Google+ the real problem has nothing to do with UI!  Google+ has a harsh reality… adoption is weak, well behind Pintrest and Tumblr in terms of adoption (with good reason). +Google is missing the point again with their UI release. Google+ has 3 problems that cause a 4th:1. Brands wont drive traffic because it’s too hard to manage. Google+ is far to hard to manage from a branded standpoint, it doesn’t fit in to Marcom plans well at all. Transmedia is the future and Google+ requries a management tool that integrates all platforms together, pages must be managed from outside of G+ on as many publishing platforms as possible.2. Brands wont come because its to hard to monitorSure you can search Google+ but monitoring tools do not have access to this data (According to the TOS). With the first rule of brand management being listen, many brands wont get off the starting line. Again Google+ should be open to as many monitoring platforms as possible.3. Brands wont come because they cant growUsers love that Google+ doesnt have ads, brands not so much. Their game in terms of value is size, they cant grow they cant invest. They cant invest they dont allocate resources. No excuse for this, Google can fix it 10,000 ways.4. Super users (relational power houses) power brandsCommunity managers are great at developing and maintaining online relationships, it’s their job. Those users create value and make the world interesting, if they are not on a network the pull of relationships is not there. A pulse from time to time can happen but its not sustained. Community managers follow their brands, they must live on the channels they manage. If they dont get value they wont make the effort. Change the UI all you want, it’s not the problem. The problem is deeper, more central, bigger, and frankly more important. Google is creating an inferior product and it seems they have no idea why. Build to the brands and let the public follow. Brands are the new college student.  +Sergey Brin I hope you are reading this.
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 Google+ the real problem has nothing to do with UI!

 Google+ has a harsh reality… adoption is weak, well behind Pintrest and Tumblr in terms of adoption (with good reason). +Google is missing the point again with their UI release. 

Google+ has 3 problems that cause a 4th:
1. Brands wont drive traffic because it’s too hard to manage.
 Google+ is far to hard to manage from a branded standpoint, it doesn’t fit in to Marcom plans well at all. Transmedia is the future and Google+ requries a management tool that integrates all platforms together, pages must be managed from outside of G+ on as many publishing platforms as possible.

2. Brands wont come because its to hard to monitor
Sure you can search Google+ but monitoring tools do not have access to this data (According to the TOS). With the first rule of brand management being listen, many brands wont get off the starting line. Again Google+ should be open to as many monitoring platforms as possible.

3. Brands wont come because they cant grow
Users love that Google+ doesnt have ads, brands not so much. Their game in terms of value is size, they cant grow they cant invest. They cant invest they dont allocate resources. No excuse for this, Google can fix it 10,000 ways.

4. Super users (relational power houses) power brands
Community managers are great at developing and maintaining online relationships, it’s their job. Those users create value and make the world interesting, if they are not on a network the pull of relationships is not there. A pulse from time to time can happen but its not sustained. Community managers follow their brands, they must live on the channels they manage. If they dont get value they wont make the effort. 

Change the UI all you want, it’s not the problem. The problem is deeper, more central, bigger, and frankly more important. Google is creating an inferior product and it seems they have no idea why. Build to the brands and let the public follow.

Brands are the new college student. 

+Sergey Brin I hope you are reading this.

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