Tag Archives: web 2.0

Understanding Web 2.0, part two

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This is a second part to the Understanding Web 2.0 series.

You may not always agree with the different perspectives, or the tips given about how to better make use of Web 2.0, but at least I feel this is giving your mind the opportunity to see a different side.

Make sure you review the first series so that you know what we are talking about.social media networks The social media, Web 2.0 as commonly referred to needs to have pr clients, pr agencies and all marketing experts “change their mindsets” on how to improve their marketing. Let’s jump forward to a few more of the 12 steps by Larry Weber.

4. Target behavior. Traditionally, marketers did this by demographics. This is still the practice, because we have been taught that media is bought in that manner. The new marketing changes this pr marketing strategy. The web actually can map the behavior more closely. You can track a visitor’s behavior by the amount of time they spend on a page. Social Web will do much more and provide a lot of informative details about the visitor. Customers are more open on these sites, letting you know what they like, how often they visit a place, or purchase the kinds of items they want. The old strategy was too much a one-to-one targeting. Now we need to see the behavior, know that the individual visits four or five different types of sites. These factors paint a better behavior picture and opens up a new marketing strategy.

I am not going in any specific order that Mr. Weber wrote, so if you want to view all the 12 steps now, you can do so by clicking here.

5. Invert your strategy. For all those pr marketing strategy people, and marketing strategy people, listen to this. Traditionally you worked from the top down. Now it is to be from the bottom up. Companies should test ideas and products, and let the strategy bubble up from there, rather than trickling down from top management. For example, using Social Web you can test quickly, and learn from those results. You can ask questions as to what the customer would pay, where to find the product, etc. This should be part of an overall marketing strategy, such as in the automotive or soft drink industry that relies heavily on traditional marketing strategies. Using Social Web can open your marketing eyes and help build a strong pr marketing strategy.

I’ll point out more of the 12 steps in another blog. So for now, do your homework. Start thinking non-traditionally and get into the social network. When you want results and are not sure how to building a solid pr marketing strategy, give George Carson a call. Carson Marketing can make things happen for you.

Understanding Web 2.0

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The “social media” network is neither a trend nor a fad. It is real and it is changing how businesses think their pr marketing strategies.

Businesses have changed their approach on marketing as new technologies emerge. Look at radio and television. It made marketers, pr clients; all change how to reach their audience from traditional print media. Then came direct mail, telemarketers, and catalogs. This again forced marketers to re-think their approach. If you do not change your pr marketing strategy or your overall advertising plan, then you will be left in the dust as your competitors move forward.

I have written several articles on this web 2.0 subject for the past 8 months. Warning pr clients, ad agencies, and publicitysocial media web 2.0 firms to “open their marketing eyes” and look what the Internet is doing. For example, no longer is the marketer in charge of telling the consumer about their great product or service. This doesn’t make the cut anymore. It is the consumer who is in control. They tell you what they want, when they want it, and how they will buy it. If your pr marketing strategies are not including this process of the consumer, then you need to re-think about changing to another marketing company that is sensitive to the Web 2.0 and how it affects pr clients.

I read a great article in Brandweek that made me realize marketers, and pr clients alike are not addressing this new social media correctly. It’s called “The 12 Steps to the Interactive Future”. It mainly highlights the 12 steps written by Larry Weber who is an expert on social media. His book titled: “How Digital Customer Communities Build Your Business”. I will give you a few of the steps now, then a few more in another blog.

1- Change your marketing mindset. Marketers still define target markets by communicating with prospective customers, building loyalty. These old techniques are not going to work today. Your pr marketing strategy, or ad plan needs to re-think, get out of that old box mindset. You need to be more transparent to the customer. Don’t try to brag about whom you are and your product. It is about nurturing relationships and dialog with customers, prospects and all those active in the community.

2- Make your brand come alive. To make a branding program successful today you need to recognize that brand equity is shifting away from brand essence and brand recall. Mr. Weber points out that branding is a living thing. Something that marketers cannot accept, at least not yet. A good example of this new dialogue is GoogleTalk, Google Groups and Blogger. Oh, did you notice these are blog type-sites. Something I have been pushing for two years! Google keeps asking customers what they want and then responds. That’s making your brand come alive!

3- Out with the old Segmentation. It doesn’t surprise me that marketers for the most part, still segment their pr marketing strategy by demographics such as age or gender. Ok, some products and services need to do this. If you are promoting an assisted living complex, yes, then some of the traditional methods work. But today, you need to segment by behavior, attitudes and interests. Forget the age and gender. These groups are what are important, not age, or gender.

These three points of the 12 should make you realize that the Web 2.0, or social media, or Business Web (all are the same, just different tags) shows how you, as a pr client, or marketing professional needs to re-think your mindset. If not, then read my next three steps. Happy marketing!