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(d)   Online communities and social networks

The power of the Internet to facilitate peer-to-peer interactions was evident from the  mid- 

 1990s (as we explained in Chapter 8). However, it is only relatively recently that this power to 

transform the way companies and customers interact has been apparent. The human need to 

socialise and share experiences is the real reason behind the popularity of online communities 

Online PR

Maximising favourable 

mentions of your 

company, brands, 

products or websites 

on   third‑  party  websites 

which are likely to be 

visited by your target 

audience.

 Link‑  building

A structured activity to 

include   good‑  quality 

hyperlinks to your site 

from relevant sites with a 

good page rank.

Reciprocal links

Links which are agreed 

between your and 

another’s organisation.

Blog

An online diary or news 

source prepared by an 

individual or a group of 

people.

Podcasts

Individuals and 

organisations post online 

media (audio and video) 

which can be accessed 

in the appropriate players 

including the iPod which 

first sparked the growth 

of this technique.

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Part 2  Strategy and applications