On Thursday I was on a webinar with one of my mentors, Paul O’Mahony when the main topic was the evolution of the internet. As we know, the internet is always evolving, does anyone else remember when Facebook was full of farms? That’s not so long ago.
The shift from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 is upon us and I would like to share with you what I learned and how this might affect those of us involved in affiliate marketing
Web 2.0: Was the “The Age of the Influencer”
Think of Web 2.0 as the era where social media really took off. It was all about creating and sharing content, with platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube leading the charge. This period saw the rise of influencers – individuals who could reach thousands, if not millions, of followers with just a post or a video. It was revolutionary because, for the first time, anyone could share their thoughts, creations, and life updates with a global audience, making content creation community driven.
However, while Web 2.0 connected us in ways we hadn’t imagined, it also had its drawbacks, like privacy concerns and the concentration of power in the hands of a few big platforms.
Transitioning to Web 3.0: The Power of Community
Web 3.0 is taking the internet’s community aspect to the next level. It’s not just about connecting with people online anymore; it’s about building communities that can operate independently, support each other, and even own parts of the internet together. This shift is powered by technologies like blockchain, which allows for more secure, transparent, and decentralised ways of interacting online.
In Web 3.0, the community isn’t just consuming content passively or following influencers. Instead, people are coming together to create, share, and manage digital spaces together. These communities are powerful because they’re built on the principles of sharing, caring, and supporting each other, rather than just following someone’s life or opinions.
One of the coolest things about Web 3.0 is how it emphasises user control and privacy. Unlike Web 2.0, where companies could use your data however they wanted, Web 3.0 gives the power back to us. We decide what to share, who to share it with, and how your data is used.
The Future: Communities Leading the Way
Looking ahead, the shift to Web 3.0 suggests a future where the internet is built and run by its users, forming a global network of interconnected communities. These communities are not just places to share memes and updates but spaces where people can genuinely support and uplift each other, sharing knowledge, or creating applications that serve the community’s needs.
Basically, Web 3.0 is making the internet more human. It’s about creating a digital world that mirrors the physical one, where communities lead the way in innovation, creativity, and social interaction.
So, while Web 2.0 introduced us to the power of social media and influencers, Web 3.0 is all about leveraging technology to create more meaningful and supportive, and equitable online communities. It’s an exciting time for the internet, with community at its heart.
How Might Web 3.0 Affect Affiliate Marketing
As we move into the Web 3.0 era, affiliate marketing stands on the cusp of significant change, propelled by the shift towards decentralisation, enhanced data privacy, and new technology. This new web environment brings a more transparent, secure, and user friendly online space, which could dramatically transform affiliate marketing strategies.
With Web 3.0’s emphasis on data privacy and user control, affiliates may need to adopt more permission-based, personalised marketing approaches. Affiliate marketers might need to focus more on building genuine relationships and communities leveraging the power of social media and decentralized platforms to engage with audiences in a more authentic, transparent manner.
This evolution towards Web 3.0 not only challenges affiliate marketers to adapt to new technologies and methods but also opens up exciting opportunities for innovation, enhanced credibility, and deeper customer connections in the affiliate marketing space.
Want to be kept in the loop about Web 3.0 and Communities?
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I really like this post and can see and understand what you are talking about in it.
Still very much a ‘beginner’ with the internet, but learning daily.
Signed up to follow!
I’m just like you, on a journey of discover, learning and sharing. I’m happy that you got some value from the post
By focusing on building trust and authenticity within online communities, affiliates can create stronger connections with their audience and drive more meaningful engagement. Embracing the principles of Web 3.0 can lead to innovative strategies, enhanced credibility, and deeper customer relationships in the affiliate marketing space. Exciting times ahead!
Hi Alison. Thanks for visiting and leaving a comment. Yes indeed exciting times ahead. We are in the right place at the right time,
Web 3.0? Think of the community we have with Dean et al! Think of Dean’s absolute dedication to helping us unabashedly. I was just burned by another internet business venture simply by them dropping the ball. I am seriously going to cut ties with them. Let Go/Let God.
Hi Kate, Thanks for visiting and for the comment. I agree about Dean. The whole internet landscape will be changing to this approach AND with things like this little sub-community of people helping each other and giving support. Thankfully it will clean up the internet removing some of the snakes and helping the ones who are genuinely holding ladders to success that people can climb to thrive. (There muse be a future post there😁😁😁
Steve, I have my reasons for staying quiet on comments to your posts – but your mention of community jumped out at me and I figured It was time!
I thank you for this info on the transition from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0. I have been hearing about the rumblings of say – Facebook wanting us to get more involved with groups. I gotta say I still have a level of distrust for anything mentioning blockchain. But you make some good points that add to my level of trust.
I truly believe that communities are the way to go and I’ll actively promote products that have valuable communities attached – and I state so in my latest blog post! I’m all for deeper customer connection in the affiliate marketing space.
