As 2012 begins, we can’t help but wonder what this year will bring for social media.
Google’s roll-out of their personalized search engine – that, and Google+’s integration on Android – is making all of us wonder if maybe, just maybe, this is the year for Google to start giving Facebook something to worry about. Is it just me, or does Facebook seem a little less bright-eyed and bushy-tailed than just a year ago?
Guy Kawasaki seems to think that 2012 will see more users on Google+ than currently on Twitter. According to Twopcharts in May, Twitter had almost 360 million users and counting. Current stats are definitely showing promising growth in the numbers of Google+ signups but let’s look at Facebook’s numbers:
More than 800 million active users
More than 70 languages available
More than 75% of users are outside of the United States
On average, more than 250 million photos are uploaded per day
More than 50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day
That’s not to say that it is impossible for Google+ to see numbers in that range, nor is it impossible for Facebook to lose it’s spot at the top. Time will tell, as they say.
One thing is clear, it is becoming increasingly difficult to sort through and keep up with what’s new and up-and-coming. As Chris Brogan puts it, 2012 is the year of saturation. The ones that come out on top will most likely be those that have found ways to give meaning to the swarm of apps, tools and sites found at our fingertips.
