Flipboard on iPad – now Google should be scared

It doesn’t take a lot of justification to invest in an iPad but the decision has now been made a lot easier with the launch of Flipboard.

There is plenty of info on Flipboard on the page http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2010/07/23/flipboard-shows-us-the-future-of-content.aspx?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter but in a nutshell the app allows you to aggregate social media and other online content all into your own personal magazine.  That magazine is always updating and the real benefit is not having to plough through loads of junk to see the stuff that you’re particularly interested in.

So why should Google be scared?  There’s little doubt that Flipboard will be a significant influencer in people buying iPad – the chance to have totally customisable content on an easy-to-carry screen is a dream come true for many.   People could become locked into their own little communities and areas of interest and could become more receptive to advertising messages and input from those within their Flipboard than from the more traditional channels such as Google.   In short, there could become less reliance on going to Google to find answers when many of those answers could be available within Flipboard on the iPad.

Need something and would have previously gone to Google?   As Flipboard evolves it could allow much more interaction with those you’re connected with and the answers will come via those channels.  And if those answers come from people you trust/respect, then that takes revenue from the mouths of Google.   New advertising models will undoubtedly come out of Flipboard as well and because trust will have been built up (through the usefulness of the application), those advertising messages may have more impact than would normally be expected.

Perhaps it’s not just Google that should be scared.  Perhaps it should be businesses in general.  The majority of businesses have barely grasped the concept of having a strong website and effective online advertising – what’s going to happen to them as evolutions such as Flipboard start to move the goalposts again?   As always, we live in interesting times and the ability to respond to change will continue to be of paramount importance in business.