Google Friend Connect looks to enhance social networking

The full release of Google Friend Connect appears to be coming soon with the implementation of their support site as reported recently by Google watcher Amit Agarwal. Google made an announcement last spring which opened the door for Websites who are not social networks, but are looking for social features.

Without requiring that site owners have coding experience, Google Friend Connect gives them a way to attract and engage more people by giving visitors a way to communicate with friends on their websites. Website owners can select built-in functionality like user registration, invitations, member’s gallery, message posting, and reviews, as well as third-party applications built by the OpenSocial developer community.

With the popularity of social networks, many marketers may look at this as a way to connect and build relationships with their customer. They will need to carefully consider the lessons learned from opt-in and permission based strategies. Simply because someone joins a new social group doesn’t mean they are suddenly a loyal customer. Content will need to be geared toward building and nurturing this new friendship. We will watch with interest how these new applications are utilized once Google has a full release. 

For more information, watch Google’s YouTube video.