Google Plus - Now 400 million users and counting

US-PD

By Annie Marsen

Vic Gundotra, Google’s vice-president has just announced that Google’s social network service, Google Plus, has exceeded 400 million users. However, it is estimated that only 25 percent of that 400 million are active users, a notable difference when compared to Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg’s company is just a small step away from reaching the 1 billion mark. Gundotra published a message on the network’s own Google Plus profile. He stated that the company has reached a very important milestone: more than 400 million registered users on their Google Plus service.

Too much growth for the web giant?

Gundotra mentioned that the company didn’t expect to reach the 400 million user mark so fast. He stated that Google’s social networking service has only been available for barely a year. To reach almost half a billion users in 12 months is astonishing, he added. However, Google Plus has still a long way to go in order to reach Facebook levels of success. Facebook allegedly has 955 million active users. However, it has been active since 2004. On the other hand, millions of people use Google’s services, especially Gmail. You can access dozens of Google’s apps and services by registering once. If you already have a Gmail, you can access Google Plus immediately.

Numbers too good to be true?

Google mentions that recently there have been more than 625,000 new users per day. Many analysts mention that a majority of Google Plus’s user base comes from people registering their Android devices which run on Google’s operative system developed for mobile devices. Estimates mention that there were nearly 700,000 Android devices activated daily. Those who own a smart phone or tablet than runs on Android are required to create a Google Plus account, whether they intend to use it or not. So the 400 million mark may be a false number rather than people actually sitting down and signing up for Google +.

User over 10 times more active on Facebook than Google+?

Many people attribute Google Plus’s fast expansion to their television commercials and celebrity brand appeal. Curiously, Facebook’s users register higher levels of activity when compared to Google Plus’s. It is estimated that Facebook has 10 times more active users than Google Plus. Google may want to develop new strategies that encourage activity within its user base.

Time will tell just how successful Google’s social network will be compared to Facebook. Some Google Plus supporters mention that the service doesn’t need to compete with Facebook, as it delivers a slightly different experience than its rival. In Google’s favor, it is important to mention that it took Facebook several years to reach 100 thousand active users, while they got to that number in less than 12 months. 

About the author: Annie Marsen is what most people would call a Social Media addict. If there's a new social media site that even hints at going viral, she's on it. This is also one of the reasons why she is very suited to be writing about social media strategies as a Virtual Personal Assistant. So the next time you have an inkling to go social, drop Annie a line. You'll probably find her buried deep in some brand new site exploring.