AdAge Article on Widgets

For anyone interesting in widgets, Bob Garfield's AdAge article on widgets, Widgets Are Made for Marketing, So Why Aren't More Marketers Using Them, is well-written and worth reading. 

Quick snippet follows, but check out the full article.

"Branded widgets are the refrigerator magnets of the Brave New World. These compact, portable little software apps -- from video players to countdown clocks to makeup simulators -- are inexpensive to distribute, free to the user and (often enough) distinctly useful. At a minimum, they carry an ad message wherever they go. 

That's at a minimum. At a maximum, the widget is something like the magical connection between marketers and consumers, not only replacing the one-way messaging long dominated by media advertising but vastly outperforming it. Because online the link is literal and direct, and along its path, data of behavior, preference and intention are left at every step. Oh, and your target consumers actually go out searching for your branded gimcrack. Oh, and they display it within easy reach. Oh, and they pass copies along to their friends and associates. Oh, and because they've been turned on by a friend, they are hospitable and receptive recipients. And, oh, in case this didn't quite register the first time I mentioned it, the barriers to entry are preposterously low. "The money is a joke," says Hillel Cooperman, ex-Microsoft big shot and founder of small Seattle software-development shop Jackson Fish Market. "It's a rounding error in the marketing business." 

Comments

[Busby SEO]

All this widget so helpful, So many tahnks for this.

[Singapore Escorts]

Widgets is great promotional tool. I placed a widget on one of my sites and visits to the widget site equal to the number of traffic to my site if not more. This is a testimony to the effectiveness.

[Italian Restaurant]

I must say widgets are interesting stuff. Thanks for those links ! I will definitely check them out.

[mkv to dvd]

I agree with you. Widgets helps me much on my website.

[Property Sale]

I am certainly one who use widgets to promote and and add value to my blogs and sites. Its great tools for widget makers to propagate their sites and users benefit from its as well.

[Brad]

I just started using widgets to help market my blogs, and I've been pretty impressed so far. It appears that the more value or functionality the widget provides, the more accepted or adopted it becomes. Some programmers are creating some really cool widgets with some amazing functionality.

[Pizza Recipes]

Widgets sure do open up a whole new side to internet marketing...live feeds etc

[Axe08]

I love widgets. I have been working on making one for my site.

[Elsie M Aiken]

Excellent, entertaining, useful reading, Thanks !!

[Singapore Property for Rent]

I use widget on my blogs. Its the best to promote sites.

[William]

I have often heard of the power of such widgets, but I have actually never seen any succes stories. Mostly people talking about how it could work. But the idea is certainly interesting.

[Helen Atwood]

your blog is awsome

[Duple Ang]

It's really a good way to promote or advertise!

[replicaloh]

I believe marketeers will start the ball rolling after seeing this article!

[Jasmine Lim]

It's really worth reading.Thanks!

[ezditto]

Its a great choice to advertise using widgets.

[jonaw]

Yes. Widgets are not a one-way messaging way, people are able to interact by commenting or even cast their votes or by rating. Without all this, with the number of user traffic clicking on the certain article have already shown the interest of users. A definite source for all marketeers.

[Annie]

Agree to what the article mentioned. Why isn’t marketing taking its place in promoting through widgets? It’s free and there is already a certain amount of traffic flow to that particular page. For example, widgetbox. Clients are there for you and they are only waiting for you to reach them.

[Ryan Low]

Promoting and publicity through widgets are a wise way. Just like widgetbox, they have blidgets that allows the advertisements to be displayed in a slideshow manner. This will definitely catch the attention of consumers.

[youporn]

I just started using widgets to help market my blogs, and I've been pretty impressed so far. It appears that the more value or functionality the widget provides, http://www.turkaction.com" title="youporn" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">youporn the more accepted or adopted it becomes. Some programmers are creating some really cool widgets with some amazing functionality.

[Teaching English in Taiwan]

Interesting post. I have made a twitter post about this. Others no doubt will like it like I did.

[Teaching English in Taiwan]

Interesting post. I have made a twitter post about this. Others no doubt will like it like I did.