Pages

12.11.11

Facebook Pages and Google Plus: The Battle for Business Brands

The recently released feature of Google Plus, dedicated to the companies decided to take their brands on the youngest social network seems targeted at Facebook similar feature. Both social media define their business section Pages but the options available are setting them apart.



Facebook allows the companies to relate to their public, either from inside but mostly from outside. At the time, it was an intriguing tool that helped PR teams to raise brands’ awareness. Recently the lack of new and features, significant for brands and companies revealed the weakness of the giant network in the face of a newcomer.

Now, Google+, the fastest growing social network already attracted whopping numbers of fans with innovative features. After Google+ Profiles, the company announced the release of Google Pages targeting enterprises. The Google Plus Pages categories are Local Business or Place; Product or Brand; Corporation, Institution, or Organization; Arts, Entertainment, or Sports. Now companies have the whole force of Google behind their brand pages. That translates into Analytics integration, useful for its marketing research tools, better customization, enhanced local SEO and obviously, all the power of the top search engine.

Even if it has only a few days, Google Plus Pages already attracted top companies eager to try out the new tool for communicating with fans and customers. Brands like Pepsi, Toyota, H&M, Macy’s, CNN program “Anderson Cooper 360,” the Dallas Cowboys already are testing Google Plus Pages. The early adoption phenomenon could suggest that Facebook is facing a real threat. The business users, add paying customers, could migrate in the near future to the Google ecosystem. Facebook, once a trendy way of connecting can’t win now to the new opportunities presented by Google Plus Pages.