We asked the edSocialMedia contributors to respond to the following question based on the article “Behind The Numbers Of Google+’s Monumental Rise To 25 Million Visitors” by Greg Finn at Search Engine Land.
“Google+ surpassed 25 million unique visitors faster than Facebook or Twitter. How do you see Google+ fitting in with your school social media and educational strategy?”The following are the responses from our contributors. Their thoughts span all aspects of school life and while Google+ is in it’s infancy it is surely something that will remain on everyones radar for the time being to see if it going to be around for the long haul or just stirring the social media pot.
Alex Ragone – Director of Technology – The Collegiate School – @alexragoneI’m finding it’s growth amazing, but at the same time, for the basic user, I’m still hearing that there aren’t enough people to get it to work well. For the EdTech connector’s out there, it’s working well and fixes many of the limitations of Facebook and the all-out openness of twitter. I love the hang outs and the photo galleries are amazing. We’ll see how it grows, but my sense is that it’s going to be serious competition for Facebook and Twitter. For me, it’s a matter of being sure of the use of each network and I’m still most comfortable with Twitter. That may change soon, though.
Basil Kolani – Director of Information Services – The Dwight School – @bkolani
Google+ has to fit into a school’s social media and educational strategy the same way that Google, in general, does. This isn’t a separate product, something like Google Social or Google It’s-Better-Than-Orkut-Was — it’s Google PLUS, a better Google, the way we’re all going to be interacting with Google’s services moving forward.
Whether your school is using them for email, document collaboration and sharing, or just searching, Google is a large part of how we do business on the web. It would be a mistake to not get on board with Google+, though our schools will have to wait until Google allows organizations to have their own pages. The fact that Google wants organizations to have a different kind of presence on Google+ already differentiates it from the one-size-fits-all approach that Facebook and other outlets are taking, and the fact that the steady growth that both Facebook and Twitter have been seeing is now slowing down means that Google’s entry into social media can’t be taken lightly.
Peter Baron – Founder – edSocialMedia & CEO – AdmissionsQuest- @peterdbaronSince I’m not at a school on a day-to-day basis, I think it makes more sense from me to consider this from the perspective of search.
It’s a bit too early to determine how it’ll impact their search returns, but it’s hard to imagine that Google Plus won’t play some sort of a supporting role. Start with the ease in which Google has made it possible to embed their button on your site (encourage clicks) and then look at how they’re weaving Google Plus into their search page (it’s literally next to each return). I don’t think it’s unreasonable to conclude that it will play a role in their ranking algorithm.
Like I said, it’s early, but I’m willing to bet that content actively shared on G+ will enjoy an advantage. It’s definitely worth watching.
Richard Kassissieh – Director of Information Technology – Catlin Gabel School – @kassissiehHas Google+ taken off so quickly because it’s so great, or because a lot of people now know what a social network is and how to use it? Or has the pesky integration with Search and Picasa Web Albums also contributed?
At the moment, we are waiting to see what other smart institutions do with Google+ before giving it significant time. We still have a lot of potential to realize in other social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to take a serious look at this new platform. Our use of Google+ might be limited to communications to alumni, parents, and prospective families, or it might find a niche in the instructional program, depending on how well it integrates with Google Apps for Education and whether students show interest.
Drew Millikin – Director of Recent Graduate Relations – Groton School – @drewmillikinQuite frankly, I don’t think it will last. I really like the interface, the functionality, the intuitiveness, and the lack of ads/marketers in Google+. I don’t, however, see the daily traffic like I do on Twitter or Facebook. I wonder how many of the 25 million are one-and-done users? How many of them are actively returning +out with those of us looking for an alternative to Facebook? My guess is that most are on, checking it out, and then finding there’s not a lot of traffic and forgetting about it. I’m willing to ride the Wave on this one, but I’m not optimistic about its longevity.
Steve Ritchie – Founder – edSocialMedia & Chairman – The Proof Group – @steveritchieI haven’t spent enough time with Google+ to feel confident in any assessment. That said, in my brief exposure, two things seem safe enough to say: first, it will be a long time before Google+ touches Facebook as a vehicle for external communications. I have trouble finding an argument for a communications, development or admission office investing deeply in it at this point – 25 million early adopters is great, but a huge percentage of a school’s target audience is already part of the 750 million on Facebook, and I have trouble imagining that balance changing any time soon.
