The Daily Stat: 40 million +

Google+ users so far
Source: Google Q3 Earnings Press Release

In last month's quarterly earnings call Google CEO, Larry Page announced that Google+ now has over 40 million users with people flocking into the company's new social network at an "incredible rate".

So What?
Having launched only a few months ago, no one can deny that Google+ is growing fast. Real fast. With the recent launch of Google+ Pages, a lot of marketers are now keen on getting their businesses on Google's  hot new social network. However as with a lot of other statistics, this number should be taken with a grain of salt. Here are a few points of consideration before jumping on a Google+ Page:

• 40 million users ≠ 40 million active users Ask any average user and they'll tell you that they're not seeing a whole lot of activity on Google+. It's because only a handful of their friends have joined so far. As a result, the average user isn't visiting Google+ as frequently as they would Facebook. Unless you've already got a huge established brand, you're not likely to get a whole lot of engagement just yet. But there are some promising signs. Hitwise reports that the number of US visits to Google+ for the week ending November 12 was its 3rd highest since its launch.
• The average Google+ user The Google+ user base isn't very diverse. In particular, the network's users are still mostly male techies. If you're targeting a specific market segment other than young male techies, it's probably best to wait a bit or you'll find yourself broadcasting to an audience that isn't there.

This doesn't mean that I don't think Google+ will make for a great marketing channel. I absolutely think it has the potential, especially with its great set of features that allow for deep engagement, as long as it manages to get more people on board quickly.