"Like" Google

Google has been a pretty popular topic for discussion this past week. In class, we watched Inside The Mind of Google. CNBC's typical "dig beyond the surface" type documentary, examined Google's precense in our every day lives. Many of us use Google to search for things on the world wide web, images, videos, blogs, news, and  a variety of other sources. One guy in the video put it best, "We confess things to the Google search box that we wouldn't even tell to a priest." Now that I've got everyone hyped up on Google, let's talk about their latest and greatest feature - the +1 button.

The majority of us have Facebook's and use it on a regular basis. No matter what you might be doing on Facebook, at one point of another you have clicked the "like" button. This little button has become a revolutionary trend. The "like" feature has crossed over to clothes, movies, and advertisements. I am proud to say that I own a few items of clothing that say "I LIKE ____." It's genius. Liking something on Facebook can have a huge affect on your Facebooking experience. In light of this, Google needed to create something just as competitive - the +1

Google advertises the +1 as "The +1 button is shorthand for "this is pretty cool" or "you should check this out." Kind of a corny advertisement if you ask me, but none the less, it's a first try. 

Much like the "like" button, the Google +1 button will allow individuals to have a more "social" experience while surfing the web. As users +1 items, it will be archived and it will allow Google to get to "know" you better and thus make your search results as fitting as possible. In order to make this a "social" experience, Google will compare items you liked with others, in an effort to bring you more results and items that it thinks you would like.

Downsides? Facebook is a very personal social media website. We expose our interests, likes, family members, favorite books, gender, and a variety of other personal information. However, Facebook is able to use these tools to make sure ads and other pop-ups are directly related to what we post. Google is lacking in this category. An article on Mashable states, "If Google could get more profiles, it could increase the accuracy of its targeting beyond keywords and browsing data." 

Feeling a little confused? Dont worry, Google provided a 1 minute video to explain the entire thing using fun pictures. 

Social What?

"Social Media" is a fairly familiar word to most us. We use Facebook, Twitter, and a variety of other websites to keep up with friends and exchange news. But what does "social media" really mean in today's technologically savvy society?

In chapter 3 of Engage, Brian Solis helps us define and understand social media in a different light. Solis says, “we should never strive to master something that evolves much faster than our ability to fully grasp its lessons, benefits, insights, and pitfalls” (Solis 33). At first, I was slightly confused by this statement. Surely, I am a social-media-sophisticated 21 year old, of course I can grasp everything. Soon I took a step back and thought of how frequently the social tools I use have changed. In fact, it seems like Facebook is always changing, thus causing millions to relearn the social skills they had just acquired.

For most people, social media networks are just social forums. They serve as tools to help individuals stay connected with friends and loved ones. However, for marketers, social media is the microscope into niche markets. “We’re simply becoming aware of our markets, the people who define them, and our place within each community” (Solis 33). Social media networks are helping marketers really reach out to their consumers.

Solis provides an in depth list of social media tools, each with a variety of different purposes. For the most part, I had heard of the majority of the social networks in Solis’ list. However, I was floored by how many exist and how many were probably not listed. Social media tools can vary from a simple blog, to videos, location devices, and photographs. The possibilities are endless. In addition, social media networks have broken down into specific elements. Flickr is a great forum for individuals to post photographs. Websites like Youtube and Vimeo are excellent tools for bands, film aficionados, and others.


So far, we have been able to see different social media networks, but we still have yet to come up with a concrete definition. Solis puts it best when he says, “Social media is many things to many people” (Solis 36). How someone chooses to use social media network will result in their own definition.

One definition that Solis uses is, “Social media is the online tools that facilitate a conversation” (Solis 36). To me, this is the truest definition. No matter what social network we use, we are someone engaging in some form of communication. Watching videos on Youtube can spark comments, thoughts, and opinions. On Facebook we comment, read, and converse with others. No matter what social media tool we use, we are engaging in some form of communication. Perhaps that’s why it is simply called “social media.” Socializing through media.