Hello, my name is Scott Craighead. I am the owner of That Gaming Critic. My niche would be somewhere along the lines of electronics and gaming. I've been trying to find where my correct target audience hangs out on different social media networks.
I wanted to find out what types of people are using these social media platforms and how I can benefit my business by gearing my time by focusing on one platform. You can check out this post:Â Hey Bloggers – Are You In The Right Social Social Network? If you want to find other uses with the various social media networks besides Google+ and Facebook when finding your target audience.
Google+ Vs Facebook: Choosing Your Target Audience
Google+
I can say that the majority of the Google + users are very tech savvy. Users are usually above the age of 18 and act overall mature on Google+. You heard me right! They act mature! They are not a bunch of raging animals who get upset at nothing.
I myself run a gaming website, so that attracts young kids as well, mouthy kids. So far I have pretty much only found the people who think along the same lines as I do. They seem to present the correct image for my company and my company's goals. Google+ has a great breed of people and I love it! It's the perfect network for anyone starting up a new website. Google+ is made for businesses and webmasters in my belief. It's the greatest tool to advance forward in every aspect of your business when it comes to search results and friendly criticism's.
Facebook on the other hand is another thing entirely. Now if you've ran an AD on Facebook and made the AD extremely targeted. You'll notice that there are over 50%Â of women using this type of social media. So Facebook is great for targeting women like if you provide clothes or makeup. However, I also want you to know that to me Facebook is no different than that of YouTube. It is chalk full of trolls. Make no mistake it's a place of drama and even more… You guessed it, drama! People get on Facebook to talk to their friends and share pictures. Some people live on Facebook. I think it is very incorrect to market yourself on there and pay to be put down. How many promotional Facebook AD's have you seen with all those horrible troll comments on them? How many times will you be marked as spam? I rest my case. But there is a better way to drive traffic from there. I'll talk on the correct way to use Facebook under sharing. Which I'll get into towards the end of this article.
For Webmasters
 Google+
Webmasters such as myself love Google+! Because it manipulates the Google Search and Image search results in our favor. It can even show a little picture of you to help the click through rate using the Google authorship. Anything you share on Google+ shows up with your name below it as well in the search results. It's a blessing and a very, very powerful tool. It's easy to spot a webmaster when using this social media platform. Why is this good? Because they know how to share your stuff.
Webmasters are one of the most helpful people in the world when it comes to networking. They are willing to comment on your blog post and share your stuff like a mad man! Which is something you should do for them as well. Because they are in essence the same as you. They are just trying to get their name out there in the blog-o-sphere. Supporting your fellow bloggers is the key to your success and to theirs.
Do you ever think “I want to find out about (random subject)” and go to Facebook search to find your answer? I hope not, it is widely unused when trying to find subject matter on the web. So webmasters never look for things on Facebook using the search bar. They might type into it time to time to the search some business pages or try to find certain groups. But that's just about it.
The one benefit of networking between Facebook pages is that Webmasters that run their own business page on Facebook can be willing to share your stuff on their own page if you do the same for them. But some other ones, not so much. I've noticed out of all the social media business pages that Facebook pages are the most ignored by webmasters themselves. In my belief it's because of edge-rank with Facebook. Let's get it into.
Sharing With Edgerank
Google+
Now this is where Google+ shines better than Facebook in almost every way. I am constantly finding and connecting with people via communities on Google+. Targeted communities that have thousands of people in them that you can share a relevant blog post to. For instance if I have a post about Metal Gear Solid. There's a huge community that happens to love Metal Gear Solid. I share it to them and my hits just go up! The post gets a +1 like mad! It just keeps showing up in other peoples feeds. It also gets re-shared by users making it show up on their profiles over and over again. It spreads like a wildfire across the social media platform. It is amazing!
It's not so amazing at that. Edge-rank is heavy here. You only got 200 people on your business page? Well, you better hope someone likes it or comments on your new post. Because only about 12 people are going go to see a single post you share. That's why you see pages asking questions and Facebook MEME's everywhere. Because you can't reach anybody at all!
It is just all about the money they want you to pay, since the whole stock market change. You can read more on Hot Blog Tips about Facebook Edge-rank. Keep in mind, you can find success using Facebook by sharing in relevant groups. But if you keep posting your new posts in the same group for more than a couple months your not going to find that it's working all that much anymore. It's hard to find active groups on Facebook.
Thanks for reading and I hope you found Google+ Vs Facebook: Choosing Your Target Audience helpful.
Feel Free To Comment And Share!