Second, the circles concept and easy to manage and target content sharing seems like a very natural fit for internal groups (classes, departments, parents, etc.). I can imagine a school that uses Google services for email (and Docs, and…) making great use of Google+ within the community. Google will have to make the service available to organizations using Google Apps before that makes sense, though.
Brendan Schneider – Director of Admission & Financial Aid – Sewickly Academy – @schneiderbWhile I might have been a little premature, and harsh, with my initial assessment of Google+ in my blog post, “10 Reasons I Hate Google Plus,” my frustration stems more from people’s reaction to this new social media channel and not necessarily from the tool itself.
There are many potential applications of Google Plus but I tend to focus on using social media as part of an inbound marketing strategy for schools. With that in mind, Google Plus is not currently ready for the marketing primetime for the following reasons:
- I don’t believe there are enough of the correct eyeballs yet on Google Plus. Yes – 25 million people is a lot but compared to Facebook and Twitter it is a much smaller pool of potential parents.
- With regard to my correct eyeballs comment, I would argue that the majority of people who have Circled me are early-adopter, social media types. The second most common group are my old students.
- Google Plus currently only allows individuals to have G+ accounts and until Google launches business/organization accounts G+ will be left on the social media sidelines. I believe that Google’s implementation of organization accounts will make or break Google +’s mainstream adoption.
- While I’m a big fan of Google and their products, I also remember Google Wave, Google Buzz, and Orkut. Enough said…
Only time will tell where Google Plus ends up or ends. In the meantime I’ll enjoy playing with G+ and hope to find you in my Circles soon.
Marisa Peacock – Freelance Writer – @marisacp51Different parts of my life are lived out across social media platforms. While I like to think I am the same person no matter where I go, the types of people I interact with on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are quite different. There is some overlap, but mostly Facebook is a place where close friends and family gather; Twitter is for sharing among my industry specialities and interests; and LinkedIn is for colleagues (past and present) and business contacts. Google+ however is a weird combination of all of them. Some people I don’t know very well, and some I am related to. I have remained somewhat quiet, not intentionally posting, but instead clicking the +1 button on a few articles here and there.
Recently I came across an article which sought to highlight the ways that Google+ may impact education. A few are obvious — no real privacy issues or age limitations; a few made a lot of sense and got me excited to experiment. The article, Why Google+ Is an Education Game Changer by Liz Dwyer says that circles will give teachers the ability to segment information easier, while creating Hangouts will help students and teachers collaborate easier. Of course, the biggest hurdle for educators is that it’s another tool that can help. Those who are proactive technologists will likely experiment, and as usual those who are not as technological savvy are likely to shy away, overwhelmed and skeptical. Change is hard for any industry, but particular for education. Even for independent schools, where it’s perceived that innovative technologies are more accepted, social collaboration is a hard sell.
Regardless of how Google+ is adapted by educators, it’s more important to keep it flexible. Google+ will is not the first, nor will it be the last tool touted as the “best new thing” to revolutionize teaching.
William Stites - Director of Technology – The Montclair Kimberley Academy & Blogger-in-Chief – edSocialMedia – @wstitesWhen I got my Google+ account I was excite to play around and explore, curious as to what it would offer and how the site would differ from Facebook or Twitter. The big question would be who would I would be connecting with as my circle began to grow.
Google+’s growth has been both explosive and impressive, but when I look closely at the people that are in my circles along with the demographics referenced in the article I see a lot of people that look like me. I don’t yet see a lot of our students, our parents, our school’s constituents.
Given the internal resources of many school I would be hard pressed to recommend that a school invest any serious time in Google+… yet. I still need to see the number for Google+ plus grow and grow in the right direction for our school. However, this is not to say that you shouldn’t start exploring, experimenting and playing as this is Google and you never know what will happen in the future (remember Google Wave?).
