Recently there has been an increasing amount of speculation on whether Google was trying to create a Facebook clone . Considering current digital trends it sounds realistic. The rumour on the digital streets is that Google plans to call their new social networking site ”Google Me”. Simple.
However, there are several important aspects that need to be thought through if an attempt at taking over Facebook is to be even slightly successful. Here are the 7 most important trends that I consider are vital when creating and launching a new social network such as Google Me…and that need to work to convince me to make the switch:
Integration. Google Me’s critical success factor would be integration to other Google applications. It needs to be able to bring together “life’s critical applications” – you know the ones: Gmail, Docs, Picasa, Calendar, etc. It probably wouldn’t be perfect, but if it can help me manage and organise my life, I would definitely give it a try!
Mobility. At one time, there was speculation that the iPhone’s new operating system iOS4 would have Facebook integration at its core, but that hasn’t happened. Google’s social network can certainly be a standard component of the Android phone and thereby helping to increase the market share of Android brand.
Openness. Just like Facebook, Google Me would need to open up its platform to developers and allow them to create additional functionality to the new network and add value for users.
Personality. Facebook’s OpenGraph can gather information about user preferences over the entire web, not just a Facebook page. By combining Google’s search results with OpenGraph info, we could get a substancial amount of user info that could be used for tailoring their web experience. This would- as a result – take Google’s AdWords targeted marketing to a new level.
Privacy. Facebook’s privacy policy and changes have always been an issue. For Google it would be vitally important to beat Facebook on that front by making the user privacy settings wonderfully clear and simple. Surely this could be possible?
Clever PR. Remember all the hype around iPhone 4? For about a year various “prototypes” leaked to media. But they were all different from the actual production model. Potential customers were excited about the iPhone 4G and the buzz around it. Google probably won’t surprise us with Google Me overnight, but after many months of successful hype and getting product development ideas from customers, it might just manage to create the same excitement we see for Apple’s new products.
Perpetual Beta. Google and several other successful companies are known for their “perpetual beta” principle. That means launching the product ASAP, but having it in “Beta” over many years, later further developing it according to users’ real needs.
At the end of the day, these keywords shouldn’t be important only for Google, but for all of today’s successful software industries…
Article originally published on Blue Barracuda Blog
Filed under: google, marketing, social media, critical success factors, digital, facebook, google, strategy, tactics
Siim Lepisk - thoughts on digital 