Brent Leary wrote a great article on Small Business Trends about why small businesses aren't all about Web 2.0. His reasons are likely pretty accurate: 1. Silly names (blog, wiki, podcast) turn people off. 2. Silly names make people think Web 2.0 is for kids. 3. Since not a lot of big companies are into Web 2.0, small businesses don't want to dip their toes in yet.
I understand change is hard. I understand that people are afraid of the risks involved in changing directions. But Web 2.0 and Marketing 2.0 are so harmless. Those of you wallflowers should know it's like ripping off a bandaid. You make it a bigger deal than it is. You'll never get that yacht you always wanted if you don't look into how to market your company more effectively.
Here are my reasons to add to Brent's list of feeble excuses. Which one is yours?
1. Because you (as the CEO) don't understand the technology, you assume it's worthless.
Let me address this. I understand that for many people, technology does not come naturally. My generation was on the fence: I learned to type on a (gasp) typewriter. But even if you have no inclination to delve into the world of blogs and wikis, don't fear what they can do for your company. Hire a competent marketing individual who can explore the wide world of Web 2.0 and report back to you. You can even cover your ears for all the parts except "this is really going to increase sales!"
2. You assume anything new is going to be costly.
Wrong again. Marketing 2.0 is so much more affordable than what you're doing now. That print ad that costs you $10,000 a year and generates $100 in sales? Worthless. You could advertise online for a fraction of that cost and get a much better ROI. If you want to save money (and I assume you do), Marketing 2.0 is worth exploring.
3. You don't know where to look for information.
Hey, try the internet! You're reading my blog, so that's a great place to start. Here are some other good resources to teach you all you need to know about Marketing and Web 2.0.
* Wikipedia: any definition you want to look up, you can find here. * Seth Godin has a great marketing website * Duct Tape Marketing * searching for Web 2.0 on Google will give you more results than you can ever get through
Make it your New Year's resolution to start using Marketing 2.0!
