By M.Christian

YNOT EUROPE – Unless you’ve been living under a particularly big rock, you must have heard that internet giant Google has muscled into a piece of digital turf previously occupied by another big player: Facebook.

Though Google’s simply named social network Google+ may be very new on the web landscape, many people already see the property as an aggressive threat to the leader in the space — perhaps even a “Facebook killer.”

Writing for Search Engine Watch, Kaila Strong laid out some of Google+’s strengths as they relate to marketing. Even though Strong does not explicitly say anything about … well, “explicit” marketing, much of what she does say about could apply as easily to adult as to mainstream.

One of the features Strong sees as most potentially exciting is Google+’s Hangouts. “Live Hangout,” a mobile app that allows real-time audiovisual streaming to smart phones with front-facing cameras, adds a Skype-like dimension to otherwise less-personal social media interaction. At present the app is available only for mobile devices based on the Google-developed Android operating system or Apple’s iOS, but if it takes off, Google probably will add other OSes.

Another Hangout feature with marketing potential is “Hangouts On Air,” which allow users to broadcast a live stream to large groups. Strong sees potential here for webinars, training sessions and even live performances. Anything broadcast may be recorded … though how tolerant of adult entertainment Google will be remains to be seen.

In addition, Google+ Hangouts offer screensharing and a sketchpad feature. The elements enable users to share whatever’s on their screens with others in the virtual room, all of whom can interact and draw on each other’s screens to illustrate concepts they may have trouble verbalizing. Although doubtless created with professional and personal collaboration in mind, the feature holds promise for gaming and adult applications, as well.

Google+ Hangouts can be created by almost anyone for almost any interest. Say you want to share information with one audience but not others. Simply group contacts into separate Hangouts with restrictions on membership. For further customizability, Hangouts may be public or private.

“Use these hangouts to meet up with a support group and invite others to join in on the conversation as well,” Strong wrote. “Hold an online networking event and connect with prospective customers too. The possibilities are endless.”

Among the uses to which specialized hangouts already have put are fantasy football drafts, game shows and guitar lessons. Google released a developer preview of the Hangouts API, an open-source addition to the Google+ platform that will allow third parties to create even more interactive real-time applications for the network. Again, there’s no telling how Google will respond to adult developers jumping on that bandwagon. All apps developed using the API must be vetted by Google before they may be uploaded to the platform.

For do-it-yourself marketers, Google+ promises more flexibility than Facebook’s current incarnation without requiring users to relearn an environment with which they’re already familiar.

Google+ is now in public beta. Membership is free.