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Web 2.0 is paving the way for integrating direct and brand marketing, enabling real-time dialog with customers and the joint creation of content that increases and improves brand awareness and perception and generates sales and leads, according to a new report.

Web 2.0 includes blogs, virtual words, social networks, user-generated content, RSS feeds and Wikis.

Key findings from the study of B2B and B2C DM marketers who use Web 2.0:

• Elements most use by Web 2.0 direct marketers are (in order) blogs, online video, user-generated content and social networks

• Despite being relatively new, Web 2.0 is apparently recognized as a brand-building channel:

• 84% of respondents use it to raise brand awareness.
• 82% use Web 2.0 tools to increase brand preference.

• New media is used for direct marketing as much as it is for brand building:

• 83% use Web 2.0 to generate sales.
• 80% use it to generate leads.

• Most marketers realize the opportunities that new media create for integrating DM and brand:

• 85% of respondents use Web 2.0 to engage their customers and rate it as a highly effective mechanism for customer engagement (average rating is 5.3)
• 84% of our respondents use Web 2.0 to create a community of loyal customers, and they find it very effective for doing so (the average rating is 5.0).

• 82% of respondents allocated a quarter or less of their marketing budget toward Web 2.0.

• 70% of those who report that they are experts in interactive marketing also allocate about a quarter of their budget to Web 2.0.

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