Since it’s inception, Facebook has grown and grown in popularity and use and, despite some problems (including the ongoing privacy debate), took social networking to a level previously unseen and taking the concept of the social network to the masses.
This won’t be the first time Google have attempted to take on the social networking giant. In February 2010, Google announced Buzz, a social networking addition to GMail, intergrating email with updates from friends and rich media sharing. However, a lack of any real uptake meant Buzz was never a rival to Zuckerberg’s offering.
How can Google Me have any chance against Facebook?
Want vs Need
The first hurdle for new social networks to overcome is that, if no one is on the network, no one will want to be on the network. It’s a vicious circle of want vs need and, in my opinion, users will have to need to change social networks for Google Me to stand a chance. As the most used search engine of the moment, Google clearly has its followers, but is this enough?
Social Search
Also termed ‘tribal search’ by some, social search is the process through which Google and other search engines are altering their algorhythms to account for the behaviours of the user and their friends and acquaintances. So, in theory, because Kate the Account Manager at Zabisco is my Facebook friend, if she has seen an interesting blog about online marketing for instance and I then search for online marketing blogs, I’ll be more likely to see the one she has liked than any other. A great tool for improving the user experience if you ask me.
The social search is already beginning to be implemented, with the high uptake of the Facebook ‘like’ button and other such tools (a good example is StumbleUpon) to a whole range of websites (including our own inafishbowl.com) meaning that Google is already able to collate information about what we and our networks ‘like’.
Google Like?
The next logical step then would seem to be for Google to create its own social network from which it can obtain information about users’ behaviour and that of their friends. They already give more weighting to videos from their own product YouTube than from other video services such as Vimeo, so what would stop them giving more weighting to algorythms obtained via their own social network than any other?
Can Google take on Facebook?
By creating a need to be on Google Me rather than Facebook, I think Google could stand a chance. So, if Google can improve search results significantly enough using social search and then they put more weighting on social information from Google Me, it could be difficult for Facebook to compete.
MySpace?
And now MySpace seem to be putting up a fight at their end too! MySpace recently told Mashable:
“We’re testing a new look and feel of our site among users and the response so far has been positive. As always, we’re interested in hearing feedback from our community as we roll out enhancements to the user experience and look forward to sharing more details with you in the coming weeks.”