Nice post Scott, there’s certainly differences in the two social giants. Personally, I prefer Google Plus. Facebook is a stressful game when it comes to business. TMW comes to mind – “Too Much Work”. Google Plus has pushed Facebook down in our referral traffic with G+ as #4 and Facebook as #6. We also get a lower bounce rate from Google Plus. With that said, Facebook is too big to ignore and it’s still worth keeping up with the changes and drama, in my opinion.
Now Twitter blows them both out of the water as far as referral traffic but does carry a higher bounce rate. Twitter is far less work than Facebook and G+ but brings in more traffic than both of them combined.
One last thing… I just checked my stats to make sure I was right and guess who’s in the top 1o for referral traffic on HBT? Basic Blog Tips is number 10! Thank you Ileane 🙂
Wow, that’s interesting! Twitter is the lowest for me and I have no idea why! Thanks for reading Brian! I’m glad your on Google+ a lot just are not and now that’s its been integrated into YouTube. It’s just going to get more and more important. – Scott Craighead
I do get a better response out of google + rather than Facebook.
Me too Victor. Now for how long Google+ will be great like this only time can tell. Hopefully everyone behaves themselves on it. It seems like they are not afraid to ban your account. – Scott Craighead
Nice Article…well g+ is a nice platform for gaining the attention of mature audiences…and as on behalf of search results its also plays an important role. As it helps in increasing click through rates of your images you post on share on your profile…and increase their authorship on google searches too….But I was just wondering about a term launched by Facebook that was GRAPH SEARCH…..graph search is active , some facebook users are using it …so we cant say when Mr. Zuckerberg surprises the google with some latest innovative search technique…so for present scenario G+ is good but for future ongoing…No one knows…
Nice Post
Thanks for sharing
Keep Posting
Hi Zenelia, Facebook is going to keep trying to innovate but whats highly used there is the stream, the groups, and the facebook chat. That search bar is highly unused. But thanks for the insights. – Scott Craighead
The biggest advantage of Google Plus is that most of its members are quite responsive and respond to others stuff; secondly its communities are quite active and with highest number of members. third advantage is that you can share as much as you have and you need not to worry about account blockade on Google plus. Yes for friendship and dating Facebook is the best option but for professional activities I vote for Google +
Hi Edson I find you should always share in relevant groups and communities, always ask a question. This gets people talking and you don’t just have a naked link sitting in a community. – Scott Craighead
I also prefer Google+ because Google also prefer Google+ if we consider SEO.
Everybody on Facebook are doing spamming. Right way of promotion is you choose some Facebook groups of your own niche and shares articles on these groups.
Thanks for sharing your review on Facebook Vs Google+
Well, that’s just what I got done saying above! Good Job Rajesh! Thanks for the read and the comment! – Scott Craighead
Scott, it really depends on the audience. On my blog on blogging Google+ does better for me (Shares) but for my retail websites Facebook does much better as it’s a broader audience. (Though Twitter is tops in my analytics)
It really does depend on which audience you are sharing to.
I also find you can meet more people via Google+ than Facebook, where you already know them.
Your right Lisa, Social Media is about finding your correct group of people. Google+ is excellent at finding your target market. It’s unbelievable. I have made some great connections on Google+ too. Facebook…not really. – Scott Craighead
Great post, very interesting, for me personally Google+ and Facebook combines quite well for a target audience for my blog or other content I’m promoting, I can’t really pin point which site performs better, but I also run an eCommerce business website and for me Facebook wins hands down regardless of what ever drama goes on on the site, or how many trolls there are hiding behind the blue line 🙂
I have no experience running an eCommerce site. I hope it brings you great luck and good luck with it. – Scott Craighead
I think that’s really good post but in my opinion, that depend on the audiences.
Almost of my viewers usually use Facebook so that i have to focus on that more. Even there’s a lot of spammers on FB those days( that make me crazy every times.)
Thanks for your information.
Stephan Wu
Hi Stephan, I wish you luck with your social networking with Facebook is a tough nut to crack.
I prefer Facebook 🙂 I don’t have any luck with Google Plus.
I suggest doing both Edille. Don’t forget the power of Google+ it is an amazing platform for you blog. – Scott Craighead
A good take on reaching the target audience, with quite apt characterization about the users of the two sites. G+ is definitely the go-to platform for getting serious audience, as I have personally experienced on my site.
Thanks for taking the time to comment Jennifer. The power of Google+ is quite amazing and if you can use it correctly it can have an overwhelming effect on your business. – Scott Craighead
Very solid points and great topic of discussion.
I myself have also observed that on Facebook majority of people are time wasters whereas on Google+ people are professionals. Facebook has become just a way to squander your precious time and doing just nothing.
