Google Profile & Google Connect are Social Networking Game Changers

by Todd Lucier on December 5, 2008

Google Profile and Google Friend Connect Take Social Networking beyond the Walled Garden

Google has slowly added more and more services to google accounts. In essence, the creation of Google’s Friend Connect alongside Google Profile is a social networking game changer. Your social profile goes with you wherever you go! This is in stark contrast to Facebook’s “Walled Garden” approach which has kept all user activity inside the Facebook domain, until now.

Facebook’s rushed release yesterday of Facebook Connect tools for developers (one hour after Google Friend Connect was released) is evidence that Facebook needs to act quickly. Unfortunately for Facebook, Google’s widget is dead simple to install and with it, Google account users can share their profiles with one click. On the other hand, Facebook Connect is developer friendly, which means in short it’s doomed.

Facebook has a lot of work to do, and they aren’t taking Google’s foray into Social Networking lightly. Neither should you.

Use your Google Profile as your business card

A Google Account is now an important social networking tool. Your Google Profile is your online business card; your travelling Social Profile beyond the Walled Garden.

You might have an “about” page on your blog, but your Google Profile ties together your complete Web presence and travels with you anywhere you go.

First: Clean up your profile. Describe what you do and link to your social profile including blogs, photo libraries, web sites, any online tools you use. Chris Brogan’s recent post alerted me to the existence of my Google Profile and it’s a great place for more information on what your Google profile is.

You can access your Google Profile here.

Enhance your profile by taking the time to:

  • craft a short description about yourself including links to your most relevant content.
  • add your favourite photos to a Picasaweb.com account.
  • create a map or two (Mymaps tab) and update your business listing on Google Maps.
  • link to your most impressive online resources including youtube channel, podcasts you produce and your Web sites.
  • comment on relevant businesses listings on Google.com/local.

If you are already using gmail, you have a profile – it’s probably not very complete. If you have commented on google.com/local aka, Google Maps, your comments are shown with a link to your profile. If you have created a Google MyMap, your profile includes these maps when linked from Google.com/local.

Your Google Profile is bigger than you think!

Your Profile, when accessed via Google Maps link shows your Reviews and MyMaps:

This is part of the brilliance of Google and it’s implementation of Google Profile:

“Google shows your relevant profile information depending on where you are active”

Connect with Friends

Your Google Profile is also linked to Google’s new Friend Connect widget. When you become a member of a blog community your profile shows your descriptive paragraph, relevant links, and “Sites you have Joined” along with a link to your more complete profile.

(see the Tourism Keys Friend Connect widget at right and with one click join the community here!)

It doesn’t take a giant leap to understand the value of joining relevant blog communities with a strong personal profile. Other members of the blog and visitors will learn all about you by reading your profile after clicking on your avatar or better, your photo.

This also raises the value of taking the time to leave great comments on relevant blogs!

Link to your Shiny New Google Profile url

When you are happy with your new business card, be social with it and link to your profile on:

  • blogs,
  • profile pages on facebook and other social networks
  • twitter profile
  • blog comments
  • business proposals
  • email signature lines, etc.

Just copy and paste the url for your profile. It will have a unique address like mine: http://www.google.com/s2/profiles/117194823555757103508?hl=en

Create Multiple Profiles (if you really feel a need to)

On a previous post, I made a strong case for using your real name as your username on Web 2.0 Services. I stand by this recommendation! However, for information purposes, you need to know that users can create multiple identities with multiple Gmail Addresses. For instance you might create a business card for your business enterprise along with one for your name.

Google’s Profile coupled with Friend Connect is a serious game changer.

How ready are you to use your shiny new Google Profile?

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  • http://mashable.com/2008/12/11/facebook-connect...
    If you really want to go through the hassle of learning how to embed facebook connect on your blog or web site, try this link.

    Again, you'll see why Facebook Connect has a ways to go before this implimentation is fully adopted. However, you can get a window on the value that open social networks will bring to the Web.
  • Yeah, I have full confidence in Google... ;)

    Have you seen this?
    http://www.slideshare.net/misteroo/all-about-go...
  • Hey thanks for sharing William. I agree that if folks have the brain power and the time to develop apps for Facebook, it will lead to significant social marketing opportunities. The challenge is that FB started with a walled garden and now the tools to take the social beyond the walls are limited to those with budgets (money, staff, time) to use it. While Google's approach has been to create a tool that is easy for almost anyone with rudimentary knowledge to impliment it. It isn't as slick, but one click to join and a few clicks to set up, I'm impressed.
    As well, Google's social tools have all been perceived as separate until now..... bringing together maps, photos, reviews, etc. is just the start.
    Exciting development.
  • I agree with you that the Google approach is the way it should be. Open. And I also believe that an open environment will ultimately prevail. It always has on the web.

    But don't underestimate the gravity of Facebook. Facebook is for a lot of people their social base camp. You pointed out all the hidden places of a Google profile. How hard is it for Google to create a single space where everything related to your profile is easily accessible? They need to fix this.

    Facebook is also where everybody's friends are. It's the place where millions of people spent their time socializing. Extending this on third party websites makes more sense for a lot of businesses right now. The Red Bull implementation of it is a great example of the power of it. Not only can you filter by your friends on the site; you can also find what your friends have done in your News Feed. Friend Feed has the potential to get there as well but right now they're behind in that regards because they don't own the social home base.

    If I had to make a choice between Google and Facebook for HelloBC right now, I'd probably choose Facebook.
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