Evaluating Google+ and Facebook
Gail Whiffen, Account Executive
September 2011

Just last week, social networking on the web got a little more crowded. Google+, previously available by invitation only, opened its doors to everyone, and millions rushed in. The new network is growing fast, leading us to wonder what the world’s most popular search engine has in store with its next big thing – going social. How will the emergence of Google+ affect social media marketing and the nonprofit world? How does Google+ compare to the influential Facebook when it comes to creating a viable community for your organization?

A marketing-focused look at Google+ vs. Facebook reveals a number of opportunities for nonprofits to benefit from participating in social networking. Let’s examine a few features of the two networks to find out what it all means for business.

Experience and size : Google+, the newcomer, has just entered the beta testing phase for individual profiles and has only about 20 million users so far. Facebook has been around for over seven years and has more than 750 million users world-wide. While being new to the game may be a downside for Google+, it also means they’ve had the chance to learn from Facebook’s mistakes.

Social search : Both networks have integrated with a search engine in order to add a social aspect to searching the web. Just as Facebook has a “Like” button, Google+ uses the “+1 button” to gather data on its users. Personal annotations are then displayed to a user – and across the web – during a search. Facebook teamed up with Bing in May of this year. Now when you search on Bing, the results will also display your friends’ “Likes.” To get the personalized search experience, a search engine user must be signed in to the respective social network.

Your business presence : While individual profiles on Google+ are available to anyone with a Google account, nonprofits and other organizations will have to wait to claim their space. Business profiles have not yet been announced, but the feature will be coming before the end of the year. Facebook has worked hard to develop and verify official business pages on their network. Many nonprofit organizations already rely on their Facebook page as a source for new leads and a way to engage their community.

Tools : Google+ of course provides access to all of Google’s services, including advanced Google Analytics and the ability to connect to AdWords, Google’s main advertising network. Facebook recently launched a “Facebook for Business” tool kit, and organizations can easily use the impressive targeting feature of Facebook ads.

Different social networks will offer different features and business tactics. With their varying demographics and constantly evolving specialties, social networks remain a great tool for your nonprofit in executing an online strategy.

Schultz & Williams is a national consulting firm based in Philadelphia providing management, fundraising and marketing consulting for nonprofit organizations, along with full-service direct marketing, database and creative/production services.