Listening to your audience

I realize I'm in a minority because I have not jumped on the Web 2.0 bandwagon. Web 2.0 offers a lot of interesting tools, I agree, but just because those tools are available doesn't mean they are right for every B2B audience. Instead, it's more valuable to evaluate the tools available and choose the ones your audience will find useful because the value proposition will be higher, for both your readers and your advertisers.

To that end, I found this article "Leading by (Simply) Listening" on TalentZoo to be interesting. The writer is a marketer, true, but I think many in an editorial role are wearing a marketing hat, nowadays, and her point mimics mine (maybe that's why I found it interesting). To quote the writer: "Because the true value proposition of social media for companies is that it gives them the ability to identify new markets, new opportunities, potential risks and needed improvements."

I'm interested in how many of you might have done research into how to choose which Web 2.0 tools fit your audience best and what criteria you used to do so.

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Posted by Nikki Golden on Wednesday, March 26, 2008 @ 11:27 AM
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She suggests that you need human beings (not bots) to do extensive research, following the conversations going on in your industry on blogs and other web sites, and says that if no one in your marketing or research department can take it on, you should hire someone. But realistically, how many B2B pubs either have the staff to do this or can afford to hire someone?

For most I'd guess the way to keep abreast of things would be a mixture of serendipity -- happening to check the right web site on the right day, or having a reader write in about a hot new topic, RSS, or using automated services like Google Alerts.

Martha Spizziri
Web Editor
ASBPE
# posted by Blogger Martha Spizziri : March 26, 2008 at 3:12 PM
 
You're right, B2B pubs don't have the staff to do this, nor the money. But one thing to consider also... a lot of B2B pubs don't necessarily have the staff to do a lot of the things Web 2.0 allows for, either, and yet those duties are dumped on already overworked staff.
# posted by Blogger Nikki Golden : March 27, 2008 at 9:47 AM
 
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