Adventures in Net Marketing: Six Tips for Learning More about Web 2.0

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Six Tips for Learning More about Web 2.0

April 20, 2008

One thing that I've been discovering about all the various Web 2.0 techniques is that marketers need to always be in learning mode.

For example, I've been online most of the morning, reading more about the intricacies of StumbleUpon. I've been a StumbleUpon user for a couple of years now, but it's only been recently that I realized that Stumble traffic is actually viable as a longer-term SEO strategy. (I'll blog more about this later - don't want this post to get sidetracked).

I have a funny feeling this is one of the things I love about publishing websites and affiliate marketing - it never gets stale and there's always something new on the horizon.

So it's really helpful if you like the idea of lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is one of the things that drive me - it makes life so much more interesting because there's just so much to discover every day. Mind you, this continuous learning curve just happens to be one of my stumbling blocks to implementation, because I can spend a vast amount of very enjoyable time learning new things, which most definitely keeps me away from the "doing" aspect.

Here are some things I've discovered about learning new Web 2.0 techniques:

1. Broad research is very important. Don't just read one person's opinions and go with it as the be all and end all. Read as much as you can about the particular Web 2.0 vehicle you're interested in.

2. Test it out for yourself. Play around with a particular Web 2.0 site and get into it. Click through the site, and get a feel for the users and the community.

3. Become a part of the community. This is a biggie. Participation in a Web 2.0 community is extremely beneficial. It's also time-consuming, too, so the trick is to decide on a small number of Web 2.0 sites you want to focus on ... and then dive in.

4. You don't have to buy the ebook(s). I've discovered that while ebooks about various Web 2.0 methods are great for saving time, much of what various ebooks outline is out there, available on various sites (mostly blogs) for free. Since I personally am always very interested in saving time, I'll generally buy the ebooks that look interesting, but often I do find that when I'm researching a technique, I'll find information that I bought is already online, just in the form of various tips scattered across different blogs.

5. You need to have fun with it. Whatever techniques you choose, the ones that you decide to put your personal focus on (vs. more automated or outsourced Web 2.0 techniques) should be fun for you. Otherwise, it just gets way too tedious.

6. The learning never ends. Always be on the lookout for new techniques. Seriously, there are new tools and sites coming out every day. Be open to new developments, because many of them can be extremely useful.

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Posted by BJ at 01:30 PM in Internet Marketing , Web 2.0 | Permalink