Google + User Experience = What can you learn from Google on Social Media

Any connection between Social Media and Google? Obviously we can answer Orkut, the current Google social network, and if a bit more “geek” we can say Social Graph API or OpenSocial. But there’s another interesting thing that connects Google to social media. It’s the Google User Experience, sort of “Mantra”.

The Google User Experience team aims to create designs that are useful, fast, simple, engaging, innovative, universal, profitable, beautiful, trustworthy, and personable. Achieving a harmonious balance of these ten principles is a constant challenge. A product that gets the balance right is “Googley” – and will satisfy and delight people all over the world.

Ok. So then Google is still showing it’s following the path of “Don’t do evil”. But how’s that related to any kind of social media? Because the 10 that contribute to a “Googley” user experience are what you should think about when starting or reviewing your social media strategy:

• Focus on people — their lives, their work, their dreams: people are your fuel, you can’t do anything without them, and they need to know what’s useful for them in what you’re offering (ask yourself what’s in it for my customers while working developing your products/ services)
• Every millisecond counts: if you’re not useful for your consumers, just don’t interrupt them, leave them be and come only when your proposal meets their needs, because waist of time is a step closer to exit (and your a customer too, you know what I mean)
• Simplicity is powerful: as one of the first person I used to work with said to me, just go “straight to the point!” and stop buzz words and stuff like that, consumers aren’t foolish (or only once …)
• Engage beginners and attract experts: beginners are your customers, and experts your evangelists/ ambassadors, so treat both of them with care
• Dare to innovate: people don’t like stasis, they don’t like routine, they want to dream, so let’s innovate or at least try hard
• Design for the world: you know what “www” in front of an Internet address means? so you know the meaning
• Plan for today’s and tomorrow’s business: be a step forward and keep it going like that
• Delight the eye without distracting the mind: what’s really important is the meaning you put into your everyday work
• Be worthy of people’s trust: trust is no value, you can’t pay for it, keep it deep in your mind
• Add a human touch: only human can speak to human (as least for the moment), you know what to do if willing to speak to your consumers

Google sounds still a step forward of their competitors. And that’s what you should hard work to reach.

Thanks to David Armano for sharing

To read more on that topic:

• Fast.Fwd.Innovation Weekly Takeaway
• Google + Web Browser = Chrome as the missing part of the Google User Experience
• Social Media + Consumers = Butter kicker to improve communication, innovation, products, and customer services
• Twitter + Customer Care + Community management = how tweeting may change your brand reputation
• Social Media + Consumer Opinion + Brand = opportunities brands have to join the conversation