Google + now has over 90 million users, however this is not a fair representation of how many people are actively using the site. Although there are millions of people signing up, they are barely giving the time of day to the social networking site. Users spent about 3 minutes on Google+ per month, while the average user on Facebook spent 6 to 7 hours.
Facebook also towers over Google + by having over 845 million users. This does not mean that Google is down for the count. Social game company Zynga Inc. started offering games on Google + and Intel Corp. said 360,000 Google+ members have signed up to receive updates from the chip maker since it set up a brand presence on the site.
The biggest obstacle in Google’s way is that internet users do not need another social networking site…this is also what Google + is trying to with the “hangout” feature which lets people start video conferences with up to 10 people. This is too small of a difference from Facebook and Google is going to have to commit to putting some unique elements out in the social media market.
Overall, Google + has the potential to become a true destination…especially with the internet giant’s massive budget, it can continue to pump money into it and pursue innovations. For now, Facebook is the obvious choice for many internet users but do not count Google + out just yet.
