Using Web 2.0 to Expand Reach

Yesterday, we talked about using analytics to your competitive advantage -- whether on your website or within your overall direct marketing strategy. Well, here's another good idea to consider -- use Web 2.0 to expand your reach.

The newspaper industry is having some excellent success using this concept. In a recent article from the Bivings Group, "American Newspapers and the Internet: Threat or Opportunity," Erin Teeling reports that as "the newspaper industry continues to suffer declines in readership and circulation, using the Internet to expand a newspaper's reach is becoming more and more important." In fact, this Group has done a study on just how this industry is now using the internet to make up for lost circulation and readership. Here are some of their key findings on how they are doing it:

• The use of RSS increased in 2007 by 21 percent (over 2006)
• Ninety-two percent of America’s top 100 papers now offer video on their websites
• The number and quality of reporter blogs also improved in 2007
• One-third of newspapers now allow comments on articles
• The number of papers requiring registration increased by six percent from last year’s results

More about each of these key findings and links to the entire study are found within the article.

This is interesting stuff! Just think about it, a traditional industry that has found itself in a state of decline because of the internet has put itself back on the map by using the internet. That's just good, old-fashioned business acumen.

Whatever industry you're in, it's tough to ignore Web 2.0 -- so why not embrace it? Whether you're a consultant (like us) or VP of Marketing within a large corporation, we can all expand our reach by doing what the newspaper industry has already figured out. By allowing your important clients to read about you, comment about your products and services, get updates from you on what you're doing from a product perspective, company perspective, etc., . . . allows for the creation of a more solid, long-lasting relationship.

We enjoy blogging every day. And, we get input from people from all over the world who would have not known about us if we didn't have this space for our thoughts and comments. It's fun -- and it creates relationships with more people. In business, that's what its all about, right?