Michael Harper for RedOrbit.com
Google has introduced a new “share” feature for their Google+ social media platform. The new red and white button will give website developers a chance to allow Google+ users to share content to their Circles from right within the site.
In a Tuesday blog post, Google+ Product Manager Rick Borovoy said, “When your visitors come across something interesting on your site, sometimes you want to encourage a simple endorsement (like +1). Other times, however, you want to help visitors share with their friends, right away. Today´s new Google+ Share button lets you do just that.”
Until now, web developers have only been able to add a +1 button to their sites. This button acted more like the Facebook thumbs-up “like” button, which is more of an endorsement for the site rather than an efficient means to share content.
Once the new “share” button is clicked, users will be able to choose with whom and which circles they want to share the content with.
When a website developer implements the button, it will start off white if the user hasn´t shared the story. Clicking the button changes the color to red and brings up a box wherein the user can comment and choose with whom they share the site. The new share button is now available globally, so users can expect to see it on their favorite sites soon.
The new share feature was somewhat lost in the news yesterday as Google also announced Google Drive, their 5 GB cloud-storage service set to compete with services like Amazon´s Cloud Drive, Dropbox and Microsoft´s SkyDrive.
Google Drive allows users to work with Google Docs in real time with others, as well as store photos, music, and other files. Google Drive comes with 5 GB of free storage, and users can upgrade their storage starting at $2.49 a month.
The new Google+ Share button could be just what the social networking site needs to drive content to its users. After failed attempts at social network strategies like Google Buzz and Google Wave, some experts wonder if this new feature will be the medication Google+ needs to revive their network.
As Google takes on Facebook for social networking dominance, some have viewed Google+ as a ghost town, frequented only by tech-nerds and Google enthusiasts.
Fueling these concerns about their slipping in the market is a report from data firm comScore which says Google+ users spent an average of 3 minutes on the site a month between September 2011 and January 2012. Facebook users, on the other hand, spent 6 to 7 hours on Facebook each month.
Google´s CEO Larry Page addressed these concerns in an April 12th earnings call. Calling it the “social spine,” Page said Google+ is what connects all of Google´s products together. Page did not, however, mention any exact numbers on how many users were on Google+ and how engaged they were, much to the chagrin of those pundits who believe the site is trending down.
Page insists Google+ is “growing quickly” and is seeing “Impressive engagement” from its users. Page even personally vouched for the service, saying he sees plenty of high-quality feedback on the site.
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