I recently read a very interesting article over on Macworld (link at the the bottom) which discusses the inevitable end of Twitter due to Google's new social network Google+. If you don't know, Google+ is the famous silicon valley company's competitor to Facebook, but perhaps also Twitter is it turns out.
This mainly circles around the fact that like Twitter, Google+ is based on the 'following' idea of social networking rather than Facebook's 'friending'. This way, once you are 'following' someone you immediately begin receiving their posts they deem appropriate for the public forum, rather than waiting for them to 'accept' your friendship. The article goes into more depth on this and some pro's and con's of Google+ and Facebook so I implore to read the whole thing.
The other key point that is made, is that when a company like Twitter or Facebook touts ridiculous amounts of users that use their service, how many of these people are actually using the thing? We've all come across the picture of an egg on Twitter or the blank effigy of a person on Facebook, do they count these? Take Twitter, they say they have 175 million registered account but lets break that down:
- 119 million are actually following someone
- 85 million had one or more followers
- Only 21 million are considered 'active' users who follow at least 30 people and have at least 10 followers.
That mean's only 12% of the active accounts are, you know, actually ACTIVE! And call me old fashioned but having being an 'active' user would seem a critical part of being part of a social network.
Otherwise you're just that weirdo that sits quietly in the virtual corner of the internet.
Do you agree that Google+ is a threat to both Facebook and Twitter? Are you using Google+? If not, I am happy to send you an invite, just let me know! Comment below.
It will be interesting to see what happens to Twitter. On one hand, they have pressure from G+, as you say. However, the new iOS for iPhone, to be released very soon, has Twitter integration built-in, which may actually increase the number of active users!
ReplyDeleteHi James - I had to come back to this post, after seeing the announcement this morning of the iPhone 4S, and iOS5. Just watch the number of Twitter users go through the roof over the next couple of months, with the seamless integration into iOS5.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly makes Tweeting easier for iOS users, but I think it'll mostly affect the activeness of existing subscribers who can post more easily (and therefore frequently) as for getting new users I don't know, if the user seeing Tweet as an option under the sharing menu then it asks them to set up an account, I think this could turn a lot of people off. I look forward to seeing the results though. Any bets? Also of interest is the lack of Facebook integration which was rumoured to be included by the final release however it is strangely absent from the final Gold Master I have installed. I think this is more something between Apple and Facebook rather an any technical difficulties.
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