G+ news new stuff
Data collected in GWI.8 (Q4 2012) demonstrates the continued shift in usage from localised social platforms to global ones with huge growth for Twitter, Google+ and Facebook. The fastest growing network in 2013 in terms of “Active Usage” (defined as “Used or contributed to in the past month”) was Twitter which grew 40% to 288m across our 31 markets (approximately 90% of global internet population). 21% of the global internet population now use Twitter actively on a monthly basis.
GlobalWebIndex
Last year, many people dismissed Google's Google+ social network as a "virtual ghost town." That was then. This is now.
Google+ moves up to second place in social networks
In life we connect with all kinds of people, places and things. There’s friends and family, of course, but there’s also the sports teams we root for, the coffee shops we’re loyal to, and the TV shows we can’t stop watching (to name a few). So far Google+ has focused on connecting people with other people. But we want to make sure you can build relationships with all the things you care about—from local businesses to global brands—so today we’re rolling out Google+ Pages worldwide.
Google+ Pages: connect with all the things you care about
Google+: Popular posts, eye-catching analytics, photo fun and...
We think Google+ should get better every time you use it. It’s not enough to obsess over community feedback (which we do); we also need to surprise and delight you with constant improvements (which we also try and do). Today’s no different, so we’re rolling out four new features in four different areas.
The question seems premature or perhaps over dramatized, but I ask it with all sincerity. Whether the answer is yes or no or if the answer is not yet within grasp, think about the question at any level you wish and try to answer it. It is the process of thinking through the strengths and weaknesses of Facebook and Google Plus where you discover what each network means to you and why and how you will divide your time and focus in each. Or, you may uncover reasons to jump from one network to the other or pull the plug all together. It’s a healthy exercise to help you find balance and reconnect with your core values that drive productivity and fulfillment.
Study: Will You Abandon Facebook in Favor of Google+? Brian Solis
Google+ Buys Fridge, the First G+ Acquisition
Google+ acquired social startup Fridge late last week in what marks Google’s social network’s first acquisition. The sum of the acquisition wasn’t disclosed, according to Silicon Alley Insider, which broke the story . But according to the Fridge blog , the startup’s team of four would be folding into the Google+ team and Fridge would be “closing up shop.”