The document discusses practical uses of Web 2.0 technologies in a business environment. It describes how tools like weblogs, RSS, social bookmarking sites, wikis, photo sharing sites, and start pages can be used to create and share information, collaborate with customers and staff, and build an online community presence. The document concludes that by leveraging these Web 2.0 technologies, businesses can become more proactive, involve customers and clients, promote their brand more effectively, and improve work practices.

1. Practical Uses for Web 2.0 in a business environment Phil Bradley Internet Consultant February 2007

2. What is Web 2.0? Hundreds of definitions Every one is right, and wrong It really doesn’t matter what you call it, and how you define it However…

3. Change is afoot! Changes to the way your organisation creates information Stores information Shares information Relates to clients, customers, staff

4. Production of data Weblogs Allow you to get a message out quickly Show that you’re on top of the medium/message Allow you to react immediately Let you converse with your clients Provide useful information Central repository

5. RSS and weblogs together Let you push your message out wider Get it picked up by more people Allow it to be changed and reformatted

8. News reports from the BBC

9. Searching with MSN

10. So, what else can I do with RSS? Add to content to webpages Add content to a news aggregator Add content to a start page Keep current with comments and updates In conclusion therefore… RSS brings data to you, and allows you to send it out to other places.

11. Using a newsreader A newsreader collates content from a wide variety of different RSS based resources Information comes to you Quick, fast and effective Keep on top of the news and world around you

14. Start Pages Pageflakes Netvibes Collate data into one place Not machine dependent Good for: Links Email Search engines RSS feeds Weather Etc…

15. Start Pages

16. Using start pages Individually As a group Share tabbed pages Alternative to email contact To Do lists Note pads Always immediately available

17. Bookmarking Limited to a specific machine Not informative Difficult to find what you wan Inflexible Cannot easily share bookmarks

19. What are the alternatives? Del.icio.us Diigo Raw Sugar …

20. You can: Share your bookmarks Between computers Between colleagues Between users Create bookmark sets To supplement projects To assist users Annotate (or tag) bookmarks

21. More options FURL SPURL SQUIDOO All ‘bookmarks on speed’ Indepth collections of your own material Not just limited to the URL or tags More flexibility

23. Search builders Create your own search engines Rollyo Eurekster swicki and my version Google custom search builder and my version Yahoo search builder

24. Creating communities Zimbio Flickr Grou.ps Plum Squidoo Pageflakes

25. Collaborate on knowledge

26. Wikis

27. Instant Messenger Services

28. Consider Instant Messaging Always on Always available Can demonstrate an online search with Messenger Easy to point to/link to resources Incorporate video for face to face element

29. Collaborate On documents – Google docs On spreadsheets - NumSum With calendars - Planzo With training - Jybe With projects – MyWebDesktop With To Do lists – TaDaList With webpages – Conversate

30. Case study A company selling holidays to India Doing quite well, but in a field that is competitive Knew they should have been ‘doing more’ Quite traditional Presentation was quite boring How to improve matters?

31. Weblog To keep customers up to date with what was going on in India Useful resource Kept their name up in search results (both traditional and weblog search engines) Repository of information Factual information, changes to visas etc Sales tool

32. Local operators could add content Describe various holidays and events Add local colour Clients invited to comment on weblog entries The weblog is also used to post/link to photographs on Flickr

33. Flickr A photograph sharing resource Provides an added dimension to information Can create your own groups, public or private Share information, set up forums and have discussions Link back to the weblog

34. Search builders They created search builders Different aspects of India Different aspects of travel (general/specific) Their website always listed first Good content, good resource Helpful for users Promotes their site

35. Start Pages Creating a start page on Pageflakes Staff Shared resources Common access to ‘to do’ lists Collections of RSS feeds in one place Material available for clients and customers Collate the data for them in one place Useful bookmarks for clients

36. Building a community Use Zimbio to create a community page Draw together information from varied resources Get clients and customers 100% involved Use them to create and share content

37. Bringing it together Add news/weblog entries to your site Add the results of searches Put search boxes on your site Encourage the use of Instant Messaging Pull in content from Flickr Link out to community based resources Your clients become collaborators

38. It all results in… Staff being more proactive Clients and customers getting involved Creation of new content Better, quicker, easier promotion of your company and products More effective working practices Faster response

39. Thank you for listening! Phil Bradley http://www.philb.com [email_address] http://www.philbradley.typepad.com/ http://philbradley.typepad.com/i_want_to/