can share relevant information about the market, their competitors, their customers, etc. As it stands now, this is usually done via email distribution lists; but that clogs your inbox and doesn’t provide great discussion. Why not keep that aspect of dialogue social in Plus?
6. Google owns search.
The SEO of being able to have your posts searchable on the internet is huge.
Even when doing a basic Google search, Google has begun showing me which of my friends “+1’d” websites that appear in my results. That is the same as knowing how many friends “like” a certain website, except I can now visit the website without having to look at another Facebook fan page. Google is able to let websites maintain their personalities while being able to monitor your usage and opinion on them.
The story goes on to the next page, have a look:
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Google plus is so awesome. I’m excited that more and more of my friends are moving to it.
My friends are still mostly in FB, that’s why I wrote this article! Published it there too…
Yes, I see that Google + has a lot of potential. But Facebook has relations between individuals that Google + is hard to persuade people to create on its social platform.
Google has demonstrated they can’t be trusted.
Having several information blogs that I used for reference (No advertising whatsoever), I attempted to access one of them and it was gone and I had no access to it.
Come to find out that thousands were yanked offline where those who wanted a chance to copy their information and take it elsewhere had to go through a ‘prove your innocence’ appeal and they hold they don’t have to allow you access to the blog(s) you created.
Obviously, I wouldn’t trust these clowns with asking them the time of day.
A few obvious issues…
2. Google+ doesn’t always work quite right on 77% of the browsers.
3. The Google+ app on android still doesn’t let you tag people!
9. Google has said Google+ is not a social network, it’s an identity service. #nymwars
11. Google doesn’t understand people. Their definition of “don’t be evil” is increasingly suspect.
Keep that in your drawer Peter, so you can analyse where did your thought process fail.
Because in less than 12 months you will see a totally different reality.
I believe the brand pages should have put Google over the 100million mark.
And people will keep joining and joining, because everywhere you visit on the internet there is something that will invite you to try Google+, again and again and again and one day you will like what you see and you will stay.
@Winghunter, it sounds like you violated the terms of agreement in some way or form. I’ve never had any of my blogs removed.
@Peter da Silva, what issues does Google+ have on other browsers? I haven’t seen or heard anything being a problem. My wife uses Firefox and has never notice anything. I use Chrome and Firefox, depending what computer I’m using, and I’ve never notice a difference, besides that I can’t use my chrome extensions in Firefox.
I have read this, and it makes me want to stop using Google plus right away! These Google guys own and control almost anything! And now they want is to use their tools so the can own and control even more? Why would we want that?
Seriously, I use Gmail and Google plus, and I will keep on using it, because it does what I want to to do.
But articles like this will rather scare people away from Google than attract new users.
I hope this does not scare you away: The more we know, the more we can control our Internet adventures. At least Google let’s you remove your data. Facebook does not… I’m much more scared to use Facebook than Google.
Reason 13. Author rank.
Oh yes, well noted. Here’s more: http://jackiepurnell.com/google-plus-author-rank/
This network absolutely ROCKS ! Keep up the GREAT work !
Thanks a lot, Danny!
To be more accurate … 11 Reasons Why I’LL NOT Be Using Google+ In The Future
As far as I am concerned, each and every one of those reasons is enough reason to NOT join Google +
I am the one that will decide who I will allow into my ‘circle’ !!! I shouldn’t have to restrict anyone after the fact. I have had enough of these same ‘permissions’ problems with Facebook … but the last straw was them posting what articles I read – that is BS … if I want to let someone know what I am reading, I will let them know.
Of course, we all have a choice and decide for ourselves. No-one is force feeding anything, hopefully, so we can stay away from the Social Media platforms. That is not my choice, however, as especially Google+ has enriched my life considerably: Taught me about new things every day and introduced me to very interesting people.
Hah haha haaaah
Nice try, let me know how that works out for you in a few years time.
Unless you convince all your friends, family, colleagues etc not to use it, you will always be gnawing your lips wondering what they are up to online, and never able to jump in and reply to anything they post.
Trying to avoid social networking is like trying to sneak into an event like the grammies wearing a full ninja suit with ear plugs, a wielders mask and a ball-gag.
Good luck with that!
Jaana didn’t say anything about g+ deciding who is in your circles, it’s the other way around: you can be in somebody else’s circles. What does that mean? It means that they will see whatever it is you let them see, nothing more, if you don’t make anything public, they won’t see it. And, as Jaana says, if it really freaks you out, you can block them, and then they don’t even see what you make public to the rest of the world.
The circles in G+ just mean “I’m listening to you”… if you don’t speak to them, they don’t hear anything..
I love google plus. it is a great tool for socializing, business, search, entertainment etc. I would love to see more developments for educations uses as well. there must be a different version of g+ for students as well. Adults and non-adults can be separated. As non-adults become adults, they should be able to transform their g+ profile as well. it should be like a human body and a society that is growing in every level. Its not a fb or a fb rival. I think it s more than fb and it has already lots of potential.
Very well put and I agree totally. Good idea about separating the youngsters – wonder how it could be done?
so, my reasons for going G+ are that Google is managing a sort of monopoly on all the G+ related functions? Having the functional capacity for hegemony is not a ringing endorsement.Their hegemonic business practices are why I hate Microsoft! Your list doesn’t convince me that G+ will meet my individual, potentially quirky and non-mainstream desires for G+.
Outstanding, couldn’t have said it better myself the only thing i don’t agree with entirely is no. 9 eventually Google will make money out of G+ so its not really a plus point just because its not going to happen anytime soon.
What I like about it the most is that I can follow my friends like I do on facebook, celebrities as I would on twitter and blog articles and news stories as I would an RSS but all in one place and can filter these as I wish.
But it is only as good as the people that use it.
I so agree with you!
It’s like those shampoos… All in one?