One of the latest buzzwords being used in the internet marketing circles is "Web 2.0" so I asked you, my readers, if you are were using any Web 2.0 methods in your business.
Only 2 people voted and 1 of the 2 votes stated they didn't really know what Web 2.0 meant!
Now I may be wrong but I am going to take a wild guess and state, the lack of response in this recent poll was because most people don't know and understand what Web 2.0 is.
So today let's examine what Web 2.0 is and how it's different from Web 1.0.
First let me state that Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0 is unlike what you're used to when it comes to most products. Usually when a new version of computer software or computer technology becomes available it is so different everyone can see the difference and improvement. Also, the move to the newer version is a clean and clear changeover.
With the internet, things evolve. So as we move from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and eventually to Web 3.0, you won't wake up 1 morning to discover a whole new internet. No 1 big internet entity is going to upgrade everything while we are all offline.
Rather, the move to Web 2.0 started several years ago and is still happening. Many people are using Web 2.0 sites, products and services without knowing that these are part of the new, improved internet.
Second, Web 2.0 doesn't have the characteristics most expect when upgrading to a newer version of something. Web 2.0 doesn't mean faster, it doesn't mean major bug fixes and it doesn't mean new capabilities. Although Web 2.0 does have these things, that's not what Web 2.0 is about.
At this point I'd like you to take a few minutes to watch a short video I've shown you before. The first third shows what Web 1.0 is and then it moves into the birth of Web 2.0 with examples of some Web 2.0 sites that you already know about.
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SIDE NOTE:
The video you just watched was created by an anthropology professor at K-State, my alma mater, and it is currently the best and most viewed online video showing what Web 2.0 means.
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So what is Web 2.0?
"Web 2.0 is linking people ...
... people sharing, trading, and collaborating ..."
Web 2.0 allows internet users to connect and interact with each other through means other than email, forums and chat rooms.
Web 2.0 is allowing the internet to actually put some meaning into "global community" by bringing it's users together and letting them share ideas, pictures and videos.
Blogger, MySpace, Squidoo, Flickr and YouTube are some of the most used and well known Web 2.0 sites. They are free places where internet users can submit things so other internet users may see them. They allow the submitted items to be viewed, commented on and provide links so the items may be shared on other sites across the web.
Web 2.0 is making the internet 1 big global community where everyone has the opportunity to become a recognized expert at something.
The above video is an example of what I mean. Before this video became available, I'd never heard of Mike Wesch and his ideas of Media Ecology and Cultural Anthropology. You'd probably never heard of K-State (BTW, it's a really good school in other fields of study too). Now, that video has been viewed 2,442,062+ times, has received 5334 comments and has been bookmarked by 22,008 viewers. That's a lot of people who now know more about Web 2.0 and the creator of the video. Professor Wesch has become a recognized expert to more than 2 million people!
To quote 1 of the more recent comments on another of Professor Wesch's YouTube videos,
"That's Awesome! Web2.0 is really connect people together in a way that's never been done before!
We have passed the information age.
We are NOW in the Communication AGE!"
Web 2.0 is not just another buzzword. It means we now have the capability to actively communicate and share with other internet users. So the next time you're asked, are you using any Web 2.0 methods with your online business, you'll know what they're asking and how to respond.
To Your Success,
Susan
P.S. If you found this tip useful please leave a comment.
Tags: web 2.0, internet marketing, communications, blogging, youtube, myspace
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