The Web 2.0 social media revolution is in full steam. Are people finding your website?
As
an entrepreneur, how do you make your business website stand out
amongst 435 million other websites and more than 1 million blogs
competing for your audience's attention?
It's not as hard as you might think.
To
begin, let's look at the demographics of Web 2.0 social networking
sites, Myspace.com, Facebook and YouTube.com. This will give you an
idea on how to position your message in the Web 2.0 World.
The Web 2.0 Social Networking Revolution
Web 2.0 is a real revolution on the Internet. And these aren't just college kids...
-
62% of MySpace visitors are older than 25 (40% are 35+), and 83% are
making over $30,000 a year. Nineteen percent (19%) are making $100,000
and up...
- On Facebook.com 46% are over 25 and 34% are 35+, but they've got deep pockets. Eighty-eight percent (88%) make more than $30,000 and twenty-three percent (23%) make $100,000 or more.
- On Facebook.com 46% are over 25 and 34% are 35+, but they've got deep pockets. Eighty-eight percent (88%) make more than $30,000 and twenty-three percent (23%) make $100,000 or more.
In the years ahead these numbers will get ridiculous...
-
Social media giant Facebook is currently ADDING a million 25+
(non-student) adults per week to their rosters. That's 52 million new
users a year.
- YouTube.com gets over 50 million unique visitors per month. That equals over half a billion a year.
- Facebook and MySpace have the equal daily traffic of Google. Experts predict within the next year they will DOUBLE the daily traffic of Google search.
- YouTube.com gets over 50 million unique visitors per month. That equals over half a billion a year.
- Facebook and MySpace have the equal daily traffic of Google. Experts predict within the next year they will DOUBLE the daily traffic of Google search.
So
your prospects are there. The traffic is there. The spending power is
there. So NOW is the time you want to establish your presence on the
social networking websites.
Web 2.0 Strategy: Why You Should Be a Maven, Not a Marketer
As a website owner, how should you position your message in the Web 2.0 world?
The
increasingly savvy buying public will quickly shun marketers. Internet
readers want information from the Internet. They don't want
advertising, marketing, or a "pitch".
According to Schefren in his Attention Age Doctrine, the solution is to become a social media "Maven".
A
Maven is a trusted authority, like a friend, on the social media
websites. As you gain their trust, your audience will return to you
over and over again wanting to invest in your advice.
Five Steps to Becoming a Social Media Maven
Social Media Maven Step 1: Get in the Game
Begin
blogging immediately. Create a video explaining how to solve a problem
and put it on YouTube, MySpace, and Facebook with links back to your
main website. Just those two things alone will establish more Web 2.0
presence than 90% of your competition.
Social Media Maven Step 2: Share your passion
Build
your Web 2.0 website around your passions. Thirty-two year old Gary
Vaynerchuk transformed his wine knowledge to his video blog, http://Tv.Winelibrary.com. It now has thousands of subscribers and does $50 million dollars a year in wine sales.
Social Media Maven Step 3: Be Controversial
Your
audience will remember you more when you challenge the status quo.
Controversy sells. Think like the tabloids and the local news channels
here. For example, Web 2.0 Business Coach Rich Schefren challenges
traditional marketing wisdom in each release of his Attention Age
Doctrine special reports at www.attentionage.net/doctrine
Social Media Maven Step 4: Create World Class Content
You
will drive repeat traffic to your website by offering top notch "how
to" information. Gary's wine tastings are highly educational on the
benefits of wine, how to cook with wine, and how to choose a wine for
your special occasion. Rich's reports teach Web 2.0 marketing
principles.
Remember, as soon as your audience feels that you are "pitching" them, you've lost them. So provide content not advertising.
Social Media Maven Step 5: Engage in the Conversation
Web
2.0 is a dialogue not a monologue. Internet businesses profit more when
they observe and listen to their communities first before they
broadcast their messages. Savvy mavens such as Gary and Rich encourage
their audience to ask questions. The answers to these questions then
become part of their user-generated content.
How Marketing in a Web 2.0 Social Media Environment Is Exciting.
Visualize
it like a big radio or television station or movie screen where you're
the star. You're building a fan base so you need to entertain, inform,
and deliver consistently for your audience.
You have more publishing power at your fingertips right now than at any time in history.
So use it.
Share your passions.
Reveal your trials and tribulations
Tell your story.
And, watch how quickly your audience builds.