Each month we update you on what’s going on in the search and social media worlds. It’s that time again! Over the last several weeks, most of the news seems to have come from Google’s neck of the woods — largely due to the much-anticipated launch of G+ Pages.
From that change in the social media world to branding changes from two big players in the search industry, here are some stories you might have an interest in.
1. Google Plus Launches Pages for Businesses
The biggest news in the social media world lately was the launch of Google Plus Pages. Google upset some business owners previously when they were told not to sign up for Google Plus because the company wasn’t yet ready to handle business accounts. While the new Pages leave much to be desired (and updates are planned — such as allowing multi-user access), at least businesses eager to jump into the network now have the means to do so. What are your thoughts? Is this is a case of “better late than never” or “too little too late?”
[source]2. Bing Deals Becomes MSN Offers
In our first rebranding announcement of the day, Microsoft is changing the brand identity of their daily deals service. No longer tied to the Bing branding, they will now be called MSN Offers.
[source]3. Google Announces More Service Shutdowns
Google is still in house cleaning mode as they streamline services. More on the chopping block include Knol, Gears, Bookmark Lists, Wave, and more. Will you miss any of these services? Tell us why.
[source]4. Google Checkout Merges with Google Wallet
You may have heard the recent buzz about Google Wallet as a mobile payment solution. But now Google is officially rolling their older Google Checkout payment processing service into the Google Wallet brand. Does Google Wallet make you feel more or less interested in using Google for financial services?
[source]5. Google Music Store Launches, Enables G+ Song Sharing
Google already offered a storage locker for music, but now they’re officially competing with the likes of iTunes and Amazon with their new Google Music Store. How is this tied to search and social media? Aside from yet another venture from the search giant, Google is adding a social component to their music store. Users will be able to share songs purchased through Google on their Google Plus accounts, letting followers hear a song once on the social network for free.
[source]What other stories caught your interest over the last several weeks in the search and social media industries? Share your thoughts and other news in the comments below.