At this point I am willing to put some of my misgivings behind me and you can count on a new engaged subscriber to your newsletter.
Hi Robert, thanks for visiting and for leaving a comment. I am told that communities ARE going to be big and I do know that some big marketers who have steered away from them in the past are launching communities. I’m with you on blockchain. I don’t understand it and I thought it was all about Crypto currencies. I’ll do some research and find out hpw it fits in here,
Thanks also for subscribing. Not sure why you would have misgivings?
This post hook me in. Really. I was captivated throughout. I really embrace the way you divided the internet realm into these great parts of its evolution: Web1.0, Web2.0 and Web3.0. Nice sociological study which let us hope in a positive future for internet. Affiliate marketing will adapt to it and we will be on the front seats.
Nice post. Thank you.
Martin
Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to post a comment. Yes I thing from what I learned so far that the furure looks good
Hello, I have a few questions.
I am somewhat confused being a newbie.
What was affiliate marketing like before the Web 3.0 change?
What improvement will the Web 3.0 changes provide affiliate marketers?
I appreciate your curiosity and questions! While I may not be an expert, I’m on a journey of learning, discovery and reporting, just like you I gueww. My aim is to share insights and knowledge as I acquire them, with the hope that they can be valuable to others on their own learning paths. But, to explore these questions with what my understanding is. Web 2.0 is what we have now. As you know Affiliate marketing involves finding prospective customers abd where a few large companies control the data and processes. Web 3.0 is expected to herald a more community based approach where people own their spaces making for a more secure internet experience bringing a more open and personal landscape. I sure you will have noticed this yourself over the past 12 months or so. I will be delving into this topic in the future and sharing my findings here.
Steve, there is such great information here!! All new to me but I am grateful for the lesson on it, thank you 😊 It is all positive and I feel we will all be better for it.
Hi Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to comment. I’m sure even though you are relatively new that attitudes are changing to a more personal approach.
Thanks for visiting and for the comment. I’n s’n sure you will have noticed the changes in direction of some of the top marmeters and mentors over the last year
Steve, I was very intrigued with this post! This is the first time hearing about Web 3.0. As a new affiliate marketer, my first thought before reading this was, “oh no! Please don’t tell me I missed the train,” when in actuality I left your post with much more hope that my current efforts are going in the right direction. Thank you for the explanation and for the “heads up” what’s to come! I look forward to learning more from you in future posts.
Hi Lauren, If thanks for visiting and for leaving a comment. The future is predicted to be more about community. If you notice some of the marketers and so called influencers are changing from simply collecting followers to actually reaching back out to their followers creating a more 2 way relationship. I think it’ll make the internet a better place,
Hi Steve,
As always, great info; your post made me think of when dial-up was the norm! I still have shivers hearing that background noise when connecting.
I can see that the change happening to email marketing, (major email compliance changes), has also brought out the need to have a more secure way to connect.
Looking forward to reading about your journey!
Steve, thanks very interesting topic. Just a question I have is when you say Webb 3.0 is that a methodology or is it a system platform change as well. What I mean is is it just a behaviour change or is it a technology change or both. Very interesting topic. Thank you so much Atif
Hi Atif, Many thanks for visiting and your comment. There is no platform change, its a change in culture, methodology and the way things are done. The last 8 years, seems what gets labelled Web 2.0 has been the age of social media and it’s phenomenal growth. With came the influencer whose focus was to get as many followers as possible and influence them to buy their recommendations. As the internet becomes more evolved rather than an influencer marketers are becoming integrators so it’s more of a 2 way process. I’m sure you may have noticed this shift with any mentors you work with. With my 1st mentor who I’ve been following 18 months now there is a noticeable change to his approach where he is reaching back and revealing more and more of his personal “space”. Hope that helps.
I like to think of Web 3.0 as the web of ownership. Web 2.0 saw the growth of Facebook , Instagram, and a whole lot of characters, But I noticed with Web 2.0 you could be shut down if an algorithm did not agree with you. Nice to see that we will truly be able to collaberate with risk of being shut down
Steve,
What an interesting read. As Web 3.0 evolves you will see AI become more and more prevalent. Currently AI is still just in its infancy. Learning to leverage Web 3.0 & AI will become crucial to an internet marketer’s survival.
Pair this with want James Cole mentioned in his post about knowing your avatar. The avatar is what helps a marketer to leverage and pinpoint the communities.
Look forward to reading more on this subject.
Have an awesome day
CJ
Thanks for visiting and for the comment CJ. Yes I saw James post and agree. It was something I actually didn’t spend sufficient time on initially but I actually revisited the subject recently and and spent more or less an afternoon to really drill down on (with the help of Chat GPT. In fact you have given me an idea for a future post so watch out for the stories of Michael and Linda soon