Web 2.0: Strategies And Lessons For Business Leaders is a must-read for Accelerating Business Growth

When did I realize that Web 2.0 was a part of accelerating business growth? When it reached out and touched our own business last year…

Let me disclaim – while I am a contributor to this worthy executive summary, the credit truly belongs to my colleague and friend, our lead author, Troy Angrignon, for creating a timely, readable introduction for the rest of us. I recommend it to all boards and CEOs.

Web 2.0: Strategies and Lessons for Business Leaders begins this way:

As you read this, industries are being disrupted.

Yours May Be Next.

You need to understand what is happening so that you can lead your
organization successfully in these times of turbulence. The classified advertising industry is collapsing; the public relations industry is undergoing a radical make-over; the newspaper and media landscape is being turned upside down by the social media movement; the hundred year old telephone business is facing its largest threat ever…and losing; the global auctions industry has already been up-ended.

This is Just For Starters.

The purpose of this manifesto is to introduce you to Web 2.0 principles and concepts so that you may help your organization formulate a Web 2.0 strategy to address this next “sea change”.

“ We believe the first ten years of commercial Internet were a warm up act for what is about to happen.”
- Morgan Stanley/Mary Meeker October 2005

“ …we must act quickly and decisively… The next sea change is upon us.”
- Bill Gates

Web 2.0, Strategies and Lessons is published at ChangeThis.com, a site born from an idea conceived by marketing guru, Seth Godin. ChangeThis.com, and our contribution to Troy’s briefing are themselves, expressions of Web 2.0. While discussing the difficulties and expense of conventional marketing with Troy, he asked us why, instead of laboriously building articles into our website and publishing e-zines, we didn’t blog, instead?

It has been through venturing into this emerging medium that we have created both a resource center and a relationship tool – a way for prospective clients who have heard of us from their colleagues and advisors to learn more – no pressure. I purposely call it a relationship tool, rather than a marketing tool, because prospective clients rarely find us through our web presence. Google “Business Strategy”, and you won’t find us in the first 20 pages, let alone lines, of the search results.

Now if you have heard of Ann and Gary Ralston, or Ralston Consulting Inc.,you will find us in the top few slots of page one, leading a surprising number of other consultants by the name of “Ralston”. (I wonder if there is a gene for consulting? And if there is, why hasn’t it died out???)

This high ranking is due directly to our activity over the past six months in the blogosphere – a cornerstone of the Web 2.0 phenomenon – and it costs us only our time to write and post, plus $5 per month. That is a heckuva marketing ROI!

Want to accelerate your business growth? Read Web 2.0: Strategies and Lessons for Business Leaders, then give us a call (614-761-1841) – we’ll discuss how Web 2.0 applies to your business strategy.

Surf’s up!

Update: 2006-9-25 – There has been good feedback regarding the publication, gathered here.