Will the Buzz drown the Tweets??

Since the time it launched few weeks back, Google Buzz has been just doing that. Creating Buzz… While the critics are mentioning about the privacy issues (Facebook too had faced privacy issues about a year back), many have started experimenting with this new platform…

For Google, it was necessary that they integrate the Buzz with their ‘star performer’ – Gmail (search engine being the sacred cow they cannot fiddle with). Google has been dabbling in the social media space for past many years, but somehow the success has been elusive. Their strike rate in social media is close to zero. While Orkut is popular in Brazil and India… but in markets that matters, they hardly have been able to make a dent. Flickr has far more traction amongst the online users that Picasa…and Google Wave just managed to create a ripple.

Twitter, since it hit the market in 2006, has been gaining popularity worldwide. The reasons for the same can be attributed to the following:
- Simplicity: Most people are normal… nobody wants to complex things, including technology innovations
- Tweet alerts through SMS
- Rapidly growing 3rd party application using twitter platform (APIs)


For twitter to reach the tipping point it took almost one year.. Wikipedia mentions, that it was during the SXSW festival that the twitter users (tweeps, as they are called now) increased drastically… For Google Buzz launch, they had the advantage of huge base of the millions of Gmail users – ready audience to try and experience the product…

Predictably there is the initial huge traffic onto the Buzz platform...The image below shows the traffic results on both these sites (Buzz and Twitter) – with visitors Buzz and twitter website almost on par (considering that twitter has many visitors coming from mobile platforms too)




However, the below chart shows the initial reaction of people using Google Buzz… as expected, there would be a lot of people who are there out of curiosity… and many more critical to this new platform, for they find comfort in what they are experiencing now. Going by this chart the earlier chart would be very different in a month’s time.



Buzz might not be able to drown the Tweets and the reasons for the same are:
- Buzz is currently an appendage in your gmail Inbox….
- Most people use/open email inbox only infrequently (even the regulars use it only once or twice a day and that too for a few minutes)
- Buzz does not have the exclusivity factor; something that twitter had when it was launched. Even Gmail had an exclusivity factor when it was launched
- Since Buzz is part of Gmail…. 3rd party applications using Buzz would be far and few
- Last if not the least….twitter is ‘cool’

What are your thoughts? I’d like to hear from you

Cheers

Santosh

Comments

Blog O' Ram said…
I haven't used tweeter, but would definitely want to use it for an experience.

Coming to Buzz, it 'kind of one stop shop' and 'supermarket' experience that google is creating. It is just another choice for me to use or not to use. I liked it for I don't have to publish my blog post every time I write one. Once I have followers or I follow it will 'buzz'. So, that's cool and convenient. No privacy concerns as I have an option to block or not follow someone. Simply integrates with all common networking sites I use and yes, if there are any limitations, surely you will see 'buzz' improvising soon.
8:00 AM
Blog O' Ram said…
I am Tweeting...!
Buzz... ditch it man!
7:57 AM
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