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Comment RSSHas Google+ Already Beaten Facebook
Written by pacelattinJuly 13, 2011 # 1:33 pm # Specials # 48 Comments
Just within the last two years Facebook overtook Myspace as the king of social networking. Myspace has been relegated by the technology and advertising community to the garbage heap of websites. Now has arrived what everyone knew would come, Google+, the newest best “social network” to compete in a crowded pack, dominated significantly by Facebook. Many people see that Facebook has a stranglehold on the social networking, and that nothing will take away its crown. I see completely the opposite that Google+ has already won, and within a year will easily take away any dominance that Facebook has, quickly sapping Facebook’s influence and value.
For the last few years, I’ve made the argument to friends and colleagues that Google should be buying Facebook, it was only a natural progression. Instead of selling to Google, Facebook felt that it was a long-lasting company that itself needed to buy other companies and become the next Google. In this, Facebook has made a complete miscalculation and they’ve already lost the war, barring some miracle — and here’s three reasons that I feel confident in my prediction:
1) Google has everything already Facebook has and more. While Facebook is attempting to buy or partner with companies like Microsoft, Google already have competitive features for almost everything Facebook wants. From mail, to video chat, to embedded search, these features are seamless within Google and in many cases superior. Now when you login to Google+ you are connected to all these features and will be able to use it as part of your social networking experience. If they don’t have it, rest assured they will get it.
2) Advertisers love Google. Despite Facebook’s enormous growth in advertising, Google is still the main source of advertising money. Google has known for a long time that everything is interconnected in interactive advertising and has been building and buying solutions that will connect with their Google+ technology. The universal login that Google+ will become, combined with mail, calendars and much more will provide targeting feature that no other network, no other behavior targeting company can even come close to duplicating. Pretty much, with Google+ turned on, most of what you do, from networking, to search, to mail, to surfing non Google websites will have you somehow connected eventually to their back advertising and targeting systems. Advertising prices will rise, Google’s income will double, and many other advertising solutions will have no way to compete, including Facebook.
3) Facebook cares too much about “social networking.” Social networking as a stand-alone solution is gone. With Google, everything will become on function of the internet. People have made for a while the argument that Facebook is really just another extension of the internet, and that “social networking” is nothing more than another word for what we all do on a daily basis – just made easier by software solutions. However, with Google+ all these interests, all of the networks and groups that we create will be more integrated into every other function of the internet. Remember that Google is often the first site, the main site that everyone uses on a daily basis to connect to everything else they want to know. Search will become a social tool and social networking will become a search mechanism. There will be no distinction perceived or in reality. When you are connected to the Internet, for most of us, you will always be connected to Google.
That last point really wraps up all the points together. Technologists have been claiming for a while that at some point the Internet will be more than just a destination on a computer or phone, but instead a part of everything we do. Microsoft knew this many years ago and has been trying unsuccessfully to have a universal login that will log you into everything. Even before that America Online (AOL) wanted to be the login to the internet, but never even came close to converting from an ISP to a destination. Facebook has been quickly addressing this, with integration into blogs, login for everything, but they still aren’t anywhere near the daily influence and reach of Google. That’s what Google has over Facebook, and what will make Google dominate the market. The pure integration potential of Google is just amazing. Since most users on the internet chose the easiest solution, whatever is put in their face (or the first page of Google), that is where they will all eventually go.
If Facebook doesn’t like it, they also have another reality to face: Google generates somewhere around 30-times as much revenue as Facebook and they can easily buy all the new users they need.
Written by pacelattin
Pace Lattin is one of the top experts in interactive advertising, affiliate marketing. Pace Lattin is known for his dedication to ethics in marketing, and focus on compliance and fraud in the industry, and has written numerous articles for publications from MediaPost, ClickZ, ADOTAS and his own blogs.
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…I see a Facebook "Like" button at the bottom of your post, and no Google + button
Lol… That was really funny!
