Has Google Buzz Proved to Be the Great Small Business Tool it Was Made Out to Be?

Google Buzz hit the ground running with a full head of steam when it was released in early February, 2010.  Initially seen as major a threat to Facebook and Twitter, Googles new social media tool offered a lot of promise to small businesses looking to engage the millions of Gmail users with instant access to the service.  Amid controversy regarding privacy concerns and lawsuits, it wasn’t long before the hype began to fizzle and people started calling Buzz an epic failure.  All the harsh criticism has many small businesses wondering if Googles latest attempt to capitalize on the social media frenzy is as promising as it once seemed. 

In spite of the patch work that was applied to address the concerns of privacy and usability, Google Buzz has yet to ascend into the mainstream.  At least when compared to the continuous rise of its competitors Facebook and Twitter.  And even though the service hasn’t caught on with users like the search mogul would have liked, Buzz still has the potential to be a very capable marketing tool for small businesses, provided you follow a few important guidelines.

The main problem with Google Buzz upon the initial release was clearly privacy.  Because the service is directly integrated into Gmail, it had the potential of exposing email addresses.  Since it automatically followed the people you communicate with the most, it made it possible for others to predict your email habits.  These problems have been addressed, but it is up to you to make the appropriate adjustments.  When editing your profile, make sure you check the “Allow people to contact me (without showing my email address)” box, and uncheck the “Display the list of people I’m following and people following me” box. 

You need to be very selective when it comes to building up your list of followers.  If you have too many, you can easily become overwhelmed with Buzz streams.  This could ultimately cause you to miss out on making connections with the people you really need to be communicating with.  From what we have observed, Google Buzz is about creating an intimate following, so your best bet may be to grow your contacts naturally and avoid building a massive list for the sake of having a tons of followers.  Focus on the people who are the most likely to be interested in your streams and you will have a much better chance of creating a targeted following. 

Every Buzz stream you start up has the potential to lead to ongoing discussions, and these discussions may be viewed by a number of people.  Once new people jump in and get involved with a topic, that stream ascends to the top of the list for all followers to see.  This is unlike Twitter, which pushes conversations lower down the totem poll as new tweets are posted.  The streamlined conversation aspect is one of the many advantages this tool has over the competition.  If Google sticks with it and marketers use it correctly, Buzz could be just as beneficial as initially promised.