How To Embrace Web 2.0 Part 1 - Introduction

Social Networking (Web 2.0), stop browsing and start participating.

It all seems to be a bit of a puzzle.

Web 2.0,
Social Bookmarking,
Social Networking,
and Social Marketing.

It’s all new and unknown stuff.

And the unknown is often dealt with by ignoring it and hoping it will go away.  For businesses that market online (does any business not market online nowadays?), this is a big mistake.

So here is what you need to do to embrace Web 2.0

• Learn about social media (subscribing to this blog is going to help you there)

• Create a Web 2.0 marketing plan (this blog can help you there too)

• Participate! This is the NUMBER ONE piece of advice to take right now. (see below)

• Be Unique, and think out of the box. It’s actually quite fun.

• Help your message to travel. Make it easy for people to spread the word using social bookmarking tools.

• Use Multi-media. Wherever possible, use video, podcasts and newsfeeds as often as possible.

• Measure your success closely, and keep abreast of the fast-changing trends (this blog will help you there)

Of the above list, the most STAND OUT piece of advice is to PARTICIPATE. You will learn much faster if you start visiting general social bookmarking sites such as digg and stumbleupon, facebook and myspace, Squidoo and Hub Pages.

Go and hang out – imagining you are a general USER of the site. Check out your hobbies and see what grabs your interest, while quietly taking mental notes as to WHY it grabbed your interest.

And when I say PARTICIPATE, remember, this is the new word for BROWSE. Don’t just lurk hoping you will gain knowledge from afar. Jump in, join groups, vote, comment and leave messages everywhere. This will truly start to unveil the power of Web 2.0 and reveal why it is buzzing in every orifice of the World Wide Web.

If you are just popping into myspace and looking around the home page, you are not learning anything. Get a profile, join groups and make friends. This business is not for the shy! You need to jump in and get your hands dirty. Expose yourself (not literally!). Mingle. Blend. Fuse. Merge. Mix. Combine. AND SOCIALIZE!

This is what Web 2.0 is all about, and those that just don’t ‘get it’, will be left behind.  So what are you waiting for?

Leave a comment here on this blog.
Digg this blog and give it a stumble.

Then start whirling your way around the social network scene. It will teach you far more than spending hours reading tips and ideas.

In saying that, make sure you come back here to glean more information on the other 6 topics listed above!