Web 2.0 Marketing: What in the Heck is Web 2.0?

Welcome back!

First, a rough definition. Web 2.0 is the evolution of the internet from a place of static web pages to an interactive community-focused series of platforms. This article is going to lay out broader definition of Web 2.0 from a marketing and social perspective rather than a technological perspective.

Let’s look a few of the hottest Web 2.0 platforms today.

1. Video. Sites like Youtube, Google video, Metacafe.

2. Facebook

3. MySpace

4. Twitter

All of these sites are places where people can interact and socialize with others. But the real beauty of these sites (and other web 2.0 platforms of which there are many) is that people can share opinions, hear ‘insider information’ from one another, and interact in a more “real world” environment…similar to the offline world.

The internet benefits from Web 2.0 by having personalities and relationships return to the online world. People want relationships. It’s innate.

Take for instance online commerce. A static corporate or ecommerce website does little to build trust, whereas a website with a video and place for customer/reader feedback is transformed into an interactive site where trust is built quickly and easily…with the result being that sales increase dramatically (if of course the video is done well).

How can this work?

The answer is fairly obvious. People like human interaction and relationships in general; however, there’s another reason. On the internet, people are looking for information, not to be sold. In the off-line world we are continually bombarded with over-the-top marketing/advertising. When people use the internet, they’re typically in another mindset. They’re looking for VALUE, good content and opinions from people they can trust. Web 2.0 offers an effective and satisfying solution.