Why Facebook is superior to Google+
1) Number of active users
The most obvious downfall of having a business Google page is the number (or lack of) of Google+ users, which was around 43 million users, compared to the 800 million users you can reach when making use of Facebook marketing tools. Have of those 800 million users log in daily. Tech-heads are dubbing Google+ the ‘minimalist alternative to Facebook’, but we’d advise you that they probably just mean ‘empty’.
2) Facebook Apps
Due to Facebook’s marketing collaborations with third party content providers, numerous services and content for users to interact with whilst on the social networking site, and thus increasing their time on page. As an example, users of the Nike+ iPhone app could previously only be accessed through their Facebook page and now that information will be displayed via their wall. Music services such as Spotify such as Rhapsody will allow users to listen to music via Facebook and watch movies through providers like Netflix and Hulu. The Guardian’s app allows users to read and share news stories. Promoting user activity of these apps through the walls of users encourages others to get involved and virilises what is essentially marketing materials.
3) Google+ Pages offer less features than Facebook
Google+ account holders are currently unable to listen to audio files or even sell products via their internal system. With such basic technology needed for such necessary features, you would have thought Google+ would have launched with the ability to make use of such features. It is rumoured that Google Apps for Business will be expanding to include Google Apps of Non-Profits, Google Voice and Google Properties – it seems a shame not to have launched with these features. A Facebook business page just seems to offer so much more.
4) Promotions and Contests are not allowed on Google
A big let down with Google+ Pages is the inability to include promotions and contests. The benefit of a Facebook presence is enticing customers directly through your Facebook business page. This appears not to be an oversight on Google+’s part – it seems as if they have chosen not to allow their users to participate in such marketing activities, with their promotion policy stating, "You may not run contests, sweepstakes, offers, coupons or other such promotions (“Promotion”) directly on your Google+ Page." This does strike us as odd, seeing as contests and promotions are a fact of life for most businesses making use of Facebook’s marketing opportunities.
