Charities also have the opportunity to do the same. The result can be a form of marketing which promotes the organisation and its objectives around the clock (the web never sleeps) and beyond the limit of any marketing spend. Here are some ideas which your organisation may be able to incorporate:

• Create an online 'community' for your organisation with your web site. Make it active and reach out to its users rather than a passive by-product of your other communications channels


• Allow users to contribute comment on your content as well as content of their own. Users need a reason to visit and re-visit your site


• Build web links to other sites - this improves site traffic flow as well as search result visibility in engines such as Google and Yahoo. Find sites which are empathetic to your cause and make contact to see if reciprocal links can be established, as both sides will benefit. There are specialist agencies who can help with third-party link building and several undertake pro bono work


• Consider international web site links if your charity has affiliate or associate status with other charities across the world


• Members of your community may have their own personal weblogs ('blogs' - think an online journal which allows others to read and contribute to) and you may wish to ask them to link to your site


• Create a viral campaign - a downloadable clip from your site, and invite your community members to forward accordingly. Maybe even consider posting it onto youtube yourself?


• Create a secure area of your site where users can log in and become involved more in the work your charity undertakes. So whether it be advice in planning an event, arranging a mailout or testing a new series of messages before launch, your online community of users are passionate and will help you achieve your goals


• Tailor your communications to have global reach - or maybe create a menu item for 'Global visitors' to explain their specific call-to-actions - for the web is a global village after all


• Any community needs to be recognised. Consider rewarding your members every so often. This does not have to be monetary - an e-card of thanks, an invite to a seminar or even a link to the blog of a 'monthly champion' reinforces the fact that you value your community.

Provide the foundation for a community on your site and allow a few months for it to take hold before making any judgments on its success. One of the oldest forms of marketing - word-of-mouth - is finding a new life online so give it time.

Allowing site users, who are likely to be passionate advocates in higher proportions than for a non-charity site, to interact with you online can free up organisational resource in areas such as content generation and online marketing. And this is resource which can be used elsewhere. Web 2.0 is here to stay and charities should get involved and recognise the benefits and opportunities it presents.