Web Strategy Matrix: Google Buzz vs Facebook vs MySpace vs Twitter (Feb 2010)

Lack Of Signal In A Sea of Noise
There’s an incredible amount of media and blogger noise about social networks, yet most focus on “killer app” hype without an objective point of view.   My career mission?  To cut out the hype and help companies make sense of what to do. For those fraught with information overload, this definitive matrix distills what matters.

Situation:  New Contender Shakes Up Industry
Google has entered the social networking play with “Buzz”, and by the look of it, this time it’s for real.  There’s a lot of market confusion on how they could stack up, so here’s my take.  Let’s cut the noise and get to the heart of it with a comparison matrix based upon my insights talking to these companies in formal briefings, observations, as a user, my former research and dealing with the brands trying to reach them.

Executive Summary:  Brands Must Stay Focused On Where Customers Already Are
Google’s entrance causes media havoc but web strategists should stay focused.  Find out where customers already are through developing data around consumer behavior called socialgraphics.  Facebook continues to demonstrate a sophisticated marketplace for consumers and brands to mix about, however don’t discount MySpace’s active consumer base –but only if your customers are already there.  Continue to monitor Twitter and respond if customers are tweeting –but they’ve yet to indicate sophistication to help marketers, instead rely on third party tools and agencies to respond.  The feature set of newly spawned Google Buzz isn’t important, what matters is their ability to aggregate social content which will impact search strategy for businesses trying to reach consumers, read my first take analysis.

This scorecard has a limited shelf life, so I’ll likely create a new scorecard after future announcements from these players.

Web Strategy Matrix: Google Buzz vs Facebook vs MySpace vs Twitter (Feb 2010)

Google Buzz Facebook MySpace Twitter
One-Liner A dark horse that has big backing and access to existing platforms. A mainstay platform that needs to grow out of its shell. The MTV of this generation is at risk during an ugly transformation. Has opportunity to become utility-like infrastructure, but not a destination.
Vitals (see more stats) Estimated to sit on a user based of over 100mm active gmail users, they have access to the most popular webpage in the world, google.com.  Has access to mainstream users on Google.com and advanced email users on Gmail. Boasting over 400mm users in just a few short years, they’ve saturated Gen Y in US, and show global expansion at record rates. Recently reported at 57mm US unique users most of which are heavily engaged with site.  Has saturation of coveted youth, working class and small businesses within US. Although difficult to track, estimates indicate 75mm active users, but doubts are emerging about reduced rate of growth.  Usage by tech savvy, media, and celebs.
Strengths A large talent pool of engineers to pull from, Buzz stands on top of existing Gmail, mobile devices, and dominant search portal.  As Buzz grows, they can integrate with all Google apps –and aggregate the entire internet. Rapid US and international growth over last few years bodes well as quickly evolved feature set of platform and and FB Connect gain traction.  Attracts top talent from Google –which are quickly defecting. Big backing by a media giant, a super engaged audience, and rich history of reaching media starved young consumers. Has clinched adoption over media elite, celebrities, and tech influencers. Incredible media buzz, and easy-to-use features.
Weaknesses Late to the party, Google has had a series of social networking misfires from Wave, Dodgeball, Orkut their culture shows signs of becoming corporate –like Microsoft. Struggles with the conundrum of having promised users a ‘closed’ experience where to be successful requires them to be ‘open’. Historically poor track record in meeting privacy expectations of customers, and overall complex interface. Complacent: they really let themselves go. In the eyes of the tech world, they are becoming irrelevant or even worse, a niched media play –not even a lifestyle network.  This leaderless ship without a captain is undergoing radical internal turmoil and innovation has stalled. Although features are dead simple, they are now a commodity –status update features are ubiquitous. Mainstream users confused by how to get started. Overhyped, the infrastructure has shown strain.  Brands generally confused on how to interact.
Opportunity The more information users share, tag, or create, the more data is created on Google’s platform to organize, giving them opportunity to monetize. By integrating Facebook Connect everywhere, the service becomes ubiquitous, and therefore the default identity and default address book for consumer behavior. A few hours ago, the CEO Van Natta was let go. Now a new chief can step up, and lead the recently formed executive team, fostering innovation and solidarity. Must develop more features to increase the overall value of this utility of the this simple status messaging tool.
Threats Mainstay email companies like Microsoft, Yahoo, and AOL have already shown social features ‘bolted’ onto their email systems, and could pose threat, although success hasn’t been proven by any. Secondly, Facebook has made notions to develop an email web client “Project Titan” that will threaten tech savvy users competing for Gmail’s attention. Facebook is a conundrum as they must make experience open –yet this provides Google the opportunity to monetize as an intermediary. Social networks come and go, before MySpace was Friendster, they run the risk of becoming complacent, losing talent to Twitter and failing to innovate over the next few years. Self-implosion from internal instability causes stalls, forcing media brands to develop their own social networking on their own sites, rendering MySpace a duplicate. Worse yet? Cool kids jump ship, and establish a colony elsewhere, leaving MySpace a wasteland of clueless advertisers. Overhype from media leaves Twitter at risk for burn-out-syndrome like a Hollywood child star turned skid row.  Secondly, the more successful they are, the more strain it put on the already questionable infrastructure.
Marketing Platform Although not fully developed, expect advertising options to appear for brands who want to promote relevant ads wherever Buzz is located, especially on SERP pages Confusing and overly complicated, there are too many marketing options perplexing brands.  It’s not clear if brands should advertise, interact in pages, create widgets or do a combination of all. Strong and straight forward. Established team has cut deals with many media companies and has legacy culture of understanding media. Nascent. Although promises have been made for branded experiences, analytics, and other premium features, for most marketers it’s being treated like a chat room –not a marketing platform.
Future State Buzz will aggregate the voices of their users –and those of other social networks, aggregate and serve up monetization options. A communications platform for consumers and brands.  Expect Facebook experience to be in many public experiences and mobile devices. There are two paths: Integrate MySpace into TV and mobile devices or fade into pit of irrelevance like Friendster. Like gas, water, or power, Twitter is likely to fade into the background and become a utility that’s integrated into everything –someday, even your fridge will Tweet.
What They Don’t Want You To Know The collective already owns you –you just don’t know it yet. They’re trying so hard to shift from closed to open, and like a nasty divorce, it’s tearing them apart from users. Like an internal disease, the insiders are hurting, morale sunk, teams in disarray, yet they don’t want the public to know. Not sure what they want to be when they grow up.
What They Should Do Demonstrate success with Buzz, then quickly integrate into other tools like Search and Chrome. Kill off the confusing Wave, and consolidate teams and efforts.  Aggregate public content from Twitter and Facebook, intermediate them and monetize their own content. Get open now. Build a browser to quickly go transcend the web. Reward users to share more information in public like restaurant or media reviews in exchange for other values. Double down efforts on Project Titan email feature. Quickly establish a chain of command and execute based upon a single vision. Have regular talent turnover to avoid complacency. Develop a white label product that can compete with Cisco EOS, Kyte, Pluck, or Kickapps (Altimeter client). Develop a vision to become the dominant protocol over SMS, where teens and international cultures are already heavily texting. Continue to build out platform for developers to build on top of, becoming a data play, like a utility.

