Thaughts about Web2.0 - is it for marketing?

In trying to explain to potential clients what "new" marketing can actually do, I find people asking me about "what is Web 2.0?" For these who feel like they are not successful enough with their web page and maybe their newsletter, what should they want to do with a blog or a more targeted newsletter with splits, or even a wiki? Or what is the content on the web site really for? One thing I wanted to do is discuss and even explain some of the ideas of the O'Reilly Web2.0 posting. It's somewhat of an introduction, maybe even the most talked about "post" you can think about. But unlike the other O'Reilly writing, it seemed to explained in simple terms the "ideas" which have been driving the changes in how information and usage of it affects business. Whie O'Reilly does not talk specifically about business or more appropriately marketing impact, the whole idea and changes O'Reilly observed, are actually a reflection of marketing more than anything else. But the observation here has not taken into account the the more detailed marketing "work" or what I would call "transition to 'new marketing'". Background to this discussion: O'Reilly has observed the rapid change in the "type" of software and applications on the Internet. As a technology observer and publisher of technology books, he is well equipped to notice the changes which we sometime miss. He noticed that the nature of "software" or "application" and their use was changing dramatically. Once he noticed the big change, it was easy to classify and define the change(s). Basically, what the Internet has become, is more of a participatory media to the typical user. The applications on the web has simplified the process of content creation and editing. In more plain terms, it is much easier for most people to "author" a web site. Well, not exactly a complex one, but a blog can actually be a web site if the content is interesting and somewhat decent. The same goes for newsletters, simple pages and u-tube clips. So now, like every media type up to now, let the writing, photographing and video editing begin, and then get posted and passed along until the "buzz" phenomena gets going and becomes a standard practice.

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O'Reilly's Web2.0 post - Trend setter or trend observer? You be the judge.
      This kind of analysis, or actually understanding of trends from people like O'Reilly, is something a marketer needs to do all the time. In the changes of old trends and emergence of new trends lies opportunity and trap. Not just for marketers, but for all the organization. For marketers the idea of opportunity and trap is more real than ever before. On one hand, the trends involve a set of tools which are useful to us, specially if we can use them to help "non-marketers" contribute written and photographic material. Contributory content has not been accepted in the mainstream corporate world but I think this is just a matter of time. A few commercial services has been offered but none has really succeeded. But this could change any day with the introduction of a more useful or a better user interface. Maybe a service with a feature someone needs and we can be faced with the new role of 'content editors'. Well, this is a quick introduction to something to start DOING!, not just thinking and watching. As I said to a recent customer: 'if McDonald's has a blog about healthy eating and how fries are fried, shouldn't a security company have a blog about viruses?' ~ I think so...