Google Plus gets an A- compared to Facebook

(Credit: tomsguide.com )

The online world has been buzzing this past week after research firm comScore Inc. released new data showing Google+ may be getting a bad grade among users.

The report says, users on personal computers spent only three minutes every month on Google+ for the months of September to January. 

Compare that to a little more than seven hours users spent every month on Facebook.

Google+ was launched last June offering much of the same social services as Facebook. The social product allows users to share content including photos, articles, videos and even the option to add circles of friends.

But if the competition is on with Facebook, comScore data suggests that Google+ is losing.

In fact, as The Wall Street Journal put it, the report shows Google+ is “a virtual ghost town,” compared to its rival social networking site, Facebook.

Todd Wasserman says, comScore numbers show a downward spiral over the past few months for Google’s fairly new social network. 

Wasserman says the report shows that in November users spent an average 5.1 minutes on Google+.

Come December, that number dropped to a mere 4.8 minutes.

When Google+ was first launched, comScore Inc. collected data based on its first few weeks of operation. 

In just 21 days, the site drew in 20 million visitors.

So where did Google go wrong?

Brian Solis, an analyst at social-media advisory firm Altimeter Group, told The Wall Street Journal people aren’t looking for another social network.

“Google hasn’t communicated what the value of Google+ is,” Solis told The Jounal. 

But for Google employees, the declining situation of the new social network could more than just disappointing.

Last April, Google CEO Larry Page sent out a company-wide memo informing employees that 25% of their annual bonus would be tied to the success or failure of Google’s social strategy in 2011. 

Talk about a tough break. 

What do you think about Google+?

Has your Edmonton business ever had a use for the site? Does your company promote itself through Facebook?

If you had to choose Google+ or Facebook for your company, which it be and why?

By Jasmine Franklin @JasFranklin09