Posts Tagged ‘Google’

 

Does Path Have What it Takes?

Monday, December 5th, 2011

Social media startups come and go.  Many new platforms simply don’t have the ability attract a large enough user base, and that’s a problem.  The issue with using a new social media platform is that they are rarely beneficial unless your friends are using it, too.  Even the ones that seem to have an interesting twist all too often fail to compete with the likes of Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.

Path, on the other hand, seems to have some staying power.

Launched in November of 2010, the service has already grown to over 1 million users.  That’s pretty incredible, considering the fact that it’s only a mobile based platform and doesn’t contain the word “Google”.

So what makes Path so special?  A lot of startups with similar trendy names and logos are sputtering a year after their launch date.

For starters, Path solved a social media problem for many users.  There are times when you want to update your status, but you really only want a few people to see it (you know, like the good old days when Facebook was just starting out).  It’s great that our relatives and coworkers follow us, but it can cause uncomfortable situations or watered down posts.

Path also took a cue from Twitter’s text limitation and only allows you to share with 150 people.  According to Path’s website they “are inspired by Professor Robin Dunbar from Oxford University, whose research delves deeply into the number of trusted relationships humans can maintain throughout life. [People] tend to have 5 best friends, 15 good friends, 50 close friends and family, and 150 total friends.”

But, Facebook took notice of Path’s problem solver and now allows you to post a status update that is only visible to certain people.  So, how are they still viable now that Facebook has adopted their main selling point?

Sure, it’s got cool features like the fact that it learns what you like to post and can begin doing it automatically.  But, simply put, it’s the design and ease of use.  Path recently updated their user interface, and it’s gorgeous.

So, if you haven’t given Path a chance yet, you might want to check it out.  All of the frustrations that come with the Facebook and Twitter apps will be long forgotten when you begin using this great service that puts the mobile experience first.

A Big Fish in a Small Pond

Thursday, July 7th, 2011

Whether you’re a fan of Google+ or not, it’s hard to deny the fact that the platform could significantly impact the world of social media.  The internet’s most recognized name could take a significant chunk of traffic from Facebook if Team Zuckerberg doesn’t react accordingly.  With the recent partnership with Skype, it appears that they already have.

The buzz that Google+ is receiving shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone.  We see new platforms popping up all the time, but every few years, one of them makes a big splash in the social media scene.  When MySpace was king, Facebook stormed in and swept the rug out from underneath them.  In the early days, most people didn’t even get the point of Twitter, but now the President is using it for Town Hall meetings.  The micro-blogging platform, Tumblr, has seen exponential growth over the past year, and now have more blogs hosted than WordPress.

If your goal is to become more influential in your field, it’s important to recognize the opportunity of becoming an early adopter of new platforms.  Up-and-coming brands and individuals may not get much traction from established social media services.  However, new platforms will not be saturated with other brands and people in your field.  You have an opportunity to be heard loud and clear, which makes you a big fish in a small, but growing, pond.

Users are anxious to know who to follow on new social services like Google+.  Sites like SocialStatistics.com have already begun compiling lists of the top users on the site(coincidentally, Mark Zuckerberg tops the list).  As the service grows, these lists will become more categorized.  For instance, if you’re a talented photographer, you have an opportunity to make a name for yourself using Google+.  If you learn how to effectively use the service before a large majority of the population, your profile will be appealing to new users that are hungry for great, fresh content about photography.

Becoming an influential user on a specific platform has many benefits, but one of the greatest is that this allows you to grow your follower base in other services, as well.  You may only have 500 followers on Twitter, but if you’re able to attract 10,000 followers on Google+, many of those users will click links to follow you elsewhere online.  This especially holds true if your content differs slightly from platform to platform.  So, before you brush off Google+ as a fad, think of the opportunities that it could present to your brand.