On March 29, 2005, Yahoo launched their new social network communication multiplier – Yahoo 360. It’s a powerful, new, all-inclusive interface that the average person with little or no technical knowledge can use to easily and instantly communicate with an infinite network of friends and associates.

Yahoo 360 is still currently in “invite only” beta testing, but I’ll share a quick overview with you. And more importantly – I’ll explain why understanding this new service is critical to your success as a small-business owner.

First, a quick review of what’s included in Yahoo 360

With Yahoo 360, even the greatest techno-phobe can easily access and use his or her own blog, instant messaging, photo storage/sharing, and Internet radio in one convenient interface. Yahoo 360 includes a host of other sharing tools including reviews and listings of your favorite restaurants, movies, music, etc.

Online social networking and blogging are not unique in and of themselves. Microsoft has stepped into the world of blogging with MSN Spaces. Google has Blogger.com and Orkut for social networking. But even with some current shortcomings, Yahoo has stepped it up to a whole new level.

It’s not for Pros – it’s consumer connection on digital steroids

After running Yahoo 360 through its paces, I can tell you that Yahoo 360 is providing nothing that isn’t available anywhere else. The control panel feels somewhat “clunky” and lacks many of the technical controls that advanced blogging tools like WordPress or BlogHarbor offer. But then again, Yahoo 360 was not created for the business blogging pro.

Yahoo 360 is taking the instant publishing power of blogging, then multiplying it with social networking, and putting it in the hands of the most hesitant techno-phobe. Yahoo 360 makes it as easy as child’s play for the average person to quickly build and communicate with a network of hundreds, and thousands of “friends” (that means potential consumers to you and me).

And, that’s why it’s critical for you as a business owner to understand how Yahoo 360 and other online social networks work.

It’s getting easier and easier for the average person to spread the word about you, your product, or your business – good or bad!

No longer is it “she told two friends, and they told two friends, and so on, and so on…”

Thanks to blogs and online social networks, in the 21st-century marketplace it’s “ she told 200 friends, and they told 200 friends, and so on, and so on…”

Plus, add the fact that word-of-mouth recommendations are much more powerful than traditional marketing, and you get both speed and impact with Yahoo 360. For example, anybody can search the open Web to find restaurant reviews, feedback on services, or recommendations on products. But it’s far more powerful to tap into the experience and recommendations of people they already know and trust. Yahoo 360 now makes this a snap!

Three trends you must be aware of as a small-business owner

My purpose here is not to go into a detailed overview of what’s included in Yahoo 360 or how it works. More importantly, my intent is to highlight what this new service and others like it mean to you as a business owner.

Through the launch of Yahoo 360, Yahoo is revealing three trends that are transforming the 21st-century marketplace into a business environment unlike any we’ve seen before.

1. Big bucks are being poured into technologies that leverage human connection and networking. After spending an hour or so combing through all the features and functions of Yahoo 360, I can tell you that this is another powerful wave in a surging trend to put more filtering control and communication leverage into the hands of the average person.

That means news, good and bad experiences, and recommendations on companies like yours can spread like wildfire.

2. Every day more marketing power is shifting from traditional advertising to word-of-mouth recommendations. That means you must shift from interruption marketing to an educational experience that builds trust with your target market.

3. The consumer is demanding (and getting) more and more control over information they receive, and information they share. That means limited toleration for untargeted marketing messages. You need to learn the needs, wants, and desires of your market and then customize your messages to give them what they want.

Consumer-centered communication is critical for your business success

Yahoo 360 is just another example of how the marketplace of the new millennium is transforming before our very eyes. With each passing month, more power and control is shifting away from companies clinging to traditional marketing methods — and it’s going into the hands of today’s click-and-mortar consumer.

Try to mislead, misinform, or otherwise shaft consumers, and you’ll be in for a big surprise. Your target market will turn on you in an instant, using the technological tools that are now at their fingertips to take the old saying “bad news travels fast” to a whole new level of speed.

Educate, respect, and openly communicate with your target market, and they’ll use those same high leverage communication tools to sing your praises.

The choice is yours. The time to begin shifting your approach to marketing is now.

John-Paul Micek
The Click-and-Mortar Business Coach
Business Owners Coaching Club
http:/www.AdvancedBusinessBlogging.com

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