I’ve Been GOOGLED

Social Media

I will finally admit.  I have been googled.  I could be referring to the easy ability to uncover all online dirt on anyone by searching their name in google, which I will candidly reveal is something I do all the time when hearing of a potential client or person.  In fact, Ken Auletta in his book entitled, “Googled: The end of the world as we know it”, uses the term googled in this type of context as he says in his opening lines:

“The world has been googled. Type a question in the google search box, as do more than 70 percent of all searchers worldwide, and in about half a second answers appear.”

While wikipedia stays away from an official position on the term googled, Urban Dictionary ventures to define, “To do an internet search on someone/ something..”

I will finally admit.  I have been googled.  I could be referring to the easy ability to uncover all online dirt on anyone by searching their name in google, which I will candidly reveal is something I do all the time when hearing of a potential client or person.  In fact, Ken Auletta in his book entitled, “Googled: The end of the world as we know it”, uses the term googled in this type of context as he says in his opening lines:

“The world has been googled. Type a question in the google search box, as do more than 70 percent of all searchers worldwide, and in about half a second answers appear.”

While wikipedia stays away from an official position on the term googled, Urban Dictionary ventures to define, “To do an internet search on someone/ something..”

While I am sure many people have googled my name and I will continue to use ‘googled’ in that context, when I say I have been googled, I am actually referring to my total insubordination to google when it comes to my online life.  It slowly crept up on me starting with basic searching, and then gradual application usage such as gmail, calendar and documents for my personal life. Three years ago, Google started encroaching on my business life when they launched Google Apps. Now, I am permanently hooked.

Google Apps and Google+

The reality of all that google has done for the business consumer in the past few years will result in direct business for their social media, primarily in the success of Google+.  Let me explain by taking a look at the numbers.  Google Apps is currently signing up 5000 new business’s a day on the strength of its lower cost (80 percent lower) than its competitor, Microsoft Office 360.  While google is still struggling to sign up larger corporations due to Office’s entrenchment and the challenge of converting end users to a new operating system, it still dominates the small/medium sized business world.  Contrary to popular belief, it is small/medium sized businesses that are the largest employers in North America and it is they who are looking for more internal collaboration and project management, while utilizing a simple cost-effective solution and one that can integrate with their personal lives.  It is these users who will fuel Google+ growth.  And these users google needs to focus on.

What Google must do to compete with Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn

It really is simple.  In order for Google+ to at least play in the same league as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, it must focus on its most valuable base and cater its offering to them.  In its capacity as a social media platform, as well as integration with Docs, Chat, Calendar, Maps, Reader, Groups, etc…, Google+ should initially position itself as a business and project based social networking application.  It should open up its wall posts to project-based online collaboration through google docs, calendar for milestones, and assignment of tasks to its contacts.

Bringing business and personal together with Google+

Once the 75 million google apps users begin to utilize the business functionality of Google+, it will be inevitable that they will see the same value in sharing with their personal friends.  Then we will be able to finish off the saying, “Facebook can make friends, Twitter can make you famous, Linkedin can make you money and Google+ will make you in control.”
Share: