Google Risks Striking Out in Social Media

Socializing is about more than just sharing information, a lesson that Google would do well to learn.

Social networking isn’t just a buzzword anymore. It’s a multibillion-dollar industry. Its impact has been so significant that Google co-founder and now re-anointed CEO Larry Page has decreed that bonuses to all Google employees are tied to the success of new social products. The added pressure comes from the fact that Google’s recent attempts at creating new social media – Google Buzz and Google Wave – have been considered major failures.

Google has now hit a few foul balls with the social web, and many sense that it has one last attempt before striking out and admitting defeat by Facebook. Many observers attribute Google’s failures to its engineer-centric mentality. This is definitely part of the story, but I think there is a lot more that lies at the core of this corporate struggle.

Google’s newest social initiative, +1, allows users to leave their mark on content around the web. It’s Google’s take on Facebook’s “Like” button. As Google describes it, if you find something you think is neat, hit +1 and it will let other people know you like it.

Both Facebook and Google are on a quest to make it easier for people to find what they are looking for. But the two platforms approach the problem from totally different directions. Google assumes you know what you are looking for, and gives you results based on the search terms that you enter, the content of your emails, or your other online activity. Facebook, on the other hand, assumes you aren’t really looking for anything specific, but that you turn to your friends to see what you should be looking for.

Facebook is driven by relationships while Google is driven by actions. Facebook allows your social connections to act as the filter for relevant content and information: You see that your friend “Likes” a certain band so you’re going to check that band out. In contrast, Google looks at your actions – what you are searching for, what you are writing in your email – and crafts the content to suit them.

If we step back a bit, we can see some interesting parallels to analog life that could help to elucidate the situation. Facebook is like the neighbourhood bar where we hang out with our friends and acquaintances, see familiar faces, and awkwardly interact with strangers. Twitter is the town square where we engage with people of common interests and shared experiences, some of whom we know and most of whom we don’t. Google is like Grand Central Station: We’re all there for the same purpose, but we’re just passing through on our way to different destinations. The social interactions in a train station are fleeting at best; even if you see a friend, you’ll probably only exchange a quick hello, since you’re likely both on your way somewhere else.

Google’s new social product, +1, is comparable to leaving a Post-it note on a bench as you pass through Grand Central Station. It’s possible that your friend will see it, but more likely that it will only be seen by some random strangers rushing to catch a train. There’s no context for the information, and there’s no consequence or status associated with the action. When I’m in a bar, I want to engage and impress and have fun. Similarly, on Facebook, I want to post things that I think people will react to and appreciate. Google’s +1 doesn’t come with the same social punch.