While Google+ features social elements, it is not strictly speaking a social network, according to a senior Google executive.
Speaking at the Monaco Media Forum, chief business officer at the firm Nikesh Arora admitted that there are some features on which its social media arm goes head to head with Facebook, but suggested that Google+ differs to a conventional social network, according to The Telegraph.
The ongoing battle between Facebook and Google for online dominance will no doubt be informing many firms’ social media content strategies, with more than 40 million users signed up to Google+ since it was launched around 100 days ago, compared with upwards of 800 million who use Facebook.
Describing Google+, Mr Arora said: “It is a platform which allows us to bring social elements into all the services and products that we offer. So you have seen YouTube come into Google+; you’ve seen Google+ with ‘direct connect’ go into our search business.”
According to Forbes, Google has invited more businesses to use its social media brand by creating Google+ Pages, which allows firms to connect with consumers. Users will be able to include branded pages in their Circles; a process the company is calling ‘direct connect’.
The news provider was generally positive about the move and claimed it actually helps to differentiate Google+ from other social media networks like Facebook.