Google+ brand pages are now live - that's right, that means that your business and brand now has official permission from Google to use its social network.

Previously, Google took the somewhat controversial move to ask brands to stop creating profiles. Google wanted brands to have pages - not profiles - because otherwise that interrupted its system of real-name-only users .

Now, however, brand pages are fully operational and you can see the shiny new promotional video on Mashable's website.

Despite calls that Google+ is dead - having missed the opportunity to capitalise on the initial furore surrounding its launch by slowly adding features, like brand pages, when Facebook already has a fully operational infrastructure - many brands, including WAN-IFRA, have jumped on the opportunity to gain exposure on another social media platform. FC Barcelona, Burberry, Fox News all have pages - but the question is has public interest in Google + waned irrevocably? Will the pages be used?

Google's colossal revenue of around $38 billion, which still trounces Facebook, and its domination of the search market make it a heavy weight of the tech world. Despite Facebook's half a billion daily users, it is still possible that Google's enormous amount of resources and the advantages of its enormous draw to advertisers will give it enough of an edge to compete with the giant of the social networking world.

Another important consideration is whether Google brand pages can offer businesses any advantages over Facebook? The idea of a video hangout with consumers is one feature that Google offers, but Facebook doesn't. In spite of Google's advertising muscle, brands are increasingly offering Facebook exclusives - take for instance the perfume ring released by the fashion house Oscar della Renta. The brand had not released a fragrance in ten years but chose to offer its perfume via Facebook alone.

Has Google missed the boat and failed to capitalise on the chance to topple the social media goliath that is Facebook? It's possible - but then slow and steady has won the race before, and can any business afford to underestimate the power of Google?

Sources: Google+: WAN-IFRA, Facebook: Oscar de la Renta, Mashable, Newsy, Slate