"But do Google+ users really want the product to go down this road?"
Do they have a better idea for how Google can make money out of it? Like Facebook, it's a social networking site run by an advertising company, what do they expect?
Despite some early signs of success, Google+ is still missing a few things which Facebook has conditioned social networkers to accept as standard. But while the jury’s still out on when Google+ will be getting apps and games, within two weeks, you’ll be able to add brands and corporations to your feed. Hooray?
While Google+ has been judicious about eliminating profiles that aren’t for real people, the Ford Motor Co. snuck one in for itself. In response, Google+ has opened an “Entity Profile” application for the first round of businesses who get to reach out directly to customers.
In an interview with Ad Age, Christian Oestlien, the lead product manager for social advertising at Google, revealed that two-week timeline, and gave a few other details. It seems that MTV and Mashable are strong early candidates for the new pages, with “tens of thousands” of other applicants competing for a spot.
Oestlien is indicating that he wants Google+’s brand pages to include large, socially-active companies, as well as smaller entrepreneurs and startups. Essentially, Google+ only wants companies who really take advantage of the social web. Dell, for example, has apparently been hosting Meetup webcam chats on Google+, which has put the company in Google’s good graces.
The fact that Google+ is essentially opening the door to more advertising is good news for marketers - and there are those networkers who appreciate the ability to interact with their favorite “entities.” But do Google+ users really want the product to go down this road?
