How to Get Into Web 2.0 as a Publisher

Web 2.0 isn't a new version of software but a new way of viewing, manipulating and interacting with the net. Whereas programmers and web designers used to control websites, with Web 2.0 consumers have taken control. Internet users are expressing themselves more than ever in blogs and discussion boards, and both web and print publishers need to pay attention. Get into Web 2.0 as a publisher to stay ahead.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Know that the dot-com crash that ushered in the new millennium was only the snake shedding its old skin. Web 2.0 represents a revolution for the Internet—rather like Part II of the technology.
2. Learn about Web 2.0 by visiting websites that detail how the term was invented (see Resources below).
3. Incorporate participative structures in your publishing on the Web. Include comment sections and blog links in articles published on the net and on other websites.
4. Know that interaction is the key. Realize the marketing potential of blogs and discussion boards. Gather valuable user information for promotion of web sites, books and advertising.
5. Publish e-books online for traditional publishers. Promote publishers and authors through interactive web pages, and link to hard copy versions of books available for sale online or e-books for sale.
6. Embrace Web 2.0 as a way to move forward toward the future of publishing. Separation between the masses and publishers doesn't exist anymore—consumers are publishers.