Janice from Fargo says:
Why does [name deleted] say web 2.0 is a waste of time?
Janice, we know him personally and from his testing he is not happy with the time investment vs. return for using MySpace. He does regularly use his blog and is happy with blogging - and blogging is a web 2.0 tool.
Jay from Tallahassee asked:
So, you think that blogs are the best way to go, correct? What formats do you recommend? WordPress, etc? Where can you find the best templates?
Yes, Jay, you are right about blogs being the best way to go. WordPress is a great format, particularly if you host it yourself. Semilogic Pro is an excellent package for use with WordPress that offers templates that are clean and simple, can add your own custom header, include a package of plugins for WP, and help to make your blog more search engine friendly. It saves hours of searching for plugings for your blog.
Agnes from Bakersfield asked this:
How do we publish books?
Are you asking about ebooks or physical books? ebooks can be created and delivered digitally right from your site. More and more ebooks are being reviewed by publishing companies for consideration of turning them into physical books. There are several resources for self-publishing a physical book these days and many of them offer print-on-demand so you don't have to order a thousand of them that you have to store in your garage.
The Franklin Guild is going to share lots of information about getting your ebook done and getting exposure for your ebook. Plus we have some exciting people working with the program who are involved in both ebook and physical book publishing!
Jeff from Montana asks:
How do we avoid the Squidoo slap?
Most of the sites affected by the Squidoo slap were filled with excessive links and lacking in good content. Create a good lens with quality content and some related links.
LaShae from Gainesville had this question:
How is copyright affected by Web 2.0?
Wow, is this a topic that is taking off and will continue to do so.
We're not lawyers, so this is not legal advice. If you set up your own blog, on your own server, you still own the site and its contents so your material is copyrighted.
If you set up your blog on a service - blogger.com, wordpress.com, etc. their terms of service normally state that you no longer own the material you post there. Also, if you post comments on other blogs, you are normally relinquishing your rights to that content.
Obviously the purpose of Web 2.0 for marketers is to drive traffic and establish more presence, but doing this manually or evenwith an automated software can take a lot of time. What procedure should you give to a staff member so that their job can be to take care of the web 2.0 marketing- what do they need to do exactly in order to drive hordes of traffic to see your business?
The first step is to determine what Web 2.0 tactics work for your particular business and this can only be determined through testing. Some Web 2.0 methods work great in some business areas and don't work at all in others.
Blogging seems to be successful more often then other techniques. So, definately use blogging. Someone on your staff could create blog posts that are evergreen (aren't time specific) that could be pre-set to automatically post. Then if you have info to add to the blog that is more time sensitive, it could be added as it happens.
Using social bookmarking to create links to your site is something a staff member could do. Just don't spam by adding nothing but links to your own site in your account.
Other techniques MySpace, Squidoo, etc. require more testing to see if the time investment is worth the effort. And keep in mind that there are many social networking sites that are niche specific.
Russ states:
I personally agree with your statement, Alan. And I believe I know what you mean - that business is business and certain immutable principles apply universally. Web 2.0 is simply a newfangled way to ASSIST in doing business, but is not in and of itself a business model, nor principle. So, the crap factor you are referring to is all those folks jumping through hoops to do everything 2.0 without even building a foundation for their business using the basic "Business 101" principles first. That's my guess - I hope I'm right.
Right on Russ! Basic Business 101 is so important. The hype surrounding Web 2.0 is crap. Web 2.0 is a tool for helping people to build a solid business based on real business models and is NOT a business model in and of itself.
Jude from Wylie,
One of the things Web 2.0 requires is that you not only provide information to your client, but interact with them. What is it the Guru's and/or Top Marketers are afraid of? That they'll actually have to prove their a human being and that what they say is honest? Oh NO, heaven forbid they'll have to actually talk to the riff raff that buy their products, and tell them honestly that there an inherent risk of loss of capital, and possibility they'll lose their money even if they follow their program to the "T". The NEWBIE coming on to the internet doesn't know any better, but there are a few of us out here that do.
Jude, you are so right. Many people are afraid of Web 2.0 because it provides more interaction. We've posted comments - good, bad and indifferent because we're willing to share what people have to say. Starting any business, online or off, comes with an inherent risk. We can only hope that Web 2.0 will help people to find the good programs so their chances of success are higher and their risks are lower.
Melody from Ventura asked:
What exactly is Web 2.0, and why all the fuss surrounding it?
There is no firm definition as to what Web 2.0 is. To us, it is the technology advancements that allows website visitors to interact with a website.
The big fuss comes from many things - good and bad. Properly used, it is a great way to build relationships and community with your visitors, subscribers and customers.
A lot of the fuss surrounding it is from marketers that are using it as a way to come up with new programs to sell.
The basics of building a strong, solid business haven't changed. Including providing good quality products and building lasting relationships. Used as a tool to help you do this, Web 2.0 is a great resource.
During the teleseminar, there were lots of great questions received. Since we didn't get a chance to answer each one, we're posting the questions with answers here for everyone to view.
If you'd like to see other comments from the teleseminar too, you can visit the blog at web2iswhat.com
