January 28, 2008
Web 2.0 is Now…If You Don’t Know Every Site, You’ll Die! MYTH CRUSHER
It’s nothing new that the Internet Marketing world is abuzz with words like Web 2.0, Social Networking and Social Bookmarking. It seems like everyone is scrambling to learn about each and every site and find a way to exploit them as an Internet marketer.
This can be seen in all the Internet Marketing guides for sale on Twitter, Digg, MySpace, Facebook and more.
You see it on Internet Marketing forums when people with good intentions post 150 links to various social bookmarking sites.
You see it on Twitter (where I do like to hang out), people are constantly talking about other places like Utterz, LinkedIn and more.
Haven’t a clue what I’m talking about? Good news! I’m here to tell you it probably doesn’t matter.
Just like yesteryear (and maybe still now) when forums and Yahoo groups were a distraction for entrepreneurs, now people are getting all wacked out on social networking in the often false name of “expanding my business.”
You don’t need to know about every social networking/bookmarking site and you don’t even be a member of the most popular ones.
Here’s a few reasons why:
1. Although you may expand your network by belonging to a bunch of different sites slightly, chances are you’re seeing the SAME people over and over again.
2. Instead of spending your days posting to bookmark and networking sites to generate traffic, you’re better of spending that time DOING something worthwhile IN your own business is that is WORTHY of the buzz.
Many people say that in order to get people talking, you have to get the ball rolling and do a little bookmarking and talking about yourself. Maybe, but if that’s a regular part of your business, you’re going about this in a labor intensive way. Of course, you can hire people to do it for you, but then you might end up looking like an ass like this guy…so be careful.
The point is, a solid business is built on building something worthwhile and yes, we all embark on our own publicity campaigns and they may include social networking sites in their execution. But if the focus of your day has become posting to websites belonging to OTHER people/companies, it’s time to come back home and do something that is truly going to get people talking.
What can you do?
-> Make a report, a video or something that’s hilarious, informative or otherwise grabs the attention of your target audience. And yes, you can post the video to YouTube…I’m not saying NEVER to these types of sites…I’m just saying be smart. 
-> Be controversial with a blog post and get a few other bloggers to write about it too. But don’t sit there all day running around voting for yourself at every social bookmarking site under the WWW sun.
-> Make AWESOME products that people WILL talk about all on their own. Of course, to get things going you can absolutely give them incentive to talk about them by creating an affiliate program or a referral program that earns them points, discounts, etc…but the best comes from geniunely pleased customers that talk about you just because.
In other words, be GREAT. You don’t need everyone on Facebook to know who you are to run an incredibly successful and profitable business, so stop trying.
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Gasp! Say it ain’t so. My queen of all sweeties said “ass.” Well, it is in the Bible.
If you are anal retentive like me (pun intended) then here is a butt-load (the puns never end) of Web 2.0 sites. It really is a good directory:
http://web2.ajaxprojects.com/?Title=Web+2.0
Gotta go, I’ve got a lot of stuff on the “back burner” today. Drum roll - Ba-dum-dum-ching.
Robert
LOL…well, they allow the word on network TV in the context I used it, so I figure it was okay! BLUSH!
Just ragging ya, Alice.
Rock on with your bad self!!
Robert
Just like forums in their glory days, I see these web 2.0 sites as being a possible distraction. I’ve seen people openly talk about their addiction to twitter…maybe they say it jokingly, but I believe they truly are.
If you use twitter, and other web 2.0 on a casual basis and don’t let them take you away from your family and work then I don’t see anything wrong with the sites.
But, I also don’t believe you need to jump on every one of them in order to be successful or even in the know….and certainly shouldn’t spend all your time at the sites.
You make some really great points Alice! I have noticed that I’m seeing the same people over and over again in my networks. I jumped on in to see what all the fuss was about and have a wait and see attitude. One thing is for sure you could waste all your time visiting these sites.
Now, I’m off to spend some time doing something worthwhile in my own business! Customers want catalogs and I have an article to write that might start some buzz, LOL.
I only really enjoy and participate in two facebook and twitter. I think twitter is cute, and I’ve connected with long lost friends from grade 5 on facebook. That’s about it for me.
Great topic! My head spins every time I read a new web 2.0 tatic, and true it can be very time consuming.
Alice,
Thank you for that bit of wonderful info. Nice to know that you do not play into all the hype.
Could THIS post possibily be an example of a contraversial post that you spoke of? Chuckle. I think it’s a mixture of having a great business AND utilising modern technologies so the trick is to balance one with the other -with everyone right now focussing on all the social networking sites this post was a wonderful reminder to make sure that businesses are buzz worthy.
I am on Twitter daily - and I love it because the one thing I miss from my former JOB is the chit-chat with co-workers. I do not see it being good for business, just a way to communicate with my ‘co-workers’ daily. I have received some great feedback however.
I find I get the most from Forums, traffic and business wise.
Great post Alice!
