If I’ve learned anything from two weeks spent playing around in Google+, it’s that when it becomes available, this service can work for higher education.
Google+ features a social environment where it is easy to build connections, focus on specific interests and keep track of who sees what. It’s a recipe ripe for success when it comes to promoting higher education. It’s only a matter of time before a Google+ page becomes a key component for quality communication. If our audience is there, we should be there, too.
To date, Google has discouraged colleges and universities—along with every other business out there—from setting up official accounts in the fledgling social network. Google developers say they’re working on a space for business, but that space has yet to materialize. When Google opens the door for businesses, colleges and universities should be aware of the potential behind Google+. Get in there, play around and see the benefits yourself.
There are a handful of features that stand out in Google+ and should warrant our attention:
1. Robust Search
Both Facebook and Google+ encourage users to enter information about where they went to school. The difference is that this information is public and searchable inside Google+. Basically, this means one could search for XYX university and find scores of people identifying themselves as alumni. Without “friending” every fan out there, this information is difficult to track through Facebook.
2. Targeted Audiences
A benefit of the Facebook status update is that one can send the update to select users based on geography. Google+ ups the ante. A post in Google+ can be sent to select circles, meaning there can be circles for alumni, donors, current students and prospective students, and each can receive targeted messaging. It all depends on which circles you place people in.
3. Privacy Protection
The same “circles” feature that allows for targeted messaging also makes privacy easier to understand. There is no need for multiple profiles. Every item shared on Google+ allows you to choose with whom you wish to share it.
4. Hanging Out Made Easy
Open houses and information sessions are great, but with the growing popularity of online classes, who has time to drive to campus anymore, especially when the campus may be hundreds of miles away? Hangouts in Google+ provide group video chat capabilities and can be a great way to start a dialogue without leaving home.
5. Topics of Conversation
The “sparks” feature is great for aggregating news, posts and information around a single topic—think business education, fundraising or higher education in general. While it may not be designed to foster personal connection, it’s a great resource and access is convenient. Information, available as a spark feed, can be shared within circles with a click of the mouse.
Have you found your own favorite feature in Google+? Please share it in the comments below.
This entry is cross-posted with the CASE Social Media Blog.
I agree on all of your points – from our point of view, that is. We share info with whom we want when we want. We, we, we. I think it’s going to be hard to get 15-year-olds to jump ship from Facebook, though. That doesn’t mean that I think it’s impossible, but it does mean that I think Facebook will remain THE social network for my target audience for quite a while.
That said, it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be prepared on G+ for the Facebook exodus…
Google + definitely has some intriguing features. Hopefully, it’s presence will also force Facebook to push the envelope even more with new features.
It’ll be interesting to see what they do once they allow businesses into the space and what sort of Developer Platform they roll out. Although I would be surprised if they let you categorize individual connections to a business b/c that would imply that you could see each person that was connected with you. If that were the case, it would probably discourage people from adding a business to their Circle in the first place.
The Privacy Controls you mention for targeting status updates are actually available on Facebook (for personal profiles). What Google + did that was smart was basically force you to categorize people in Circles as you add them as contacts (I’ve avoided using the term “Friend” here). It doesn’t seem like a huge burden when you do it when adding someone vs. going back and creating a friendlist, which is most people need to do on Facebook (since friendlists were added later and most people never got in the habit of using them).
It’s definitely worth keeping an eye on whether Google +… will it be just a fad that people check out briefly and stop using or does it have real staying power?
Two points I would like to add. Regarding 15 yo ‘s and Facebook I think w Google Apps for Education Google has been positioning itself for years and quite brilliantly I think. When a students online life style is Google they ll
Drop Facebook like it s unreal. May take a little while but it s coming.
Facebook cannot compete w Google+ on privacy and all though this isn’t as big of a consideration for the young it will be one more advantage on Google s side.
The other game changer will be Google’s integration between their products. I love it and it s only in pre-release. And I’m not really easy to please w technology.
Google just bought Fridge yesterday and in short it allows people to create private groups on the fly easily. That will go over big in higher Ed for study groups, course collaboration of projects in small groups, and so much more. And that’s not even taking into consideration the huge rise in online learning expected to increase at a high rate unti 2014.
I see very few downfalls and I could add so many more points. Let me know if you need another writer.
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I blame all the above grammar and spelling mistakes on my iPhone spelling correction system which is not very bright and it s automatic formatting. Kthxs.
Thanks for this. I had one question – with regards to point 2, how do you suggest the circles you create are kept up to date?
Someone may need to move from prospective student > current student > alumni within 3 years. If you had thousands of people following the main university G+ page then keeping this accurate by manually moving people between circles would be a logistical nightmare.