What is Web 2.0?
Web 2.0 is user generated content. The advances in web technology have made it easy for non-technical users to publish content (copy, photos & video) to the web and they are publishing it in vast quantities.
Where is Web 2.0?
Web 2.0 is in the "social media". Social media is the websites that allow users to publish this content. It includes blogs and community sites, such as Flickr, YouTube, Facebook and Bebo.
Why do Web 2.0?
Web 2.0 is about community. The answer for online communities is the same as it is for any community. Members join for mutual benefit. The benefits for each member may be different (belonging, respect, need) and the price of entry is participation, whether as a creator, critic, collector, joiner of spectator.
Like I said, your thoughts are welcome ...
3 comments:
Hi Tom,
A useful (short) summary of Web 2.0 and social media.
The immediate response is - so what?
But if the underlying dynamics of this trend are missed then companies and individuals alike could be left behind.
To make this work you need to see marketing in a very different way. No more the "stop what you are doing so I can interrupt you because I want to show you something" kind of advertising. It now requires a form of advertising that engages the community if it is done well it energises them to circulate it within their groups and sub groups. They decide whether the message is worth circulating and this is key - they have the power to amplify or attenuate the message.
It means that marketing messages in the social media space need to be creative and engaging. They must also capture the culture of the group at which it is aimed. Failure to do so will be like seeing your dad giving it large at your school disco.
Lets hear more
Rob
So what is what comes next! I'm trying to establish a clear starting point.
Thanks for the comment - v useful
It's worth adding that the additional attraction of participating in social media, for now at least, is the fact that user-generated content is also great for search engine optimisation.
In terms of what comes next, take a look at my "Starting Your Social Media Campaign" blog post at http://webmarketingmusings.blogspot.com/2008/10/hopping-on-to-social-media-marketing.html.
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