It could be another case of much ado about nothing.
Despite all the hype around the infant social site Google+, Facebook hasn’t been fazed, according to a new report that says the social network behemoth actually grew since Google+ launched in late June.
ComScore’s latest figures reveal that Facebook had a total of 162 million unique visitors in July, an 11 percent increase from the same period year ago when it had about 145.5 million visits, USA Today reported.
Twitter’s numbers also showed it was able to hold off Google+, which currently boasts over 10 million users. During the month of July, Twitter had a record month for unique visitors with 32.8 million unique visitors, an increase from 30.6 million in June and 27 million in May.
Interestingly, however, professional networking site LinkedIn saw its unique visitors succumb to 32.5 million in July from 33.9 million in June, which is likely attributed to a traffic boost from its initial public offering.
As TechZone reported in July 2011, Google+ has been said to be in direct competition with Facebook; LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner declared that he doesn’t see any way for Facebook and Google+ to coexist, and predicts newcomer Google+ “will come out on the losing end of the battle.”
Weiner’s observations of the functions of social networks were broken down into three categories: “microcasting” all the latest goings-on in your life (Twitter), managing your professional life (LinkedIn), and connecting with friends and family, Business Insider said.
According to Weiner, only one social network is needed to fulfill the latter, which means Facebook will duke it out with Google+, and only one can come out on top in the social network throwdown.
However, a report from the International Business Times says that there is room in the market for all three sites to successfully co-exist.
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Erin Harrison is Executive Editor, Strategic Initiatives, for TMC, where she oversees the company's strategic editorial initiatives, including the launch of several new print and online initiatives. She plays an active role in the print publications and TechZone360, covering IP communications, information technology and other related topics. To read more of Erin's articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by
Rich Steeves