Everyone has a morning ritual, for me, I invest up to two hours reading, thinking, and blogging each morning. I hope this helps you cut through the noise –if it was helpful, please pass it on, email to colleagues, tweet it, and blog about it.

258 Replies to “Web Strategy Matrix: Google Buzz vs Facebook vs MySpace vs Twitter (Feb 2010)”

  3. As ever, this is great. I do have a question though. Is the very expansive and pervasive nature of social networks in general a retardant to the value that might be delivered through really specialized community networks. Is the value to be gained by domain specific 'intelligent' aggregators. Imagine an automated-Jeremiah that's watching everything on the different networks for industry specific events/tweets/etc – not just in a Radian6 like way – but with Jeremiah-like analysis built in?

  5. Right now a lot of people think Buzz is confusing and hard to use. This is only because they aren't used to it. We also have to remember that it's not a finished product. It will only get better!
    Jaimey
    http://BuzzUsers.com

  6. Thanks Jeremiah! Really great analysis – it has already been shared with colleagues and friends. Would it be relevant to add Foursquare and LinkedIn or is that not relevant?

  7. Excellent analysis. It'll be interesting to see how these networks stack up in a few months. Adding LinkedIn to the analysis would be interesting as well. Google has an interesting balancing act to perform – becoming Big Brother without letting us see them do it and without revealing all to the NSA in their work with them.

  8. Great analysis, my peers don't play in MySpace at all though, not even a consideration. Do you view MySpace as a age and industry specific? I interact in the wine & food world, and I just don't see them using MySpace.

  9. Google Buzz vs Facebook vs MySpace vs Twitter = kweeper.

    Try kweeper.com a fresh and new heapcast service (mix of microblogging, visual bookmaking and real-time web ) and stop allways talking about the same…

  10. Thanks for making all this clearer. I love the idea of Twitter as a child star. Will it grow and adapt like Ron Howard or just wind up as mere tabloid fodder? We will see. Cheers.

  11. Thanks for the terrific and nuanced analysis. Jeremiah — any initial thoughts about how Buzz might integrate the newly-acquired Q&A service, aardvark?

  12. Very well put together. I agree with your starting point and that is go with where your audience is. As a reasonable size content play we at RedBubble, Facebook is what drives visits and transactions. The nature of the interactions on Facebook means the referrals are valuable. I doubt also if Google gets how to build the psycho-dynamics of a social network. Google Groups was illustrative of this failure. For them the challenge is to understand it is not just about technology.

  13. This is the most concise comparative analysis of the top social media players. I am glad that I found you Jeremiah. Awesome job. Once I post this message, I am going to join… Cheers Java

  14. Nice analysis, but based on a very perfunctory critique of usability, I don't think Google Buzz will be successful. Here's a link,http://bit.ly/b3TQBn, if anyone wants to know my complete thoughts, but in a nutshell, do you really want to share photos and videos with your friends using a same system that also stores your boss' email address?

