Google Buzz: Does It Matter?

The jury is still very much out on whether Google Buzz is going to matter in a few months.

There is no doubt that Buzz took off VERY quickly last week. According to Google, Buzz has seen over 9 million posts in 56 hours. It has been seeing some SERIOUS numbers from the Mobile arena, too, with 300,000 check-ins per day from mobile phones.

Now, any time Google does something like this, you’re going to see the initial curiosity. Plus, the fact that Google integrated this into the Gmail inbox was a huge boon for a sense of immediate community. Obviously, they got a few things wrong in the privacy department on that front, but that’s why they did it.

Now, in a Mashable post which declares Buzz to be a game-changer, he asks the question “Why Have Users Embraced Buzz?” Well, that seems rather premature. I checked out Buzz. I’ve posted a few things, too. But, does that mean I’ve embraced it? No. I think that most people haven’t embraced it. It is a shiny new toy, but once the “buzz” wears off (pun intended), the usage numbers will drop.

My Gut Reaction

My gut reaction to Buzz is this: what’s so new and buzzworthy about it?

It is essentially a me-too version of FriendFeed, except that it is integrated into our Gmail boxes. Friendfeed has been around for some time now and it is much better than Buzz. And guess who owns Friendfeed now? That’s right – Facebook.

Jason Calacanis sent out an email last week declaring Buzz to be the beginning of the end of Facebook. Ummmm, no. Facebook still owns the largest social network and the best technology in terms of a Friendfeed-style network – Friendfeed itself.

Integrating this into our email might give Buzz a little head start.  Gmail is still only the third most popular web mail client (with 146 million users as of July 2009), but that is still a sizable number. Still, Facebook is much larger and I’m guessing it is growing much faster, too.

Should We Pay Attention To Buzz?

I think there is a lot of overspeculation and hype around Buzz right now. It will subside. But, will Buzz end up in the dustbin of bad Google ideas (remember Knol?), probably not.

As bloggers and marketers, we need to embrace Buzz but not dive in head first. After all, the whole thing of being a relationship marketer means you’ve got to be where your audience is. And the numbers above show that people are using Buzz.

Ultimately, I think Buzz is just going to be another leg of a large tree of social branches. We’ll be looking to integrate it with Twitter and Facebook, for example. We don’t want yet another place which sits out there as a little island. Google is trying to capitalize on the whole social media buzz, and so far they’ve been unable to do it. Buzz is a worthy entry point, but there are other things out there worth far more of your mental horsepower right now.

My suggestion? Keep an eye on Buzz. Use it when you feel like it. Don’t turn it off if social media is an important part of your business. Remember, you can use the Gmail email filters to keep it out of your inbox, and I expect before long Google will provide a one-click option to keep it out of your email altogether.

But, a company as large as Google doesn’t enter the social media fray and not make a wave. It is a little hyped up right now, but when the dust settles, I think we’ll find the proper place for Buzz in our digital toolbox. Most likely as just another tentacle of what we’re already doing.

Your thoughts?