Principles of Internet Marketing Chapter 6 Wikis, RSS, Mashups, and Virtual Worlds

Objectives In this chapter you will learn about: Wikis and how they harness the collaborative nature of a user community RSS feeds, how people use them to stay up-to-date with new content, and how an increasing number of businesses are using them to keep current and potential customers updated on company activities Mashups and how they give marketers a unique opportunity to present features and information pulled together from other social media tools Virtual worlds, how people communicate using avatars, and how marketers pursue marketing opportunities by building and promoting a virtual online presence. Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers2

Wikis Wiki technology allows a Web page or site to be built by user collaboration on content –New content added –Current content linked to other pages –Incorrect content edited –Outdated content deleted Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers3

4 Wikis (continued) Wiki technology was introduced in 1995 –WikiWikiWeb was first wiki site –Launched by technology creator Ward Cunnningham –This first Wiki site grew to 30,000 pages within 10 years, will all pages created by individual users submitting content Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers4

5 Wikis (continued) Although Ward Cunningham invented wiki technology, it was Jimmy Wales who popularized it –Wales launched Wikipedia in 2001 –By 2008 Wikipedia had over 10 million pages –Wikipedia is visited by over 50 million people each month Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers5

6 Wikis (continued) Figure 6-1 The home page for Wikipedia, the site that made wikis famous. Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia collaboratively developed by users Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers6

7 Wikis (continued) Figure 6-2 The category listing for Wikipedia on Wikipedia. Users can gather information or be part of developing the content themselves Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers7

8 Wikis (continued) Figure 6-3 WikiWikiWeb - the original wiki site by Ward Cunningham Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers8

9 Wikis (continued) Wikis lack the prominence of other, more popular social media tools –Ironic in that wikis are so communal in nature and require group efforts in order to grow –Use of wikis is increasing among larger companies Internal use –Improved collaboration among employees –Internal policy discussion External use –Campaign support –Brand info in existing wiki sites Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers9

10 RSS Feeds RSS is a Web feed that allows site visitors to stay up-to-date with new content as it gets posted RSS is widely believed to stand for “Really Simple Syndication” although that is often up for debate RSS can be recognized very easy by the widely distributed logo (typically bright orange, although there are variations) Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers10

11 RSS Feeds (continued) To use RSS, visitors need to subscribe to a feed –Feeds are usually free for users to subscribe to –Subscribing simply involves clicking the RSS icon on the site in question –Larger sites may allow users to subscribe to content based on specific subject matter rather than the entire site News sites, for example, may allow users to subscribe just to sports news, local news, etc., based on their individual interests. Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers11

12 RSS Feeds (continued) Figure 6-6 BusinessWeek’s site allows users to subscribe to RSS feeds based on the category of information they are most interested in, and it provides links to various readers for download Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers12

13 RSS Feeds (continued) RSS is built using the XML programming language –Provides users with headlines, titles, or short summaries (provided by the site developers) To receive feeds, users need an RSS reader –Most browsers come pre-installed with readers –Other readers are available for download (some are free, some require payment), each with different options and capabilities –RSS aggregators pull in and organize feed from a variety of sources into one tool Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers13

14 RSS Feeds (continued) Figure 6-7 An RSS aggregator, pulling in feeds from a large number of subscription sources Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers14

15 RSS Feeds (continued) Marketers use RSS for a variety of reasons –Keep site visitors informed of what the company is doing –Keep up with how their names are being used in the media and in related blogs –Stay up to date with what competitors are doing Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers15

16 Mashups Mashups blend together information from multiple sources into one tool, creating an entity that may be more useful than those sources might be on their own –For example, a site offering music information can create a mashup by combining RSS-fed tour dates with Google maps to show where and when concerts will be taking place (along with directions on how to find the venue, and links to sites where tickets can be purchased) Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers16

17 Mashups (continued) Figure 6-8 The Gillette NASCAR racing site includes a mashup that shows all of the racing tracks in the US, pinpointed on maps fed by Google, with track info Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers17

18 Mashups (continued) Mashups help marketers create and provide something to their visitors that is unique, useful, and can’t be found on other sites –Helps increase site usefulness –Gives visitors a reason to return again in the future –Shows them as separate from their competition Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers18

19 Mashups (continued) Due to increasing popularity of mashups, many sites have been launched to make their creation easy, and without needing to know a lot of programming –Google –Yahoo –MSN –Others Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers19

20 Mashups (continued) Figure 6-10 The home page of Microsoft’s Popfly.com gives users the tools to easily create and share applications, including mashups Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers20

21 Mashups (continued) Figure 6-11 Once in Popfly, users can create their own mashups by connecting social media tools from various sites to develop a unique application. Because connections are made using object-based graphic representations of tools, the need for programming is eliminated Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers21

22 Mashups (continued) Figure 6-12 The result of the mashup being created in the last image, this tool blends local news with a third party mapping program to display traffic problems in the Seattle area Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers22

23 Virtual Worlds Virtual worlds are similar to social networks –Far more visual –Users socialize in a graphical online environment Reflective of the real world or Reflective of a fantasy world –Users not only socialize with others, but can explore the virtual worlds they are part of Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers23

24 Virtual Worlds (continued) In virtual worlds, users are typically represented by avatars –Graphic icon or model –Users can typically customize the look and feel of their avatars to make it represent them however they’d like Adjust hair, skin color, height Change clothing Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers24

25 Virtual Worlds (continued) Virtual worlds are often three dimensional and created for a couple of different purposes –Socializing Second Life is the most well-known virtual world In Second Life, users can use real money to purchase land, build houses, buy clothes for their avatars, etc. Companies have used Second Life to promote their brands, hold company meetings, etc. Due to lack of regulation by Linden Labs (Second Life developers), Second Life has lost luster due to online scam artists and aggressive sex-related content Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers25

26 Virtual Worlds (continued) Figure 6-14 The inside of a home in Second Life Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers26

27 Virtual Worlds (continued) Figure 6-16 A Second Life concert stage sponsored by Coca-Cola to promote their brand Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers27

28 Virtual Worlds (continued) Figure 6-18 A corporate meeting being held in Second Life. Employees from around the world attend by having their avatars sit in on the meeting Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers28

29 Virtual Worlds (continued) Virtual worlds are often three dimensional and created for a couple of different purposes (continued) –Gaming Gaming within virtual worlds is called MMORPG, or Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game Players interact with one another while trying to reach goals, embark on adventures, etc. Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers29

Summary Wiki sites are made up of pages that are written and edited by an online community Users have the ability to add, edit or delete information on a wiki page, or link those pages to other relevant pages on the site Wikis are not as widely used as other social media tools, such as blogging, but are gaining in popularity Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers30

Summary (continued) RSS feeds allow site visitors to easily keep track of updates made to a site by reviewing headlines or summaries Users subscribe to feeds, and then read updates through an RSS reader –Readers are usually pre-installed in browsers –Other free or paid-for readers can be downloaded Marketers use RSS to keep consumers informed of updates, see what competitors are doing, and keep track of what the media is saying about them Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers31

Summary (continued) Mashups combine different tools into a single application Marketers use mashups to create truly unique content on their sites that competing sites don’t offer Due to rising popularity, many mashup creation sites are being launched, which allow users to create mashups without needing to know much if any programming Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers32

33 Summary (continued) Virtual worlds are similar to social networks, but much more graphically-oriented Users are represented by avatars, which they can adjust and personalize at will Many virtual worlds, including well known Second Life are three-dimensional and replicate real life or a fantasy world Virtual worlds are used for socializing or game playing Brands market themselves through these worlds Principles of Internet Marketing: New Tools and Methods for Web Developers33