When was the precise moment you moved from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0? You haven’t, yet? Man, you must be old school…

We (us at Lucid, that is) have been mulling research into how the evolution of the Internet has been reflected in people’s behavior. Perhaps it is as simple as asking, “What did you do then? What do you do now?” In one way, we are trying to track this evolution toward Web 2.0, but the answers have been elusive. Therefore, I suspect it requires a more exact science. Or a better question…like, “What behaviors change as users are attracted to and participate in social networks?”

Then, lo and behold, Universal McCann completes an extensive study involving 17,000 active Internet users in 29 countries, shedding light about online social behaviors. (Universal McCann’s “Power to the People, Social Media Tracker Wave 3)

There’s a lot to digest in the work and we won’t do more than scratch the surface here. My immediate interest was captured early on with how the Internet has become the social media of choice; or has it?

A wonderful summary follows:

“Social media is an important shift, as it summarizes the importance of interaction, the consumer and the community. The term emphasizes the idea that as a collective it can have as much impact as any traditional media platform.

In truth, to claim social media as “new” is slightly misleading. From the beginning, the Internet was founded on message boards, chat rooms and peer to peer communication. What has changed is the mass involvement that modern social platforms inspire.

Contributing to the Internet has never been as accessible and less technical. Innovations in web development, computing technology and the proliferation of broadband have come together (to) drive monumental consumer take up. This is why the phenomenon of social media is important now – it has the potential to impact on all our media consumption therefore shifting the emphasis from professional content producers to the consumer.”

You don’t need the study to validate that people are generating content, more now than ever before. Per the study, 73% of people have read a blog. And what are those blogs about? They’re about family and personal experiences. For brands, this can be very revealing. Interaction with brands is a personal and relevant experience for many. For those that write, these interactions are the stuff of life and the seeds for publishing.

The implication is for business to do more than dabble in the medium. It is apparent that the rules for customer service have shifted in favor of the consumer. No longer do they need to accept mediocrity – their opinions can be expressed without reservation, and in many cases without any semblance of manners. The attacks can be brutal and semi-honest. Hell hath no wrath like a consumer scorned.

Need more to cement the idea firmly in place? Here’s standing proof that brands/businesses must meet the consumer head on in the “space.”

Social media impacts your brands reputation

– 34% post opinions about products and brands on their blog

- 36% think more positively about companies that have blogs

So with this all in mind, we come to realize that the use of the Internet’s social capacity is not new but merely becoming more powerful, potent and ever present. With that comes the strain on weak consumer facing systems and any inability to meet the consumers’ expectations. A less than positive experience invites the avalanche of negative press, in a world where you can’t call the publisher to remind her how much your brand spends on advertising. Aaahhh, a topic for another day.