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  • Author Author: Joshua_Evans
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Can Google+ really rival Facebook?

Joshua_Evans

Unofficial figures have revealed that Google+, the technology giant's own social networking service, has attracted more than 62 million registered users, as it seeks to become a credible rival to the industry's most dominant site, Facebook.
As it bids to close the gap on Facebook, Google has been heavily promoting its social networking facility on TV in the US, with adverts featuring sports stars and The Muppets. Furthermore, it has been integrating Google+ more closely with other better-established products, including its main search page and the Android operating system.
And according to Paul Allen, a web entrepreneur who has been closely tracking Google+ since launch, this approach has led to an impressive rate of growth.
"It may be the holidays, the TV commercials, the Android 4 signups, celebrity and brand appeal, or positive word of mouth, or a combination of all these factors, but there is no question that the number of new users signing up for Google+ each day has accelerated markedly in the past several weeks," he remarked.
The growth of Google+ was measured by performing hundreds of searches for various surnames and counting the results, according to Mr Allen, who claimed that nearly a quarter of the social network's 62 million users joined in December.
"If this rate of new signups (625k daily) continues then Google+ will reach 100 million users on Feb 25th and 200 million users on August 3. They will finish 2012 with 293 million users," he said.
"I expect the growth to continue to accelerate, however."
Despite this impressive rate of growth, it should be noted that Facebook, which has more than 800 million active users, remains by far the most popular of the two sites. Additionally, Mr Allen's figures do not show how many of those who join Google+ remain active on the network.
Facebook, meanwhile, is currently preparing to list itself on the stock exchange, with the company rumoured to be hoping to file its offering documents in early 2012. The stock sale could be as big as $10 billion, thereby valuing the company at $100 billion or more.

Unofficial figures have revealed that Google+, the technology giant's own social networking service, has attracted more than 62 million registered users, as it seeks to become a credible rival to the industry's most dominant site, Facebook.

 

As it bids to close the gap on Facebook, Google has been heavily promoting its social networking facility on TV in the US, with adverts featuring sports stars and The Muppets. Furthermore, it has been integrating Google+ more closely with other better-established products, including its main search page and the Android operating system.

 

And according to Paul Allen, a web entrepreneur who has been closely tracking Google+ since launch, this approach has led to an impressive rate of growth.

 

"It may be the holidays, the TV commercials, the Android 4 signups, celebrity and brand appeal, or positive word of mouth, or a combination of all these factors, but there is no question that the number of new users signing up for Google+ each day has accelerated markedly in the past several weeks," he remarked.

 

The growth of Google+ was measured by performing hundreds of searches for various surnames and counting the results, according to Mr Allen, who claimed that nearly a quarter of the social network's 62 million users joined in December.

 

"If this rate of new signups (625k daily) continues then Google+ will reach 100 million users on Feb 25th and 200 million users on August 3. They will finish 2012 with 293 million users," he said.

 

"I expect the growth to continue to accelerate, however."

 

Despite this impressive rate of growth, it should be noted that Facebook, which has more than 800 million active users, remains by far the most popular of the two sites. Additionally, Mr Allen's figures do not show how many of those who join Google+ remain active on the network.

 

Facebook, meanwhile, is currently preparing to list itself on the stock exchange, with the company rumoured to be hoping to file its offering documents in early 2012. The stock sale could be as big as $10 billion, thereby valuing the company at $100 billion or more.