Google Buzz shows need for multiple social networks

The appearance of Google Buzz shows the need for social network diversification, says gartner

The recent rollout of Google Buzz underlines the need for companies to expand their social networking outlook, according to one industry analyst.

Gartner research vice president Scott Nelson argued in a blog post that the news shows how fluid and fast-moving social networking can be, and warned against companies centring a social networking approach on one site or service.

Nelson further warned that, should Buzz catch on, companies that invested heavily in competing services as the cornerstone of their social networking projects could be left scrambling to adapt.

"Today's hot site is shutting down before you know it. The little up-and-coming site that you never heard of will have 100 million users by year end," said Nelson.

"If you get too tied to a particular site, you end up with the problem that clients are calling me on. When a new one comes along, you don't know what to do."

The solution, according to Nelson, is to distance the company's strategy from a single service, and instead take a big-picture approach. Rather than focus on how one site can be used, Nelson suggested that companies assess what they want to gain from social networking services as a whole.

"Buzz won't be the last of the social media announcements that your firm will need to deal with," he said. "Set your eyes at the strategy level. Then the tactical issue of which sites will fall into place."