Assignment 4-Part 1

Assignment 4: Understanding web marketing and devising a web marketing strategy

Web Marketing Regarding Web 2.0

For Assignment 4-Part 1 I have been asked to read and summarise as many documents as I can that relate to web marketing specifically regarding Web 2.0. The first document I am going to summarise is Web 2.0 Marketing (By Sean Carton, www.clickz.com/showPage.html?page=3559851).

This article appears on Clickz website under advertising and technology and contains a general sypnosis on Web 2.0 Marketing. It outlines the ups and downs of Web 2.0 and how everything has its problems (“But we shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.Openness does have its limits. As Xeni Jardin said recently on “Wired News,” “When you invite the whole world to your party, inevitably someone pees in the beer.” On the other hand, inviting your users to supply content in the form of pictures, video, tags, reviews, stories, and so on, can really help develop community. And as many bloggers have learned, participating in these kinds of things can help raise your profile and provide a forum for you ideas (provided you’ve got good ones) as a way of helping your business or promoting your products and services”)-Web 2.0 Marketing, By Sean Carton.

The author suggests a few tips of how marketers should look at the possibilities of Web 2.0, he suggests that one should remember that they are part of a community and should only participate in a way which will benefit the whole community and misguiding people for your own benefit will only hurt the community. When exchanging free information, their are many who could maliciously ruin your project therefore one should have a strict privacy policy to encourgae users from spreading offensive material. When inviting the public everyone will have their own opinion therefore you should be prepared, you should not block critics, if you deal with them in a positive manner it can turn around problems. Don’t mix your content with marketing as it can be spotted very quickly such as a thinly disguised advertisement (“On the other hand, using editorial to promote products can be pretty effective if done correctly”)-Web 2.0 Marketing, By Sean Carton. (“Examine your motives. Are you jumping on the Web 2.0 bandwagon because it fits your strategy or because it’s the current thing to do? Examining this question will tell you whether you’re really ready to come to the party. It’s a long-term commitment”)-Web 2.0 Marketing, By Sean Carton. And lastly get ready to work, the social network needs to be cared for and updated constantly, one should have the budget and will to continue the project.

The next document im going to review is Web 2.0 Can Be Bad For Business (By Jakob Nielsen, http://www.e-consultancy.com/news-blog/364780/jakob-nielsen-web-2-0-can-be-bad-for-business.html). In this article Jakob Nielsen argues that the average internet user does not know how to use all the Web 2.0 applications and can easily get frustrated with such sites, therefore creators should not use so many Web 2.0 functions on their websites.

According to Nielsen:
(“While a modest 2.0 infusion can be beneficial, advanced features are rarely the most important contributor to good user experience or profitable websites.”)-Web 2.0 Can Be Bad For Business, By Jakob Nielsen
(“If you get caught up in the hype, you divert attention and resources from the simpler things that really matter. This opportunity cost is the real reason to take it easy on Web 2.0.”)-Web 2.0 Can Be Bad For Business, By Jakob Nielsen

Overall the document is about Nielsens argument that Web 2.0 can be bad for business, many features can benefit consumers such as user reviews but on the other hand they can also make sites very complicated.

Last but not least im going to review Web 2.0 Marketing – 5 Concepts That Matter(By David Skul, http://ezinearticles.com/?Web-2.0-Marketing-5-Concepts-That-Matter&id=881698). This article is about succeeding in a Web 2.0 world, according to David Skul “Trying to succeed in a Web 2.0 world means having to discard old marketing notions and embrace new ones”. The article gives readers tips on how to succeed in Web 2.0 makreting.

1. Firstly the users of the site matter more than the marketing. The web is all about the users, people do not just want to come and go, they want to be entertained and enjoy what they are using. The only way one can succeed is to think about the users first not the market.

2. Secondly one should forget the business and think of the entertainment. A user will not be entertained or enjoy the content of the website if it looks like it has come out of a textbook. Youu need to capture the attention of your user, using all sorts of media such as pictures, audio and videos.

3. Communicate realistically. The users of your site are real people, the user needs to know the point of your site and what you are trying to say. If the site is filled with useless nonsense and it is not to the point, your user is going to get annoyed and frustrated and won’t visit the site again. Most sites have a marketing message which is confusing and hard to get around. You need to commmunicate a beleivable marketing message.

4. Think of the experience you want your user to have while visiting your site, not the features and logic. Trying to influence a user to buy a product just because of its features and logic will only work for a short time, people buy things because of their experience and emotion not features and logic.

5. Focus on the long term campaigns and not the one time advertisements. One time adds are a watse of time and will be forgotten within a matter of minutes. Long term campaigns take time, a lot of commitment. As David Skul would say “adiences love to be courted and wooed with meaningful conversations and long term campaigns that relate your story and deliver your focused message”

Overall, the article is about how to make a web 2.0 site succesful and not unsuccesful.