Andrew Shelffo – Director of Communications – Williston Northampton – @shelffanI’ve been on it for a few weeks now, and I have to say that every time I go in there, I have this feeling of loneliness because no one else seems to be there. I realize that I’m probably guilty of trying to replicate Facebook in Google+ when they’re definitely not interchangeable, but it makes me wonder if that’s how other people see it. It’s experiencing phenomenal growth, but I don’t know how many of our constituents tend to be among the early adopters of any technology like this. And as I look around at what others are saying about Google+, I see a lot of information trying to explain exactly what it is. Meanwhile, we have enough trouble keeping up with Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, social media that is more clearly defined.
So, long story short, we’re taking a wait-and-see approach, as Google adds new features and people become more familiar with it. I’m sure at some point we’ll jump on board with our school, but we’re not chomping at the bit to do so now.
Steve Valentine - Assistant Head of Campus:Upper School – The Montclair Kimberley Academy – @sjvalentineIn all honesty, I sometimes buck at the notion of asking how a “hot, new” anything fits into our school lives. The question seems premature to me, even with the numbers that Google+ has posted. I guess I like to see if an app or technology will actually last — and I like to give it some time to settle into my own habits and practices — before I start to advocate for its use in schools. (And, yes, I feel like asking the question is a form of advocating.) I also like to see how kids use it, and take some of my cues from them. I guess I’ll know better around November or December — if the phenomenon truly takes root and if my students seem drawn to it in some way.
Madeline Senkosky – Community Manager – edSocialMedia – @madelinesenI’m still on the fence as to where I will integrate Google+ into my social media streams, but I can see great value in its potential. However, I think it will take several years before we can consider using Google+ to market our schools or businesses.
According to a study done by comScore (source: http://www.thechromesource.com/a-closer-look-at-gs-demographic/), “The American user base of Google+ is predominantly male, with men making up 63% of unique profiles on Google’s new platform. Consequently, visitors aged 18-34 make up 58% of Google+ in the States.” On top of that, the United States and India make up more 10 million of the 25 million users.
To me, Facebook is the winner if we are comparing two social platforms. Facebook has finally penetrated the middle-aged (slightly older) demographic, which allows schools to reach the parents and perspective parents of our schools. My mother doesn’t know what Google+ is, and it will take her several more years before she even considers joining. I’m sure she’s not the only one.
I can see, however, how Google+ could become the home dashboard for our communicative strategies. It might continue to progress to create a valuable starting point for communicators each morning, centralizing all their social platforms and messages. However, that being said, I don’t think it will kill off any of the other social platforms we are currently using.
I’m going to continue to experiment and utilize the platform to see if I can find greater use in the tool, and it might turn out to be the saving grace for some schools. As we all know, what works for one school might not work for another, and Google+ certainly might fit into that category. Who knows — time will truly tell!
Mandy Wynn – Director of Annual Giving – Rodeph Sholom School – @mrs_wynnPersonally, I think google+ can be an asset for internal communications. With a small target base – the English department, Senior Administration, etc you can set up systems that in a way force people to use new technology. But from a Development perspective we wont begin to think about Google+ as a platform for communication until most of our constituents adopt it on their own. We go where the donors are, and talk and listen to them where they are. Time will tell.
Hiram Cuevas – Director of Academic Technology - St. Christopher’s School - Guest blogger – @cuevashI have been fascinated by the growth Google+ has been experiencing and I believe its growth speaks volumes about its potential. Personally, I have found myself using Facebook and to an extent Twitter less. For me, Facebook seems a bit stale, cluttered, and is having a bit of an identity crisis as it hits adolescence. Twitter on the other hand is still a fabulous tool but what I’m finding is that its brevity is sometimes its greatest weakness. This is where I find Google+ to be truly unique. Google seems to have made great strides to leverage its user base and resources to provide a robust experience. From circles, huddles, and hangouts, Google+ is positioned quite well to provide educators, particularly those schools that are Google Apps for Education Schools, with incredible resources. I envision circles that can be designated for individual classes, advisory, and student organizations. Huddles for mobile messaging, and hangouts to collaborate and communicate not only with students within the class but from other schools. And all of that can be accomplished without a 140 character limit or the privacy issues plaguing Facebook.
Prediction: A revamping of social media policies for K-12 schools if Google+ becomes available to Google Apps for Ed Schools
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