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Web 2.0 Marketing Strategy

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Online Entrepreneurs Cut Costs But Gain Conversions With Web 2.0 Marketing

Web 2.0 marketing is when an online entrepreneur utilizes various social networking sites, forums and blogs to reach a wider target audience and hopefully increase sales in the process.

But what makes it so powerful?

In the world of web 2.0, peer-to-peer recommendations are what matters and you have a better possibility of getting to know your prospects and cater to their needs than you do when all you have to present to them is a static website.

One of the main perks of operating with a web 2.0 marketing campaign, as opposed to options like pay per click, is that your costs are kept to a minimal. Most web 2.0 marketing sites are completely free to use - so your only investment is the time you put into creating good content for your reader.

Take this Squidoo lens, for example. You're here reading this valuable tutorial on web 2.0 marketing. It didn't cost me anything to create the page - Squidoo offers free pages called lenses and you're allowed to have unlimited pages and unlimited accounts, too. But it took time to create the content itself - and that's important, because I want to make sure it's going to somehow change your life for the better. You can learn how to profit from Squidoo quickly and easily, too.

Learn How a Good Web 2.0 Strategy Can Help You Earn Money!

Web 2.0: A Strategy Guide: Business thinking and strategies behind successful Web 2.0 implementations

by: Amy Shuen

Amazon Price: $8.99 (as of 02/16/2012)
List Price: $24.99

"I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of this wonderful book. I normally don't set aside current books to dive into a new one, but this is a book that I've been waiting on for a long time and I was eager to jump right in -- and what a treat it turned out to be!

If you aren't a techie, Web 2.0 probably doesn't mean much to you. You might think it is just the "next version" of the Internet or just a new way of doing things online -- such as blogging, video, etc. In this the book the author shows you that Web 2.0 is so much more than the "what" -- it's actually mostly about the "how".

How can a business -- be it IBM or your one-man home-based operation -- benefit from new advances and developments online? How can you change your way of thinking about business to take advantage of the power of communities that are popping up all over the Internet? How can you learn from others, such as Amazon and Flickr, who made major changes to their business models and discovered new ways of doing business?

If you want another book on geek tech, then this book isn't for you. If you own your own business, or are just merely an employee looking for innovative ways of getting things done, this book is for you. I have no doubt that there will be people who read this book who will have an "Aha!" moment and transform the Internet even more. I learned so much from this book that it is difficult to just pick one or two main points to focus on.

When you are done with this book you'll understand how revolutions and evolutions on the Internet have changed the way we do business -- from online to offline. You'll also better understand how social networks play such a crucial role in everyday life and how they are turning traditional business models on their head.

You owe it to yourself to read this book -- your take on business will never be the same afterwards. "

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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Which Web 2.0 Sites Are Worth Your Time to Market On?

There are some sites that offer you more control than others. There are four basic web 2.0 categories that you can build a marketing blueprint with and those are:

Social networking sites like the lens you're on right now offer one option. These sites generally have rules and regulations. You have specific topics that aren't allowed here, for instance. On Hub Pages, another great site to build web 2.0 content on, you're allowed to market, but are limited to two links per website. Google Knol and WetPaint are two additional sites you'll want to check out for your web 2.0 marketing campaign.

Forums within your niche are another opportunity for this type of free marketing. You have to be careful with forums because acting like you're there to sell will put you in disfavor with the members. Instead, enter a forum in your niche with the intention to help. Let your signature file carry a hyperlink to your domain and people will follow it to learn more.

Blogs that you create via WordPress and Blogger can rank well in the search engines and generate a loyal following of consumers who put your blog into their RSS feeder so they get alerts every time you post something new. Blogs give you the opportunity to promote products via banners and text hyperlinks.

Article directories such as Ezine Articles are a form of web 2.0 marketing that has restrictions, such as no PLR topics allowed, but have the ability to send your content (and your hyperlink in the author's bio box) viral as publishers pick it up to use on their sites that already have a strong following. Article directories are free and also offer perks the more content you submit.

Discover How Web 2.0 Gives Power to the People

Marketing to the Social Web: How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business

by: Larry Weber

Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 02/16/2012)
List Price: $24.95

"If you are perplexed by the light speed evolution of marketing on the Web, this book is for you. The author is has been deeply involved in the Web since the beginning of time, on both the technical and business fronts. Thus,Weber paints a very clear picture of how social media evolved, what it looks like, how businesses should use it, and where it is going. The book provides a lot of detail and advice to help marketing professionals understand things like-

The differences between traditional and new media.
How to engage customers in real conversations.
How to target customers in the social Web.
How to implement social marketing strategies.
What mistakes to avoid in social marketing (based on case study examples.)
How to vibrant customer communities.
Blogging.

Weber's practical advice for marketers is spot on, but what really struck me is the conceptual framework he provides. He sees the social Web as an integrated whole, which is very important. You can't understand how to effectively use the pieces of the social Web - blogs, microsites, social network sites, etc. - until you see how all the pieces fit together.

Weber's model of the marketing department of the future is fascinating. For starters, he envisions the CMO having a director of paid media and a director of unpaid media. This in itself is a great concept that will help companies prevent the stovepiping of individual social Web initiatives and ensure new media and old media programs are likewise integrated. Right now, old reporting structures are making it difficult for companies tap into the power of new marketing tools at their fingertips."

Release Date: 12/31/1969

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Creating a Powerful Web 2.0 Marketing Strategy That Packs a Punch

So what makes or breaks a web 2.0 marketing campaign? It has to do with your attitude as an online marketer. If you're not here to really get to know your target audience or you don't care what they buy as long as you make a commission, then you won't have a very successful run at web 2.0 marketing.

A good web 2.0 marketer does the following for his or her target audience:

Provides good content that gives true tips to the reader. It can't be all fluff and promises in the world of web 2.0 Think of a way you can give your reader bite-sized chunks of information they can use today.

Breaks up text with relevant images. It doesn't matter how interesting the text is, you should break it up with images to give the reader's eyes a rest. You can buy $1 images in the smallest size (which are actually quite large) on iStockPhoto.com and use them on your lenses, Hub Pages, and Google Knols as well as your blogs!

Promotes the web 2.0 page so people can find it. Please don't adhere to the motto "if you build it, they will come." That's just not true in an online marketing enterprise. It's your responsibility to actively promote a web 2.0 page just as you would a static sales page.

Offers a way to contact him or her. Can your readers get ahold of you? This is a peer influence arena, and as a peer, they may want to shoot you an email or contact you through your blog. Let them interact by allowing comments on blogs, including a guestbook on your Squidoo lens or Hub Page, and checking your private messages on forums.

A potent web 2.0 marketing campaign begins and ends with your attitude. It can perform highly or be a complete waste of your time depending on how you view your connection to your target audience. Take advantage of the tips provided here and see how the world of social networking can increase your income significantly!