In this article, we will have a closer look at Google Play to see what it offers to both users and marketers.
Music, Movies, eBooks … Oh My!
Google Play was exclusively made to be a hub for all things digital entertainment. Users have the luxury to purchase millions of new songs through Music, the company’s online music store, and store up to 20,000 songs in the cloud at no cost.
Movies will be available in a variety of delicious flavors, including new releases, classics, and HD titles – from action and comedy to drama and sci-fi, the user can enjoy it all right online. To accommodate the reading type, Google Play will offer features that let users easily connect their entire digital library to whatever compatible device they are using.
Flexibility and Control
With Google Play, Google is offering users more power to control their digital entertainment assets. Users are not limited to purchasing content from the company’s service. They can add their own music, eBooks, and other files, and even share their stuff with friends.
Speaking of sharing, much of it is handled by Google+, which is integrated into the service. Google Play allows users to share content with the people in their Circles on Google+, as well as their Gmail contacts via email. Users can also share what they are reading with friends directly from the pages of the book.
Opportunities in Apps
Google Play may be geared toward consumer use, but there is a small window for marketers to slide in and take advantage. That opportunity lies in apps. By tapping into the robust Android Marketplace, the service gives users access to more than 450,000 Android applications and games.
As the professionals with the skills to bring the technology to life, developers obviously stand to benefit, but companies with their own apps can get in on the action as well. For companies, having an provides a way to increase awareness, audience engagement, and even revenue. The freedom and connectivity option Google Play offers can make apps even more powerful.
Summary
Now that the Android Marketplace and Google Music have been rebranded, Google Play is the company’s core platform for digital content. If it is one thing that may hold the service back, it is its closed nature. While the platform is accessible via the web and various devices, it currently only supports new Android devices. This means the legions of users with iPhones and iPads are left out, and in the long run, that factor could end up hindering the growth of Google Play.
About the author: Chiko Noguchi is a freelance writer who loves researching the latest in psychology, online marketing techniques and technology. She also works as a best practices advocate for an online provider of email templates.