Google Wave: It’s The Next Huge Opportunity For Business Marketing

Anticipation and excitement is building about the official launch of the Google Wave. Trust me this will bring social media marketing to the next level.  Like all new applications, it’s hard to predict exactly how, but it will. If you have not heard about Gwave yet here are the basics:

• Google Wave is a real-time communications platform. It facilitates the use of email, instant messaging, wikis, web chat, social networking and project management (incorporating any media) in one easy-to-use interface.
• Like many Web 2.0 applications, the Wave is build on the cloud computing framework so it should be inexpensive and available for just about any Internet connected devise.
• Google’s Wave technology is based on the HTML 5.0 toolkit, which allows it to exist as a natural element of HTML coding for supporting browsers. Among other things, this enables email content to be hosted on a Wave.
• Wiki functionality is built in so a Wave can be edited by other users that share the platform withing a designated “Gwave community”.
• Key features of Google Wave is real time communication, Waves can be embedded in any website or blog and it is open source so developers (and marketers) can innovate new applications.

The opportunities to use Google Wave for business marketing are powerful and endless.

Think about Gwave this way.  It’s like message boards with the ability to be real time.  Moreover, you will be able to move a Wave anywhere you want on the Internet (blogs, websites) and add any kind of media with drag and drop functionality.

Imagine, a retail store email could direct customers and prospects to a Wave where they are viewing the merchandise in real time with hundreds, or thousands, of other potential customers. Here they can comment (or buy) on the email and special offers, and engage in discussions. As they get customer feedback, retail marketers can update, in real time, the merchandise assortment customers are most interested in. New merchandise is brought back to customers in real time.  Retailer could provide better service to customer by showing new merchandise ideas based on feedback.  Kind of like the person in the store handing new clothes over the stall while you are in the dressing room trying things on.

In this case, customers opening email multiple times in a day would see various merchandise assortments based on how the wave is evolving. Gwave takes targeting and customization to a new level, with content immediately tailored to each individual customer based on their feedback within the Wave.

Google Wave is still in it’s early stages and you can’t get it unless invited in. The key learning for you as a businesses owner or marketing exec is that you need to be in the game learning now.  With the tools and applications we have now.  Chances are Gwave builds on what we have, not replaces it.  Its a new world of marketing, and success will go to those that know how to thrive with new technology.

You can learn more at http://wave.google.com