By Britnee Nguyen

You might have heard about Google Wave through your social networks, but do you know what it is? Google Wave is a new search layout that was released by Google to invite-only users. These selected users are given a couple of invites to give out to others as well. While searching the web for information about it, I came across some criticism and praise. It sounds like it’s a confusing concept, yet has a “promising future”. So here’s some pros and cons about Google Wave.

PROS

• Google Wave was developed by the same guys who developed Google Maps. So there is some intuitive genius behind the new service.

• It allows you to filter Google search results and choose just news, maps, images, etc.• You can filter search results by using real-time results or choosing the range of time you want to see results (recent, last 24 hours, week or year).

• It modernizes e-mail by adding the features of chat, wikis, document collaboration.

• Chatting is in real time, meaning that while you type your IM, it is showing the other person what you’re writing, as you’re typing it. This is to improve the speed of communication on internet.

• You can start a “wave” and connect with other people with similar interests or who are attending the same event you are and collectively put in information about it.

CONS
• Chatting is in real time. I know I just listed this as a pro, but it can also be a con. Who really wants the other person to see exactly what you’re writing as you’re typing it? When I chat, I typically write and then go back and reword things and cut and paste and add smiley faces, etc. Or sometimes I write it, but then decide to delete it before pushing the enter key. I’m sure I’m not the only one who is like this.

• It seems like a re-invention of the internet, that’s not necessarily needed. They put so much into this application, that it’s confusing to the new user.

• Anyone can add you to their list of contacts without your permission. Result: SPAM

• No “Error” messages are given, which might confuse the user even more.

Now, remember that Google Wave is only in preview mode right now, so many of these things might be improved upon before officially launching. From a personal point of view, I don’t see the benefit of Google Wave, but from a business point of view, it opens another door for businesses to make more contacts and to reach more customers. It’s another internet marketing outlet that businesses should be testing out. It’s the best idea to try it out for yourself and see what it can do for you.

By Britnee Nguyen

According to a recent study, it was found that women use social media networks more than men. The study used Google Ad Planner numbers to find this interesting conclusion. The majority of social media users are women, but not all the networks are dominated by females. The one exception is Digg which has 64 percent of its users as men. LinkedIn, YouTube, deviantART and del.icio.us have about equal numbers when it comes to genders using their networks.

But in general, the social media world is dominated by women. Facebook and Twitter both account 57 percent of female users and Flickr has 55 percent. What does this information mean? Well, for one thing, if you are a business using social media and internet marketing to get more information out about your company, you’ll want to consider which outlet to use if you’re specifically targeting women or men.

This also shows that women’s stereotypical habits resonate through social media. When I think of social media, think of people who are regularly submitting their opinions and interesting things they found on the web and getting the latest gossip and news. Women tend to do the exact same things in person; they like to get the latest gossip and give their opinions and talk about interesting things they’ve found. It’s a huge generalization I’m making, but it does account to why maybe social media attracts more women than men.

Women being the more dominant force in social media should be a positive for most businesses. This is because 80 percent of women are the decision-making one in their household when it comes to buying power. The more that a business can convince women that they need their product, the more profits they’ll make. If they choose to use social media to reach women, then it is very easy to do so.

When it comes to reaching men it might be slightly more difficult, but still doable since a lot of men still use social media as well. Do your research before setting out on a social media marketing plan. Know who you are trying to target and which networks are the best to reach that target market, whether it’s women or men.