The jargon of the web can seem impenetrable, but web 2.0 is one of the simpler terms. It describes a new generation of websites that enable conversation and content sharing.
But when you get into the nitty gritty, it can be bewildering to decipher your Twitter from your Flickr and your Vimeo from your Delicious. So how do you work out what is relevant for your business?
Building an effective presence for your brand online these days requires far more than a brochure-style website. When you consider that the web is built on technology primarily designed for communication, it makes sense that the exchange of information should be two-way - and that's where web 2.0 comes in.
Web 2.0 technologies include everything from blogging tools, messaging services (such as Twitter) and social networking sites (such as Facebook), through to content sharing services such as Flickr for photos and YouTube for video. Which of those you use depends on what is relevant for your business.
Helen Keegan, the MD and founder of UK mobile marketing agency, BeepMarketing, has found such tools invaluable. "I use web 2.0 technologies because, as a consultant, they build up my personal brand to be top of mind in people's minds," she says. "You need to strike a balance between your personal communication style and the audience you want to reach."
Finding the right medium
Video might be very useful for some people but her style is more "wordy", she explains. It's important to find a channel which you're comfortable with. It's perhaps no co-incidence that David Cameron appears far more often on the Conservative party's YouTube page than Gordon Brown does on the Labour party one.
Keegan's own blog acts as a permanent CV, demonstrating her involvement in, and knowledge of, industry developments. The best corporate blogs do the same. Moo.com, the London-based web-to-print firm, has a fun and distinctive blog written by one of its employees (Denise). It's a perfect manifestation of the kind of bright, sunny image that Moo wishes to convey, and shows the importance of presenting brands through real people and real personalities. If you try to force this sort of tone – indeed, any tone - you'll go horribly wrong. You have to be yourself online.
Whether one person in your business is involved or many, a blog is a great way of communicating with your customers, potential customers and peers, and getting feedback from them. Remember: communication is a two-way thing. There's no point in having a blog if you don't allow people to comment on what you've said, or (almost as bad) don't reply to some of those comments.
Talking about Twitter
Twitter is a fascinating tool that takes some getting used to, but has a large and growing group of fans who swear by it. It works rather like a very large, open version of an instant messenger programme. You can build up a list of interesting Twitterers to follow and some will start following you. You can post questions and interesting links, or give advice and discuss topical issues (in 140 characters or fewer. Brevity is crucial in the Twitterverse).
Twitter has around six million users, and there are hundreds of brands using the service including WholeFoods, JetBlue and Dell. Just as with blogging, Twitter provides a platform for you to talk to people with the same interests as you and build credibility for you and your work.
Keegan has found that the service is a lifeline if you work at home or in a small office - it can act as a virtual water cooler so you can chat with like-minded people about the issues of the day. "There are musicians, researchers, consultants and journalists using Twitter - it would be churlish to dismiss it as a geek tool," she says. "We all have technology as a big part of what we do now."
When we think of social networking sites, Facebook and MySpace usually leap to mind. They're a great way of sharing photos, videos, links and news with your friends and family, but many people have found it tricky to juggle personal and professional identities on them. You never know who might see those drunken pictures of you with the crazy face paint at that music festival last summer. LinkedIn is a safer option, as it is structured specifically for the business community. It enables you to present your CV well and build up some useful contacts. It also comes with some handy recruitment tools - the site has seen one new member sign up every two seconds since the economic downturn began.
Keegan has overcome the reluctance many feel when dipping their toes into the social networking world: "I think women, in particular, can be more reluctant to reveal details of their personal lives online, though I gave up trying to keep a separation between work and home a long time ago. But it is becoming essential to have a LinkedIn profile … I've made between 50 and 100 contacts through the site."
Don't fake it
It is hard to generate any direct revenue from social media tools. What they do do, says Keegan, "is create a brand that is front of mind in people's heads" and cut marketing budgets to a fraction. Above all, many web 2.0 tools are designed for one-to-one interaction, which is why the best examples of their deployment in the corporate world are from articulate, energetic individuals with the skills to write, engage and inspire interest. Hiding behind a brand name just doesn't work.
There are some other pitfalls to avoid. Andy McLoughlin, the co-founder of Huddle.net, itself a web 2.0 service that provides a web-based collaborative tool for businesses, says: "Don't do [the online equivalent of] a Gerald Ratner - go on TV and say your customers are bloody idiots."
Keegan also has some words of warning: "Common mistakes on Facebook and Twitter are people being too pushy - only sending out links to their blog posts and not joining in the conversation."
It's also hugely important not to fake it. Don't pretend to be something, or someone, you're not. Some very large and (apparently) sophisticated companies have had their fingers burnt trying to fool the online community.
But McLoughlin is adamant that there are few firms who would not benefit from exploring these tools: "Take a long hard look at your business - you are probably spending a lot of time and resources trying to do all these things in a different way. It's easy to be cynical, but if you're a very small brand, social media is all you've got. Like anything, you will start to see the benefit once you've used it for a while."
It takes skill, patience and no small amount of bravery, but putting yourself out there in the digital space could be the best thing you ever did. Just keep an open mind and enjoy the conversations. You'll be amazed at what you learn about your industry and your brand.