Just what I was about to say
We are in the midst of a redesign, fear not!
There is a real easy way to gauge how well both platforms will perform in the future. Go sit in a coffee shop and listen to some conversations. When the talk turn to online, I always without fail hear the following……
How did you find that online? I Googled it. I see my Niece is going over seas on Facebook last night.
Google is for search, Facebook is for Social.
My two cents worth.
Cheers Beanie
hold your horses, cowboy…google+ is next to nowhere in comparison with facebook..
gabriel moisescu recently posted..My blog is on 1st page on Google !
This post was enjoyable, but you underscored its lack of credibility by having a Facebook "like" at the bottom of it instead of a Google +1. Just food for thought.
Facebook's days are numbered in my opinion. I think the novelty is starting to wear off with a lot of people and they are ready to jump on something with some new bells and whistles but the main concern I have with G+ is that the big G already has way too much power I'm afraid this will allow them to dominate and dictate the internet to the point of no return.
Great information here. I agree that the ease of implementation with Google is going to win ultimately with integration. I however believe that Facebook will live on strong. It is already a big part of so many people's lives and connects the different generations in a unique way. Both will remain very important and popular.
I totally agree with this article. I always believed Facebook days were numbered, with all the privacy issues and the dislikes for a lot of the new features. Google is the internet and without Google there would be no Facebook.. As the day becomes night Facebook's light will surely fade.
Has an affiliate marketer, Google has turned it back on the very people who helped create it's success. Google is for the big guys, and do not care about the small guy anymore. More and more marketers are looking for other sources to advertise, and Facebook is one resource we are turning to help accomplish our marketing goals. I am fraid Google has become like MicroSoft trying to dominate everything. If you don't agree with them, then they buy you out or try to push you out of the market. Nothing but a monopoly.
I think you mean relegated not regulated.
Some estimates have people dropping out of Facebook at the rate of 500k per week, mostly because of privacy concerns. Facebook seems to back off on the issue, yet they never seem to learn their lesson and try to mine our information in a new way about every six months. I like the seamless integration of all things Google. And I feel that when Google+ strips Facebook of it's title the government may finally have the ammunition it will need to start to dismantle this unfair monopoly. Google, of course, is no stranger to privacy issues, and since they control virtually all information, like a newspaper behemoth, these items are safely buried on the back pages. I hope somebody will make it fair once again for we advertisers.
This is bullshit.G+ is just a button and Facebook is a code and community.The only way for Google to beat Facebook is to clone the code but Google has no clue about social networking.Look at Google's attempt in creating a community – Orkut and Google Buzz – Total Failure.
If you are talking about the Facebook's ambition to dominate the Internet, then It seems that it's not going to happen, and Google has definitely outperforms.
If we are talking about Facebook as a web asset, it is still a dominant player with a huge user base and a strong partnership with Microsoft.
Not yet, not now. FB still rules.
In you I found the things I asked for a long time in the future will take you as my basis for work, thank you for everything.
Goran Gjorgjiev
Macedonia
Pace, your first paragraph has turned me off from reading the rest. Did you scramble for a deadline on this one? No time to proof read?
Will G+ become the "same ol same o"? Radio, TV and now the Internet. All have been susceptible to crap overloads while making lofty promises about how much better life will as folks use these media for more meaningful methods of education, earning and communications. I hope the fuller potential G+ doesn't get misguided and sent way off course as business interests became the priority. Who's in charge here and what is the mission, should be addressed and made clear from the beginning. Otherwise, we may succumb to more of the same old thing. In my opinion, people are the priority when it comes to the Internet.
This article is totally Amazing, I too noticed this Facebook effect and the google dominance. Great article everyone who read it should (like it).
