Update 8/3: This Article  by Jay Greene summarizes the results of a recent survey of mobile application developers. This quote captures the key message from these results: “The new quarterly survey of mobile application developers by Web development tool maker by Appcelerator and market research firm IDC found that two-thirds of the 1,621 respondents to the question “Can Google+ catch up to Facebook?” replied yes. The reason: more than 68 percent of the respondents believe Google’s other assets–search, YouTube, and maps, among others–trump Facebook’s social graph lead”.

Update 8/2: it’s fun to be in the social media space these days – Google+ has provided us a new platform for discussion. This Article takes a look at why Facebook and Twitter users should stay put. The author acknowledges the inevitable growth of Google+, but maintains that it should not be as a migration from the other platforms, but a complement to. I don’t think we have to worry about the demise of Facebook and Twitter anytime soon, and the author makes this case in the article above. 

Update 7/30: So it’s about conversation? Well, most professionals focused on social media know that it’s about engagement and dialog.  But according to this article titled Conversations matter in Google, there’s a ranking system that puts people’s most interacted-with stuff at the top of the stream of information, such that the most talked-about pieces are the most relevant. Conversations therefore have a more tangible impact on Google Plus. Community management – the engagement and dialog activities – could get more intense for companies when Google enables business profiles.

Update 7/29: Prominent figures in the social network world have dedicated a lot of time to Google Plus lately. As mentioned in one of the articles below, the introduction of a new network, especially one from Google, has us reflecting on what we’ve learned in the past, perhaps with a new perspective. For those looking for a quick primer on how to get started with Google Plus, I recommend this article: Getting started with Google Plus. This article titled Reciprocal beahvior in social networks touches on behavior that I have often questioned my self, especially on Twitter. This Article talks about the disruptive force that Google plus has the potential to be. For those Professionals already managing efforts across the big three platforms, the thought of extending those efforts to Google Plus must be daunting.

Since this is Google we are talking about, the discussion would not be complete if we did not talk about Google Plus and how it could be Great for Search Engine Optimization. Lastly, here is a look at Google Circles and how to effectively leverage them, in an article titled: It’s about who circles you.

Update 7/28: So it seems that Google miscalculated the initial response to Google+ and did not anticipate this level of growth. In addition, they did not expect the overwhelming demand for business profiles. They have acknowledged making a mistake and being caught flat footed. They have accelerated their efforts to provide the business profiles feature in the next several months. You can read more in this article titled: Google is Scrambling

Update 7/27: Since writing this post, I came across a debate that is probably just beginning. The notion that Google Plus will take down Twitter. The interesting quote that struck me from Neicole M. Crepeau was that “Twitter is an information network; Google Plus is a social network.” You can get a different perspective from this article titled  Will Google Plus Kill Twitter. Let the debates begin.

It seems every where I turn; people are talking about Google Plus. I was with a client last week and they were already concerned about having another social media channel to manage. I don’t think they have a short term problem, but it’s not hard to imagine a day in the not too distant future, when Google Plus has the equivalent of Facebook pages for business. With that, comes another set of community management and social commerce activities.

The early reviews on Google Plus have been very positive. I like the Circles paradigm and the ability to manage my interaction by communities of interest. So far, it seems easy to use and intuitive. Some of the people that commented on this very well written Google Plus Article seem to disagree with me. Brian Solis does a terrific job looking at the social and human dynamics associated with social networks. He also provides some very good information. For example, Brian provides an updated list of the top brands on Facebook by the numbers:

1. Coca Cola (31,762,653)
2. Disney (26,613,752)
3. Starbucks (23,574,606)
4. Oreo (21,864,091)
5. Red Bull (21,220,373)
6. Converse All Star (19,880,308)
7. Converse (18,977,840)
8. Skittles (18,386,827)
9. Playstation (16,245,633)
10. iTunes (15,862,234)
11. Pringles (14,765,300)
12. Victoria’s Secret(14,384,903)
13. Window’s Live Messenger (13,926,945)
14. Ferrero Rocher (11,676,898)
15. Monster Energy (11,492,620)
16. Nutella (10,696,260)
17. iPod (10,530,905)
18. Adidas Originals (10,433,947)
19. Xbox (10,388,218)
20. Dr Pepper (9,927,828)

In addition, He provides a number of visuals that describe the benefits of Google Circles, as well as some of the short comings. I find Google Plus to be a cross between Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. I can follow people, participate in dialog, and review content that they provide (Twitter-Like). I reserve Facebook for friends and family and use LinkedIn for my business network. Google Plus gives me one place to interact separately with friends, family, business acquaintances, and people I want to follow. I can see how this will be an attractive feature for Google Plus adopters. 

So for now, companies continue to talk about the big four: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn. It seems like just a matter of time before Google Plus crashes the party. Those clients I mentioned might just be right.

Update: Since writing this post, I came across a debate that is probably just beginning. The notion that Google Plus will take down Twitter. The interesting quote that struck me from Neicole M. Crepeau was that “Twitter is an information network; Google Plus is a social network.” You can get a different perspective from this article titled  Will Google Plus Kill Twitter. Let the debates begin.