I have shifted my concentration from Facebook to Google+ just 2 months back and I am getting great results. Meeting many like minded people as well as Google has started loving my efforts. 😉
So overall Google+ is a great option for webmasters and bloggers or we can say we are bound to use it for getting more authority in Google’s eyes.
Great work..
Kulwant I think you did right by making the switch it can be very rewarding doing something of that nature. Goodluck!
It is widely expected that in near future Google Plus will overtake Facebook in all its features. Still now I think G+ is doing great and there are not much restrictions if you want to expand your following and circles while doing on Facebook you have to be within limit while sharing your stuff because Facebook guys don’t waste a single minute to suspend your account on over-sharing or sending loads of friendship requests.
Hi Scott
i am strongly agreed with your points, but twitter also has become an important social platform. i have seen post shared on twitter are getting crawled faster than others
what you will say about it..
Sunidhi, I have no problem with Twitter. Twitter is full of links on top of more links because it works. But one tweet goes so fast and then it’s gone. I only follow a spare amount of people on mine because otherwise I can’t keep up at all.
Good post. Scott!
Nicely explained to targeting with two Giant social networks. Of course Google plus growing and trying to overtake the face book. Many webmasters are using Google plus more than face book to drive traffic to their site. Google plus is the nice platform for gaining the audiences
Thanks Naveen, I think everyone should be focusing on Google+ if you have serious going through your blood about getting the correct type of traffic.
hey
Scott!
thanks for a great article … i really never share any article on my Google+ account but after reading this i will surely work on Google+.
hi Scott
nice article google + and facebook both are important for any online business and marketing. but i think facebook is more preferable for me because in current time facebook is no.1 social media site that has much users. thanks for sharing informative post.
Hi
Thank you for this great post . I myself prefer google plus rather than facebook . Google plus is more business driven.
I like Google plus rather than Facebook. I think that Google + is technically richer than Facebook. last week i tried to post a .GIF image.But it didn’t work. Also communities in Google plus provides good information and can get helps for problems.
I feel that at least for the moment Facebook is still leading the pack. Of course Google+ might slowly and steadily getting there but still has a long way to go. Great post by the way, really very informative.
I think facebook is the best. G+ is left behind
Now a days we don’t have to stick with one thing, we’ve to play viral to get benefit from every side.
Facebook is amazing when you have time and can connect one on one with like minded people or people interested on your topic. Because Facebook is a real social network you need to interact, get to know the right audience and personally contact them. Google plus can be general and you can promote widely their.
I used to be with Facebook. Well, not until I found Google+ and got comfortable with it. I am now using Google + more than ever.
Facebook and G+ are both good but the problem is that how we introduce ourselves.
I vote for diversification 🙂 It always works!
In my niche and country FB is leading the pack. But as a website owner i try to reach as many people as possible. So i will try to reach the people on every platform available.
Hello Scott,
Probably this is the one of the best posts that i have read on social media category. I am a new blogger and i use facebook for social media promotion but after reading your article i have to think it differently.
I think you are right. Google plus would be the right place for business promotion. I gonna try this.
Regards,
Gautam
At this moment, for me Google+ is giving great results than Facebook. Though I spend much of my time on Facebook, I can see that Google+ is in no way behind FB in giving your the expected results.
I have both the Facebook and Google+ accounts but I got more traffic from Google+ than Facebook. Another thing I discovered from both is that Google+ traffic is fast and easy than that of Facebook. In short, I have not been successful with Facebook in term of traffic generation.
I usually take advantage of both Google+ and Facebook. Although, as you stated, each network has its pros and targets different type of users. Depending on your niche, one might be better than the other.
Hello Scott,
Really Google+ and Facebook are good platform for sharing our post. In starting dates i didn’t promote the post on social networking. But after few month i started doing this which gives me lots of referral traffic. Thanks for the post Scott.
Google+ is getting bigger now in terms of rankings. Expand your circle and you can see your website ranking better than other and mostly users are searching while they are logged into Google.
Thanks for the article, however, by comparing your personal opinion. I see Facebbok over 1 billion users, there is less than G+. I often use both at the same time.
I have read some where that Google+ has an impact how the site performs in Google and Facebook and twitter influence Bing which accounts for 25% of search traffic. I have started using both of them and I am waiting for the results.
@Google+: I do not find many people very active as they do on facebook. Twitter is short and sweet and facebook is the time consumer 🙂 People spend lots of time on it and it would have been great if that impacts the results a bit though they are doing enough now when optimized well.
Thanks a lot for your indepth insights.
Facebook does really well locally, I have not had much success with Google+ ( not sure where all the viewers come from 🙂