Day 4 30DC - What Web 2.0 Means for Business

In today's podcast Ed talked about what Web 2.0 means for business. It was related to his comments on the feedback he received about his personal style in the videos. Some people were wondering why he doesn't do a slick edit of the videos and instead serves up his genuine character, complete with pauses, ums, and the occasional interruption.

I've known the reason since doing my presentation on Podcasting and Vidcasting at the STC Conference over a year ago. I knew Ed would get around to telling the rest of the 30DC participants why such "casual" video is so important, and today he did. It all ties in with Web 2.0 and what you need to know to be successful in today's changing marketplace.

The key idea here is RAPPORT. Seeing these videos, we are getting to know the real Ed Dale. He is not perfect, he makes mistakes, he gets sidetracked. We see that on the videos. But we also clearly see that he knows what he's talking about as he shares his techniques; we see him speak from his heart about his topics, and we can tell he cares. He makes a connection with his audience.

After seeing an Ed Dale video, you get a good sense of who he is and what he's about. That is very important when you have to decide whether to take his advice, buy his product, learn his techniques, or support his efforts.

Web 2.0 is all about connection and community. In a global marketplace, the way to connect with your customers more powerfully than through an e-mail or web page, is with video (and audio). Today's markets are so competitive, and so spread out, that you can't hope to reach all of your potential customers unless you market the way the Web now works. That means getting referrals from other people -- through Digg, StumbleUpon! and other tools. That means having your customers spread the word about your product, service or company through YouTube, Blogs, and other viral means.

You can't get away with poor customer service anymore, because a dissatisfied customer can now broadcast to the world what they think of your business. Conversely, and more importantly, a happy customer can quickly spread the news about how impressed they have been. When people "let their fingers do the walking" to check out a business or product on the web before making any purchase, having positive ratings, reviews, and recommendations make a great deal of difference. A good problem to have is needing to upgrade your server because it has too much traffic.

We used to talk about High Tech also needing High Touch -- meaning that as we are distanced from each other by technology, we have to find some way of reconnecting with people, our customers, to be able to carry on business. Web 2.0 tools allow us to do just that, and video is a powerful way to build rapport with your market.
Outstanding marketing lessons are coming out of the Thirty Day Challenge. And a lot of fun as well. Thanks to a tip from a fellow participant, I have now been Simpsonized!