Cut down notifications? Join forces with the enemy? We look at what Facebook can do to counter Google+ in the war for social network dominance.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg appeared to go on the offensive the day Google+ debuted, alerting the world that his company would in turn announce “something amazing.”
Here are five things we think Facebook could do to cope with the power and possibilities of Google+.
Make New Friends
Facebook certainly has the advantage right now when it comes to user base, but the company can’t just pretend that Google+ will follow Google Wave or Orkut and die a quiet death.
Instead, Facebook should put differences aside and allow Google+ users to import their friends from Facebook to Google+. Facebook should deal with Google+ the same way it dealt with Twitter: Permit Google+ users to link their updates to Facebook and, in exchange, Facebook opens up its content to Google+.
Imagine exporting your Facebook friends to Google+, organizing them into smaller Circles and a larger “Facebook” Circle, and then updating your status in Google+ with a #fb hashtag (as Twitter allows you to do) to make the update appear in your Facebook news feed.
Build an Ecosystem
Facebook has 700 million users for a reason: It’s functional. As much as everyone likes to complain about it, Facebook has so many great features–such as chat and events–that I feel like I can’t do better going anywhere else. Still, if Facebook wants to survive, it needs to weave different features together in such a way that keeps people like me on the site.
Get Rid of Apps
When Facebook rolled out its Apps platform a few years back, it seemed kind of cool at first. You could add various gizmos to your profile, such as a political-compass quiz, or an app in which friends could draw pictures for you. For me, the curiosity quickly subsided, and–with few exceptions–the Apps platform became an annoyance more than a benefit.
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