Nobody bats a 1,000. True, G-Buzz was a bust. G-Wave was a waste and Orkut never got past 1st base. BUT, my hunch is G+ will not only rival FB, but once the G-Engineers get their Huddles and Circles and Spikes and Hangouts tightened up and especially once they pull the trigger on G+ for Business, you watch see how many SERIOUS marketers bail on FB and move their time and money to G+. I for one could give a good rat's butt on if you're checking into the Gap or drinking a latte. Being able to create live video <10 and controlling when my content gets shared and by whom (that I control) will take SMM to a level real IMers desire.
Predict all ye want; even lest it be good and solid info ye predict wit. It SHOULD HAVE been impossible for Google to grab the stronghold they have from MicroSoft; as Hotmail, MSN Groups, MSN, Messenger had already captured their dominant positions with those web properties.
Then came the merger between MicroSoft & Yahoo that was damned near a done deal.. but, oops!
Let's go back even further and say MP3.COM should have NEVER gone under with over 500mil hits in their first month.. but, oops! … and now the Sweds say they can OWN the tech and will MAKE us pay??
My point is; even with the big boys like Jobs & Gates sitting on the same stage boasting the same thing that Google will NEVER be bigger because there's not enough processing power in the cloud to overcome the desktop… OOPS!!… we'll never KNOW what the deal is until all the tech is on the table at the time we do another survey. Period.
…predict all ye want…
Is English even your first language? No disrespect intended, buy your grammar on this article sucks.
no one can beat Facebook , Google + sucks.
Google +1 button is going to expand as more and more people get use to using it. Google also rewards the site site when then button is pressed as it is like a scoring system.
Now as a site owner you get rewarded when visitors press your Google +1 button.
Google +1 button is going to expand as more and more people get use to using it. Google also rewards the site site when then button is pressed as it is like a scoring system.
Now as a site owner you get rewarded when visitors press your Google +1 button. Now wouldn't it be good if you could reward and encourage the visitor to click your button?
[...] Google+ Already Beaten Facebook http://inside.offervault.com/2011/07…aten-facebook/ Just within the last two years Facebook overtook Myspace as the king of social networking. Now [...]
Many of you are confusing the +1 button with G +
The +1 button is not what this article was about…it is speaking about G+, which IS a sharing platform a step beyond facebook. Just wanted to clarify that so that the people thinking this is about +1 realize that FB has a lot more to worry about than a button.
Two point which stuck out for me, the first one was from the article, the second from a comment:
"The pure integration potential of Google is just amazing"
Which leads me right to the comment: by Tom:
"the main concern I have with G+ is that the big G already has way too much power I'm afraid this will allow them to dominate and dictate the internet to the point of no return."
It is exciting and scary at the same time.
Just cant wait for it to be launched! I think it will be the best thing ever!
I have to disagree. I think from a social networking standpoint, Facebook is going to remain on top. While I admire the simplicity of a lot of Google+ features, there's a lot about it I see as being kind of…boring.
Facebook offers an entertaining experience. You go on there to check out what OTHER people are doing and post things that you think OTHER people will find entertaining. Facebook knows this and has built the perfect set up for that.
Google has a lot of powerful tools that undoubtedly are going to become one powerful interconnected tool with Google+. But Facebook is making power moves of its own with the new video calling with the worlds greatest video chat system, Skype.
And with Facebook's endless supply of information it has already on each one of us with all of the "Likes" we've clicked on over the years, it would only be the ultimate power move to have a Facebook search. Where it syncs your search with previous Likes and interests, and your friend's previous Likes and interests, and compiles a search result relating to the similarities.
[...] Others, such as affiliate marketer Pace Lattin, claim that Google is poised to unseat Facebook in the same way that Facebook displaced My Space just a couple of years ago. [...]
This is very poorly written. The first paragraph has two sentences beginning with the word “now” back to back and it’s all downhill from there. Please get a professional to edit the article.
[...] Has Google+ Already Beaten Facebook? http://performinsider.com/2011/07/has-google-already-beaten-facebook/ [...]
