There has been much talk (and hype) concerning web 2.0, and how it is affecting network marketers. I have received a tremendous number of requests about how to capitalize on the opportunities that we are currently seeing with social media websites. But first, lets take a step backward, and answer a very fundamental question:
What is web 2.0?
Web 2.0 refers to the change that we are seeing in the uprising of social media websites. MySpace. Facebook. YouTube. Digg. Bebo. Technorati. Blogs (just like this one). Podcasts. RSS feeds. Web 2.0 is about community, and developing a peer group of like-minded people.
The reason we see so many of these social networking sites becoming amazingly popular is because of the shift that we have been seeing in our society over the last several years. People don't know everyone in their neighborhood any longer. The fabric of our society is no longer knit together by geographic location. Just because I live in your neighborhood doesn't mean that you will take the time to get to know me. And just because someone lives in my across the street from me doesn't mean that I'm going to take the time to develop a friendship with them. Because of this, many people in network marketing are finding it harder and harder to make a "list of 100". Honestly, most people don't know of 100 friends or family that they have a close enough relationship with to feel comfortable exposing them to your product and service.
Enter: The Internet
The Internet is an explosive business growth tool. Every day, millions of people go online looking for information about products, services, and business opportunities. Back when the Internet was first becoming popular (1998), it was very easy to get tons of very targeted traffic to a website. You could put a very minimal amount of effort into a site, and have several hundred people finding your information every day. Now, things aren't so easy. If you want to grow your business on the Internet, you have to have a good skill set. You have to understand how to provide value and benefit to your market.
I provide information on growing a business using all sorts of crazy tools (press releases, articles, telephone, direct mail, etc.), but I'm finding that more and more network marketers are looking for a way to grow a business inexpensively, and quickly. In fact, the call for that information is becoming so loud, that I can't pretend that I don't hear it any more ;)
So here is something to consider...
Over the next several months, I'm going to be conducting a number of experiments in my lab, which I lovingly refer to as "the cave". Every time I go into the cave, I don't come out until I've had some sort of breakthrough. It's not a pretty site, as sometimes, it takes a long time to come up with a breakthrough. I don't shave, I skip showers, my wife and children usually don't even recognize me when I emerge.
But it's worth it. Because each time, I've come out with more quality content to help you maximize the growth of your business. So over the course of the next few months, keep your eyes peeled, because I will be putting together some information on how to master social media as a business growth tool, and how to do it 100% legally and effectively. From preliminary experiments, I'm seeing that with a minimal amount of effort, you can use Web 2.0 to dominate the top 2-4 pages of search listings. Not the first 2-4 results, but the first 2-4 pages.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I'll be back out of the cave soon.