It’s so refreshing to see a level headed response to all the web 2.0 hype and garbage floating about.
Just build businesses people, and focus on sites that you own, not rent.
Would you rather rent or buy your house?
Would you spend a year remodeling a house that you were renting?
Of course not.
Then why spend all this time dealing with sites that can quickly destroy your lens, or post with a push of the button, or are subjected to penalties from other marketers spamming the heck out of them.
Just build your businesses on your own sites and you’ll be much happier in the long run.
Alice, you never seem to speak in BAAH, BAAH, BAAH language, which is why I like ya!
Peace,
J-Mo
Great feedback everyone…I appreciate your thoughts.
Katherine - not too controversial, I don’t think.
Thanks Jason…you’re gonna love tomorrow’s blog entry. It is inspired by one of our Warrior battles. He he he.
Just my opinion, but… we’ve had considerable success with MySpace. Several good contacts have come out of there, and we’re currently working with a Nashville musician to create a video for YouTube (we met him on MySpace).
Even though we’ve earned money on Squidoo, I don’t really believe it’s worth the effort in the long run.
Internet marketing does not star Kevin Costner and “Build it and they will come,” certainly does not apply to websites. Don’t leave the “marketing” out of Internet marketing.
We have five sites on Google Page 1 for certain keywords, and they all put money in our pocket, but they must all be marketed aggressively. And social networking can play an important role.
That’s awesome Beth and thank you for sharing your success.
I am definitely not advocating a build and they will come promotion plan, but I can see on the surface how it may appear that way.
I believe in social networks, I believe in link building and I believe in generating publicity, but I don’t believe that bending over backwards to try to utilize every “Web 2.0″ is necessarily productive.
Where you see a “build it and they will come” attitude, I see a “be truly buzzworthy” call to action. People are trying to Digg their mediocre content, whore their links into other people’s conversations and that misses the true power of social networks.
Without true buzzworthiness, a website owner is often trying to force something into happening…and that becomes a laborious process that could have actually been fruitful if they focused on making something that allows the buzz to take a life on their own.
Nowhere in my post above did I suggest you should never use and social networking or bookmarking tool. In fact, I said to be “smart” about it and clearly you are, Beth.
I DID, in fact, say that if a reader didn’t know what I was talking about in mentioning all this, it probably didn’t matter and it doesn’t. Links get placed, publicity is gained and traffic is built and it doesn’t rely on knowing who Digg, de.licio.us or MySpace are. The goal is to get your business out there, generate the buzz, so the average everyday people who DO use those tools can do part of the work for you. FAR more powerful.
I suppose I’m not hot, young, and hip - I don’t really have much interest in facebook or myspace…-)
LinkedIn has been good for me, and it supports my professional purposes.
And in the same way that you write - I’m not interested in any of the other versions. I’ve only got so much time, and no reason to dilute my effort across them all.
Thanks for validating my opinion on spreading myself out;-)
steve
I definitely agree. I’ve been running a lot of tests on the traffic coming from the social sites, and to put it mildly…it’s very low quality in terms of subscriptions and sales.
But of course everybody focuses on these sites…because they’re the “new in thing.”
Depositing money in the bank is more fun than being able to say you’re young and hip.
Whew! Thanks Alice. Now I don’t have to bother myself trying to jump on that bandwagon. I appreciate your wisdom…It looked legit to me. Back to business for me.
Shadrene
Interesting post. The same could be said for spending 23 hrs per day trying to keep up with Googles neuroses.
I definitely agree that a fine mix is in order and of course you should have a business worth talking about before opening your mouth LOL, so you’re quite right.
Fact? If Google stays on it’s current path, could social networking surpass it in 5yrs or less?
Hmm…..
Hey Shadrene…I think the efforts can be legit, but jumping all over the bandwagon isn’t necessarily wise.
Dennis - Absolutely and that’s why I don’t let Google dictate what I do. The freedom is liberating!
I think social networking may have surpassed Google in some ways. The traffic is massive on some of those big sites and combine them all…ginormous! But like Terry has noted, the traffic isn’t necessarily a convert to sales type of thing, where traffic from Google is more likely to be converting traffic. It’s all about using things wisely and finding a balance.
This is great information. I have been trying to determine if joining every social and business network is really worthwhile. I do have memberships on several, but don’t go to them daily. I actually took a break from all of it for about six months, but am now trying to get back to business and reconnect. Where would you say the most worthwhile social networks are??
Great article Alice! But I caution everyone not to confuse Web 2.0 and Social Networking.
Web 2.0 is a platform. And social networks use that platform. So does Amazon and most Blogs, Wikis and Content Management Systems.
Just because Alice has a “Blogosphere” Web 2.0 widget is not a good reason to stop coming here.
The same thing can be said for MySpace, Facebook and other sites.
The key is to get people to your pages, if that is where you intend to do your marketing.
Like I always say, “In the Internet Marketing World, you get what you pay for.” Just ask Google.
–Brian