G+ Hit 10Million Users in 16 Days! Why?

A LOT of people are using Google+ and I've got a few guesses as to why.

I mean, G+ should have crashed hard. Google Buzz crashed, as did Google Wave. MySpace is dead dead dead. The Social Marketing Gurus were saying, a year ago! That releasing a new social platform would be a disaster. How is G+ SO different then those other guys?

I've got some clues, and it might be useful for us Solopreneurs to see how we can follow Google's strategy ourselves.

Being in a person's email inbox, but without being annoying, is clever ;) I suspect a high percentage of G+ users are using Gmail daily, which means that their G+ updates button is always in their navbar. That makes it sticky. This "too simple of a reason" is maybe how G+ overcame the smart money objection? It keeps me coming back.

Google's spare design style is the antithesis of MySpace, which matters to Tweeters, but not Yahoos! . (Digression: Has anyone got any analytics on where the G+ users are coming from?) It reminds me of great web designers like Golden Interactive and Wake Interactive. And you can make a spare, but decent, website yourself at Weebly.

Then there's the very simple media integration. I see big names like Brian Clark, Pete Cashmore, and Ze Frank etc. taking advantage of the media tools, the G+ circles, and the long comment format as their (almost) blog... and bringing their followers.

I've been posting a LOT more homemade video, and I've seen more presentation media tools made by my friends being posted through G+ instead of Facebook. I think that G+ lends itself to fast media posting, and G+ Hangouts haven't even been fully utilized or de-bugged yet. The tools are there, we just have to use them. How are you using media to attract clients?

Farmers vs Hunters

Inbound Marketing is a buzzword that could use some clarification. What does it mean to bring people in? Isn't that the same as old-school marketing? In short, no. Think of farming vs. Hunting. Outbound marketing is about going out and hunting down customers. Cold calls, discounts, advertising. The goal is to convince people, and it can burn a lot of energy.

Inbound marketing is about creating rich content that interests your target market. It's about being a resource that people can trust. How-To manuals, instructional videos and expert opinions offered through blogs and websites. These are spread out through social networks and different media: podcasts, videos, eBooks, tweets, whatever. It's also about getting people talking, whether commenting on blog posts or forwarding links, about your topic of expertise. You are suddenly the expert who's word is passed on to others, and people are coming to you for advice, at first, and then your services. Now THAT's harvesting just rewards.

Outbound Marketing - Finding clients

• Making sales
• Promoting products
• Finding leads
• Capturing markets

Inbound Marketing - Getting found by clients

• Speaking to needs & interests
• Providing access to rich content
• Creating dialog within community
• Connecting through several channels