Google +1 vs Facebook – can it challenge?

I pretty much live on Faceboook - it’s my connection to the lives of my friends, a way of sharing information and self-expression in the further digitisation of our modern lifestyle. For many it has become the standard channel for social interaction and boasts six hundred million users and climbing.

Today Google launches its answer to Facebook. Google+1 which is a potential challenger to Facebook – but can it seriously provide a challenge to Mark Zuckerburg’s behemoth?

What is Google + 1?

Google +1 is a social media networking service like Facebook, but with a slight twist, search results become based on friend’s recommendations from the use of a +1 Button. Google says, “The beauty of +1’s is their relevance—you get the right recommendations (because they come from people who matter to you), at the right time (when you are actually looking for information about that topic) and in the right format (your search results).”

How does Google +1 work?

You can start to use Google +1 by signing up with a Google Account. From there you are able to create your Google Profile. Google Profiles has a similar interface to the Facebook Info page, allowing users to put in details such as a brief Introduction, Occupation, Education, Looking For and Relationship Statuses. It’s a nice looking page but does not have a Wall or the options to comment that makes Facebook so appealing.

But the Google Profiles is not really what Google is trying to push into the social networking market but rather their . Users will be able to recommend a website to their +1 Friends by pressing a +1 button. For example say you go to search Snowboarding Holidays and your best friend is a keen snowboarder you will be able to see any recommended sites he has pressed the +1 Button on. This is an interesting idea, clearly influenced by the Facebook “Like” button, but very much depends on people taking the time press the +1 button. The Like button on Facebook allows users to publicly show they like a certain person, programme, event etc. meaning it is far more a tool of self-expression than recommendation.

Google +1 v Facebook

Google +1, in my opinion, will not be able to compete with Facebook in the social networking arena. Facebook has dominance in the field and any it doesn’t have Twitter has pretty much taken control of plus there are hundreds of other small social networking sites. The Profiles page is a very basic Facebook page and offers nothing new and exciting that will attract new users or convert Facebook purists.

What is Google + 1 good for then?

Whilst Google +1 may never be “the New Facebook”, the +1 button is something that can catch on and become quite a useful feature for website searches but tying this into a social networking profile page is an issue. If you could use one without the other this would be a very interesting but I do not see many people signing up to the Google Profile Page to access the +1 Button. To make this work Google will have to really advertise the service but I just don’t see people being that interested in using this. I do not see many of my Facebook friends spending the time to press a button to recommend a site on the off-chance I might search the exact same thing.

Another major concern I have for Google +1 between Facebook, Twitter and the hundreds of other social networking sites, do we really need another site to relay information on. I think Google has arrived too late to make a big impact in the social networking world.

We will see once +1 is up and running!

Guest Post written by Richard Lovell