The Secrets of Marketing in a Web 2.0 World - WSJ.com

Consumers are flocking to blogs, social-networking sites and virtual worlds.

Excerpt from article by Salvatore Parise, Patricia J. Guinan and Bruce D. Weinberg. Graphics Peter & Maria Hoey

For marketers, Web 2.0 offers a remarkable new opportunity to engage consumers. If only they knew how to do it.

Tips:
Join the Discussion

Don't just talk at consumers -- work with them throughout the marketing process.

Give consumers a reason to participate. Consumers have to have some incentive to share their thoughts, opinions and experiences on a company Web site.

Listen to -- and join -- the conversation outside your site. Consumers tend to trust one another's opinions more than a company's marketing pitch. And there is no shortage of opinions online.

Resist the temptation to sell, sell, sell. When consumers are invited to participate in online communities, they expect marketers to listen and to consider their ideas. They don't want to feel like they're simply a captive audience for advertising, and if they do they're likely to abandon the community.

Embrace experimentation. One Web 2.0 strategy does not fit all, and sometimes the best way to find out what's best for a given company is to try some things out and see what happens.

My Take

The Wall Street Journal is not exactly the San Jose Mercury News. Now that social media is becoming east coast news, it's time for Main Street small businesses to pay attention.

The rules for using social media are not cast in stone. Any approach with which you are comfortable can establish your presence on the Social Web. You may see results quickly.

It is hard to go wrong taking a first, baby step. Your only misstep is no step.

YouGottaCall - First E-mail to Prospective Members

Excerpted from email sent to team members.

Project Update Vol. 1 Issue 1

July 24, 2007

Here is a newsletter that will begin to provide you with information on the progress of the venture we've discussed - our team, our development efforts, our installations and the market opportunity.

Our site is still not hosted as we are still in stealth mode. Please treat this information as confidential - do not reproduce or forward it. If you wish to be removed from our mailing list please opt out below by clicking "Leave this list".

This first issue highlights an article published today by The Kelsey Group. The Kelsey Group is a "leading provider of strategic research and analysis, data and competitive metrics on Yellow Pages, electronic directories and local media."

"When Will Yellow Pages Come to the Social?" observes that the Yellow Page publishers have been slow to adopt social networking as a way to increase their considerable local market influence.

"With the wealth of local content and obvious verticals, IYPs could take a local leadership position in topical areas such as local services/contractors, home improvement, home decorating, financial, health care, entertainment, weddings and other lifestyle oriented topics that would be attractive to social media users."

The writer quotes Sebastian Provencher, as saying Social search has a great future but I think its difficult to start from scratch. There might be an amazing opportunity out there for directory publishers (and anyone operating a local search site with a good amount of traffic) to launch a social search application."

We think the opposite is true. Large publishers might be unable or unwilling to respond to opportunities quickly enough. Plus, the Internet allows start-ups with good ideas to outmaneuver giants.

The article also cites Boomj as a social networking with an e-commerce component. What a great idea!

Please feel free to write or call to learn more about our project.

Yours truly,

Tim Tracey

Wednesday July 25, 2007 - 06:32am (EDT)