Google+ admitted defeat in October of 2018 but has been back in the news throughout the past few weeks, changing their official shutdown date.
What Is Google+?
Google+ (G+), launched in June 2011, is Google’s very own social network. It was created to compete directly with platforms like Twitter and Facebook with hopes it might make Google the one-stop shop for internet users.
Why Is Google+ Shutting Down?
Google+ never attracted the number of daily active users (DAUs) Google was looking for. Plus, 90% of G+ sessions lasted only five seconds or less.
Why Did Google+ Advance Their Shutdown Date?
Google+ recently advanced their shutdown date of August 2019 to April 2, 2019 because of a bug introduced through a November 2018 update. While the bug was fixed within a week, the bug impacted 52.5 million users and exposed user information, like their names, email addresses, occupations and ages.
Though data was exposed, Google noted that no third parties compromised their systems and no Google developers misused user information. The accelerated shutdown date is Google’s effort to keep user information protected.
What Does The Google+ Shutdown Mean For Users?
On April 2, G+ accounts and any G+ pages that users created will be shut down. On that day, Google will begin deleting content including streams, circles, +1s and communities from all Google+ accounts.
Google encourages users to download their Google+ data before April 2. Downloading all Google+ data can be done in five simple steps:
- Go to the “Download Your Data” page.
- Click “Next.”
- Choose a file type.
- Choose how you want your data delivered.
- Click “Create Archive.”
What Does The Google+ Shutdown Mean For Marketers?
The Google+ platform wasn’t very popular, so the shutdown won’t affect most marketers.
If you have G+ followers, post between now and April 2 to nurture these consumers and invite them to follow you on other platforms. Remember that after April 2, if you haven’t connected with these followers elsewhere, it’ll be too late to maintain your G+ connection. On Google+, user information includes Gmail addresses, which you can target on other social media sites like Facebook, the Google Display Network and Paid Search. This may represent another method to engage with your follower base post G+ shutdown.
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