Web 2.0 UGC remains undervalued
13 May 2008, 6:40 pm (2 comments) in Internet Marketing News
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Internet marketing does not make enough use of user generated content (UGC), according to a report by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA).
However, DMA senior research manager Dr Eugenia Steingold claims that Web 2.0 UGC is an online marketing asset and one of the best ways of "integrating direct marketing and brand".
Commenting on BizReport, she states: "It invites both marketers and their customers to work together to create the content that would increase brand awareness, improve brand perception, and generate both sales and leads."
However, although businesses are failing to utilise Web 2.0 in their marketing as well as they could, a survey by Forrester Research suggests that more than half of businesses have made Web 2.0 a priority for future internet marketing.
Even the DMA report indicates that 82 per cent of businesses already spend around one quarter of their online marketing budget on Web 2.0 to retain loyal customers.
So why aren't more businesses taking advantage of this underutilised medium to claw in more customers where competitors might be missing out?
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Article Last Updated 4 May 2009, 1:13 pm
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The fact is 2.0 is more than just putting up info and then getting people to comment - it is also about getting people to see that the sender - the originator of the message - is a nice friendly good person who they want to have a relationship with.
This is the tough bit. Anyone can put up a blog on any other thing - that's part one. Part two is getting people to respond - that's easy, too, because the nutters, the conspiracy theorists, the people trying to sneak in their adverts, and those who want to accuse you of being a racist (even though you said nothing on such issues) will all pour in.
But still nothing good is happening. It only works when they feel "I like reading xxx's column / blog / email because she/he always says something interesting / helpful.
That's the tough bit. My company has spent 3 years solid working on that bit - we are getting it right now, with our blogs being read in much bigger volumes than before (even though they are on specific topics) - but goodness it was a slog to find out how to get it right.
Tony Attwood, Hamilton House Mailings plc
Much more interesting would be turning an interest into business. I know many people who spend hours a day on social networking sites and forums, sharing opinions etc. But how much of this has to be done before it turns into money. Many may have the time, but inevitably the people with the most invaluable opinions are the ones that want to see the best return from them. The whole UGC thing provides many opportunities to share views, few to "monetize" them.
Maybe once you have solved your current conundrum you can work on that next one.
Ian Hendry
WeCanDo.BIZ
http://www.wecando.biz