Social media is a huge part of many businesses today.
Marketing to a whole new audience from around the globe has many benefits.
However, some companies are wondering if they should jump ship from Facebook to Google+.
Here are five reasons to stick with Facebook rather than switching to Google+.
Adapt to the Changes
Many people and businesses are switching to Google+ simply because they don’t like the changes that have been made to Facebook’s platform over the years.
However, keep in mind that whether it’s an update to the current system or switching to a new website entirely; it is still a change and either change can still be frustrating.
Instead of jumping ship, just stick with Facebook and adapt to the changes.
Number of Users
Currently, Facebook has more than 800 million users.
More importantly, Facebook notes that more than three-quarters of its users are outside of the United States; which creates the opportunity for a business to reach a larger global market.
Meanwhile, Google+ has yet to reach 50 million users.
By switching from Facebook to Google+, a business will lose out on an extremely large market.
Privacy Controls
Though a business may not have as much to “hide” from the public eye, there are still concerns over Google+’s safety and privacy settings.
Though Facebook’s privacy and safety protocols can be questionable, they’re still an option for users.
Google+ does not yet offer these same options to its users.
Brand Views
Users have different views of either website.
For example, Facebook is known for connecting people and connecting communities; whereas Google is about searchable data.
In terms of business, being associated with Facebook can help give the appearance of a business that is looking to connect with its community, not to just flood the web with its presence.
This also applies to the thoughts of creating a monopoly or over-saturating the market as Google already is a huge name in search engines, email, smartphone collaboration and so forth.
A large portion of users are against creating monopolies in business and may view businesses associated with Google in the same light.
Who Created It First?
Many of the same features on Google+ have been on Facebook for months, if not years.
Google+ has even rebranded many very similar features, such as “circles” and “lists.”
This can create confusion between the two sites and more importantly, can create confusion for potential customers.
Many users will always feel as though Google+ is behind the curve because Facebook has a history and has shown an ability to adapt to changing social media needs, such as the “like” button and “sharing.”
Google+ may be new but new isn’t always better.
Facebook has a larger base of users in which the number of Google+ users is dismal.
The huge difference in how potential customers view the two brands can also have an effect on the business and in short, it may be better to stick with Facebook.