Is Google+ the Real Deal for Businesses?

While there is no arguing that Facebook rules the social media world, most signs point to Google+ being in it for the long haul to challenge the SM giant for user supremacy.

Granted, Google+ has a ways to go, and there is no denying Twitter has its heels dug in in this arena, but Google+ has made quite a splash in the few months that it has been up and running.

According to a recent earnings report from company CEO Larry Page, Google+ now has more than 90 million registered users, more than doubling the 40 million the company reported only three months ago.

The company, which unveiled the social network seven months ago, has since added toolbars along with other functions on its Web sites in order to greatly enhance promotional efforts. According to Page, Google engineers have unveiled a new feature tied to the social media tool each day since it debuted.

One factor that makes the Google+ growth rather astounding is that it took rival Facebook approximately four years to obtain 90 million users. According to Facebook, it now has some 800 million users who log into their accounts at least one time a month, some 10 times more than Google+. One digital analyst firm predicts that Facebook will hit the 1 billion plateau later this summer.

As many analysts have pointed out, Google+ was essentially constructed to battle Facebook’s increased stranglehold on online social media. As Page noted during his press conference, Google provides a ton of third-party data in search, striving to add more.

According to numbers provided by Page, individuals who register for Google+ are oftentimes dedicated users of Google’s search engine, email and documents services. More than 60 percent of these individuals use Google products each day, while 80 percent go to a Google site at minimum once a week.

Page also reported that more companies are getting involved with Google+’s brand pages, to the tune of approximately one million so far.

So, does it behoove businesses to invest their time and effort in a tool such as Google+?

Among the positive features for businesses employing Google+ include utilizing the +1 feature (permits users to share things like articles, white papers, etc. tied to their industry); allows for more brand recognition; you can organize areas of importance through the site’s “circles” feature; and the “hangout” feature allows you to interact with both other business owners and your staff.

While the future success of Google+ is yet to be determined, the numbers so far appear to be pointing to a social media tool that is connecting with millions.