In my last blog, I gave an overview of Google’s answer to Facebook, Google+. So now that the two internet giants are facing off, what are the differences and advantages of each?

The first thing that jumps out is privacy. Facebook works on what is essentially a one-to-all sharing model, and while you can manage post visibility through lists and group privacy settings, it isn’t that easy to do. Google+ is structured around “Circles” which are private groups. It’s easy to share specific information with the group you want to see it. In response to “Circles,” Facebook is in the process of updating its privacy and location control settings, so Google’s edge here may soon go away.

For ease of use, Google+ again has the edge. It is simpler, easier to understand and use.

It is the same with the chat feature, which functions better than Facebook, both for texting and for video chat. “Hangouts” is a Google+ feature that lets users join group video chats. You can send messages during the hangout and watch YouTube videos as a group. Facebook recently launched video calling that is powered by Skype, but there is not a free of charge way to create group video chats though one-on-one video chats are possible.

Google+ with “Sparks” offers a basic news reader. Here users can create customized news feeds that will stream stories from all over the web on topics of interest. This differs from the Facebook news feed which focuses on your friends.

In Facebook, you only get posts and status updates from people who are your friends. In Google+, you have the option to see updates from people you aren’t following but who are following you. As well, you can “hangout” with people who are not in your “circle.”

Interestingly, since the introduction of Google+, usage is trending toward people who are younger (under 35 years old) and wealthier. As always, marketers face quite a challenge to develop the right social media strategies. The landscape always changes and flexibility is key to social media success. Google+ is starting to get traction in Europe. While not yet important enough to build social media marketing campaigns around, it may be soon. Here are some statistics pertaining to  Google+ users from July:

U.S. 433,000
UK 39,000
Germany 26,000
France 23,00
Spain 20,000