There is always something new popping up in the land of social media, and this time there are some really promising developments. Two of the biggest happenings include Facebook adding a new video chat feature and the launch of a possible rival, Google+.

The New Facebook Chat Feature

Facebook Video ChatFacebook, the world’s largest social media network, teamed up with Skype to bring us a video calling feature. To use it, you click on the little camera icon within the chat window while logged into Facebook. This is a one-on-one feature, with no group calling capabilities, and you can’t make calls outside of your Facebook friends. These limitations aren’t necessarily a deal killer, unless you’re a hermit, and then you probably don’t have any friends and it doesn’t matter.

This new feature will be fun for the younger generations who seem to prefer chatting through a device over having a conversation in person, but it is also beneficial to business professionals. Considering how Facebook has 750 million members (making it the biggest social media network out there), you can assume most people that you know or want to talk to will be on there. If you find yourself needing to connect to a client, distant co-worker, etc. and email just isn’t cutting it, you can now have a quick video chat. It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s free. Facebook video chat makes for a fun way to connect to someone in a more personal capacity than an email or even a phone call.

What’s Google+?

Google PlusThere’s a new kid on the block, and he seems a little more serious about getting a piece of the social media pie than his predecessors (Buzz, Wave, etc.). Google+ is a promising new social media platform with some familiar and exciting features. It has a similar setup to Facebook and Twitter with it’s stream of updates from the people you have chosen as friends. You get to organize your friends into different circles, which gives you some nice control over what you share with whom. Like other sites, you can post articles and videos, you have a profile and photos, and you can “+1″ a status you enjoy. There is also a nifty video chat feature called “Hangouts” which allows you have a video chat with a bunch of your friends at once.

Google+ started as an invitation only beta, but has now moved into a more open status. Google has released mobile applications for Android and iPhone to make it even easier to access. After about three weeks, Google+ gained 20 million users… it’s not quite the new Facebook yet, but it’s growing by about 750,000 people a day.

A social media platform with this much growth is something to pay attention to, especially if you enjoy marketing your business through social media. Google+ presents a new way of connecting with people and opens up some fun new ways to communicate and share information. Hermits might just come out of the mountains for this one!