    Also, I definitely agree with you that they should kill Wave.

  15. I think you like FB too much and twitter not enough. My belief is that, in time, FB will be in the same or worse condition that myspace is in now. Twitter, on the other hand, I find quite useful.

  16. Very good insight as always!

    Can you tell us though what are your morning readings, I have a hunch that it might be a very good source of data for us too!

    Cheers

  17. Jeremiah thanks for such an insightful post.

    I agree that the introduction of Google Buzz should not divert us from the communication strategies that are working. If our customers start to appear in Google Buzz then we have to react.

    Phil

    PS This is my visit to your site, so I'm scooting around reading some of your earlier posts. Love the way you interact with your readers, very much in the style of Rich Schefren. Maybe he copied you 🙂

  18. I'm surprised that your comparison matrix compares Google buzz to Facebook and other social network platforms.

    In my mind it seems that google buzz should be compared with other search engines that are looking to harness social search, because surely this is how Google will likely end up using buzz??

  19. I think as you see a transitional change from search engines to social media, you'll see Google start to take a back seat. It's not that they don't recognize the need to change, it's that they have a certain amount of inertia that will keep them chasing the next wave…kind of like what happened to the yellow pages (and Microsoft). You've got to give it to Google but just when you think they're catching up in the social media arena, what they were chasing will already be a remnant of the past. It's fun to watch but I'm not so sure the landscape will be something for huge companies to dominate.
    SEO Dayton

  20. I definitely liked Myspace, but it has issues. They need to be able to fix them before they can even think about starting a website that will attract a lot of people.
    Myspace is very dangerous to kids, but they don't realize it.
    A girl killed herself from being harassed through Myspace.
    That is only one incident, and I'm sure there will be more in the near or distant future.

  22. Thanks for the great overview and the analysis. A lot remains to be seen as to how people and businesses are going to use Buzz. Right now, I find Buzz very noisy and not very user friendly. Hopefully, they will figure that out or someone will tap into their API and figure it out for them.

  23. In addition to your great article, I believe that one of the biggest weaknesses that MySpace has is that they are housed inside a very large corporate. The thinking is different, the energy is different and most importantly the leader is not as emotionally engaged being an employee rather than the founder. This will have significant impact throughout their business.

  24. Great matrix and very well laid out. Made it easy to get a feel for the lay of the Social landscape with Buzz included. Thanks

  26. Good overview and great example of how many users forget to look at the bigger picture.
    Love your quote on twitter – “Not sure what they want to be when they grow up.”
    Google will in my opinion have to allow users of buzz to log in away from gmail as it will discourage activity while people are working and ensure it is more social.
    Facebook may actually do some things wrong (and don't we know it when they do) but lets not forget facebook for many is the new portal and doorway into the net, add on a good webmail solution and detailed search via bing and may people will stop “googling”.

  27. Google needs to do the following to increase the amount of buzz users: allow people with non-gmail email address to create a google account (which they already do) and then (here's where they're lacking): ALLOW those users with a non-gmail email address TO USE BUZZ. What do you think? Will Google see the importance in this tactic and go for it?

  28. Great analysis, like your logic. Missing Buzz weakness of 'no Gmail= no Buzz”. No access via other mail clients.
    I like Twitter better than gas, electric, phone or cable.

  30. As a whole the article is well written. because it gives lots of examples and it shows data. The author has written this piece without taking any sides, and therefore we can say that this article is non-bias. One of the many usefull things It does, is to inform readers of the actual situation of these organisations, so it may prevent people from doing mistakes such as choose the wrong network.

  31. i think buzz is invading our privacy
    i have a gmail account and now i automatically also have a buzz acount without even wanting to

  32. Great article, very informative and gives us a good overview of the 4 big social networks. Gives us an insightful comparison between the social networks.

  33. it is a good article but with google buzz went to court due to the fact that they were breaking the law, security of privacy.

  35. WONDERFUL analysis and tool … I know it's ever-changing but it's still going on my wall to help me plan! Thanks again – your posts are great!

  36. I don't see the point of Buzz. I already have Facebook. Why on earth do I need a duplicate?

  37. I don't see the point of Buzz. I already have Facebook. Why on earth do I need a duplicate?

  38. You see, your just blaming Myspace. The same things happen on Facebook and other big networking sites. Every social network is dangerous because the people on it. Not the site its self. Dont blame the site, blame the people who were on the site.

  40. Hello,

    Well, I feel back links are always good if they are coming from relevant sources, High PR pages and Do follow ofcourse. If dont give much weight age to sites or blog, but to other parameters love PR, content, relevancy etc.

  41. wow that was the first fair and unbiased look at the comparisons of the four websites that I have ever seen! wow, really a really fantastic review!

  42. You hit the nail on the head. You verbalized and completed a lot of my perceptions on the subject.

  46. i think as facebook is getting more and more stereotypical…and people getting bored,anything new and exciting would work….buzz has good oppotunity here…if they can come up with something that can surprise exsisting social networkers

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