To Web 2.0, or not to Web 2.0?
by caroline.martin, MYOB UK Ltd, 7/11/2007
No one would blame you for wanting to hide your head in the sand when it comes to ‘Web 2.0’. Even if you wanted to know more, it’s hard to know where to start. Blogs, wikis, instant messaging, RSS, podcasting, social-networking… with all these new buzzwords, it’s like having to learn a whole new language before you can even begin to understand what Web 2.0 is actually all about and start to exploit it for your business!
In this article we’re going to be explaining what Web 2.0 is, and asking whether it really is a small business marketing phenomenon or just a passing fad which should be treated with caution.
We’d also like to hear about your own experiences of Web 2.0. Have you embraced this new-age marketing strategy? What successes and failures have you experienced? We want to hear your thoughts.
Wikipedia explains Web 2.0 as “a perceived second generation of web-based communities and hosted services — such as social-networking sites, wikis and folksonomies — which aim to facilitate collaboration and sharing between users.”
Perhaps not the clearest definition, but it’s a starting point. How can we leverage these new tools to increase sales and grow businesses? Let’s start with a couple of stats:
- 70% of people who visit networking sites visit a web page afterwards
- 43% go on to search for a product
- 38% forward a recommendation to friends
- 72% of people will post about branded content if they find it interesting
- One third of large corporations in the US are using blogs to connect to customers
- 30% of US businesses now podcast
- 38% of MySpace users are 35+, so Web 2.0 is not the preserve of youth
The Institute of Direct Marketing website (www.theidm.com) reports as follows: “We’re aware of the importance of an online presence for all small businesses and how an effective website can expose you to a whole new set of customers and provide a new sales channel. Now Web 2.0 can act as an advertising vehicle and drive traffic to your website. In marketing terms it’s the 21st Century version of word of mouth.”
Generally tools such as blogging, podcasting and social media come at a relatively low cost or even free. They offer small businesses, who by their nature have small marketing budgets, an opportunity to engage directly with customers and prospects to promote their products, initiate discussion forums and leverage their business profile both nationally and globally.
You do, however, need to think carefully about what will be strategically sound for your business. Consider where your customers and prospects are and how they want to be communicated to. So long as this raises no fundamental objections, it’s safe to say that integrating Web 2.0 tools into your marketing strategy could make a significant difference to your business.
Here are our top five Web 2.0 suggestions:
- Connect with established bloggers and start practicing your posts. Create a strategy to market to bloggers and start a discussion about your business.
- Establish your own blog with links to your website. For free software try www.worldpress.com or www.blogger.com.
- Create your own MySpace or FaceBook page. Don’t forget to look at social networking sites which are not as well known such as www.linkedin.com.
- Add an “email a friend” link to all of your content pages to encourage people to share and recommend your website or blog.
- Explore audio and visual marketing opportunities (podcasting and video blogging (aka “vlogging”)) for your business and products. Make sure you also post these on sites such as You Tube and Google Videos.
With over 1.4 million start-up businesses each year in the UK, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. By incorporating Web 2.0 into your marketing strategy you’re giving your business the opportunity to be a little different.