I disagree that Google+ will take Facebook anytime soon. You can’t even get on G+ without an invitation.
I use Facebook ads for CPC and CPM, and I get much better conversion than on Adwords. Reason? Facebook demographic targeting. Google targets by keywords and not demographics. They know everything about keywords and searching optimized content, but Facebook does all that for you based on what people write on their profiles.
A lot of people don’t even go to a search engine. They just go to Facebook as their internet experience. Talk to their friends, do a few searches for things of interest. That’s where they stay the entire time they’re logged in.
When Google can match that environment (mostly safe and familiar) with control over who can see your profile, be your friend, write on your page, group or profile, and that you can block users, Google+ won’t catch the majority of moderately sophisticated users of the web. Not everyone cares about all the bells and whistles, they just want to get on, do their stuff, and get off without hassles.
Google may own everything someday, but I hope not. That would defeat the purpose of an open world society and net neutrality. Corporatocracies aren’t good for people. Google has become a corporatocracy.
Sherri
Sherri–Being the Change I Wish to See recently posted..America has a dictator
WOW lots of opinions on whether Google+ has already beaten Facebook of not: http://su.pr/1LfZp7 Too bad so few suggest alternatives.
Interesting observations, Pace.
I think it’ll be interesting to see how this one pans out; however, I do have a couple of quick opinions on your post.
First of all, Google is becoming less and less accessible to a small advertiser, whereas Facebook is a free for all. It’s a lot less expensive, more targeted, and more flexible.
Also, Facebook has what Google Plus might not ever gain: personal use. Right now the only people jumping on Google Plus bandwagon are marketers and business owners.
People who use FB to stay in touch with family and friends could care less if G+ is integrated with gmail, google search, etc. They are happy with where they are. Getting them to switch will be quite an accomplishment.
Is G+ up for the challenge? Only time will tell.
Ana
Ana | Traffic Generation recently posted..Google Plus Social Network: Bite-Sized Tutorial for the Busy Marketer
Ana, there is no doubt that Facebook will be around, as Myspace despite loosing a considerable amount of traffic is still a “major” property. That being said, everyone had to have a Myspace page at one time, now everyone has to be on Facebook.
When google+ is part of everything you do on google, why wouldn’t you use it?
pacelattin recently posted..Payday Loan Marketers Charged by FTC
I didn’t mean to say that I don’t like Google Plus, Pace – I actually much prefer it to both Twitter and Facebook.
Ana | get website traffic recently posted..Is CommentLuv the Plugin of the Past?
Interesting opinion: Has Google+ Already Beaten Facebook – Performance Marketing Insider http://t.co/j6xXgxX via @pacelattin #Ana
Interesting opinion: Has Google+ Already Beaten Facebook – Performance Marketing Insider http://t.co/j6xXgxX via @pacelattin #Ana
Interesting opinion: Has Google+ Already Beaten Facebook – Performance Marketing Insider http://t.co/j6xXgxX via @pacelattin #Ana
Interesting opinion: Has Google+ Already Beaten Facebook – Performance Marketing Insider http://t.co/j6xXgxX via @pacelattin #Ana
Interesting opinion: Has Google+ Already Beaten Facebook – Performance Marketing Insider http://t.co/j6xXgxX via @pacelattin #Ana
Interesting opinion: Has Google+ Already Beaten Facebook – Performance Marketing Insider http://t.co/j6xXgxX via @pacelattin #Ana
What do you think? Is Facebook already "dead?" http://sgp.cm/e6eb08
A site should not be able to dictate to a user that they cannot link to other sites such as Google.
Does this mean that Facebook are worried about the impact that Google +1 button might have on their site?
It makes you wonder!!
We have signed up to the Google +1 button and are using a great plug-in on our wordpress site that rewards the visitor if they press the button. It is working great for us so we can see why Facebook might have concerns.
As a local business owner I will continue to use both anyway. It only makes sense to use every option.
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