The Countdown Pro Creator enables users to easily, without any coding, create custom countdown widgets that can be shared across the web and shared on Facebook. Creating your countdown is easy and there are several opportunities to personalize the widget (a full tutorial is coming shortly!):

- Set your widget’s size: width and height
- Create your event: what are you counting down to?
- When is the date: set the date using our calendar
- Add a theme or custom background: you can upload your own photo or choose any of our available themes (birthdays, weddings, etc)
- Customize the clock: choose the look (flip, analog or digital) and position it
- Add a link to your website: great for driving traffic to your site, blog or brand!
- Add a finale: provide a message when the countdown concludes

Get started now: Build your own Countdowns!

Here are several examples – all created in just a couple minutes. Building the countdowns is as easy as it is fun. Please share your countdowns in the below comments and we will feature some of our favorites in the coming days.

Twilight: New Moon Countdown

Left 4 Dead 2 Countdown

Christmas Countdown

The Skygreen Leopards Album Release Countdown

My Wedding Countdown

NASA STS-127 Countdown

In fact, earlier today, TechCrunch reported that 80 Percent Of Accounts Have Fewer Than 10 Followers.

Widgetbox is introducing a new pilot program to help you utilize Twitter as part of your social media / user acquisition strategy. Based on the chosen package, Widgetbox will:

- build you a custom Twitter widget
- build your Twitter following (either by 1,000, 5,000 or 10,000 followers)
- promote and distribute your widget

Widgetbox can help users and brands either grow their Twitter campaigns OR launch / create their strategies. In either approach, letting Widgetbox grow your Twitter presence will make your marketing efforts more effective and allow you to consistently and more easily grow your following.

The three packages are below. You can contact me directly to get started () or via Widgetbox’s Partner page:

Mashable even recommended using Widgetbox to help navigate your Twitter activity:

“Provide a website widget: For anyone who isn’t using or knowledgeable with Twitter, provide an easy conversation tracker tool on your website. You can make one via Widgetbox”

Here’s how you can use hashtags within your Twitter widgets:

1. When creating your Blidget Pro, add a tab for Twitter
2. You will have three content source options: My Updates, My Favorites, and Search

3. Under search, you can enter any text… or enter a hashtag (ie #FollowFriday or #voting)
4. The widget will then dynamically update with posts around the Twittersphere with the hashtag that you set

Exciting news: you can now create Blidgets and Blidget Pros from your Facebook Feed. Add you Twitter activity, blog or RSS feed, and other useful content from across the web and you have the ultimate social media / marketing widget! Here’s how:

1. Install Chia’s Newsfeed RSS App

To get started, you need to allow the new Newsfeed RSS Application on Facebook and grant it access. The application will access your Facebook feed and convert it into an RSS feed. Note: this all occurs on Facebook.com and you will need to login before accessing the application and granting access

You can read more about Newsfeed RSS on ReadWriteWeb.

2. Grab the RSS Feed and Create Your Blidget Pro!

Once you have granted Newsfeed RSS access, you will be provided a link to your feed. You can now enter that directly into the Widgetbox Blidget Pro editor (enter directly from our homepage). You will now have the regular options to:

- customize the Blidget Pro’s appearance
- customize the feed’s layout (supposedly images are coming soon!)
- add multiple tabs to the widget (such as Twitter, blog feeds, etc)

Here is an example using:
- my Facebook Badge as my Blidget’s header
- three tabs: my Facebook feed, my Twitter feed and my blog feed

Learn more about the Blidget Pro and read other Tutorials

This is part three of our series on turning your Blidget Pros into successful, viral Facebook Applications:

1. Beginners’ Guide to creating Facebook Apps
2. Video Tutorial of the Facebook App Creator
3. Advanced Guide to Facebook App customizations (below!)

Once you have turned your Blidget Pro into a Facebook Application, there are several customizations that can make your app more successful on Facebook:

Customize the Application’s About Page

Each Facebook Application has an About Page that includes (see an example here for the American Idol Application)
- A custom image and overview
- Basic statistics (reviews, users, friends, etc)
- A “Wall” and a “Discussion Board”
- A list of “Fans” and “Friends Who Have Added the Application”
- User reviews

Within your “Facebook Developer” page, you will find an option to “Edit About Page”. There, you will be able to manage the page’s layout, customize the content and upload your graphics:

Customize the Application’s Settings

Each Application also has a set of universal settings that are particularly important for the widget’s viral-ity through Facebook. As the developer, you can access the “Edit Settings” page directly from your “My Applications” page.

There are four key elements to pay attention to:

1. Application Name: make it simple, catchy and descriptive
2. Basic Information: Again, be clear and crisp
3. Icon & Logo: These are particularly important because the graphics appear in Facebook’s feed and in the browser

4. User-Facing URLs: Enter in URLs where the user can get more information about the brand / app

Submit the App to Facebook’s Application Directory

Also available from the “My Applications” page is the ability to submit the app to Facebook’s Application Directory (tucked away tightly in “Submit It” link beneath the App’s title).

Submitting your application to Facebook’s directory is a huge boost for awareness and finability. You must first have at least 5 total users or 10 monthly active users before submitting:

Study the App Data and Iterate

Available under “My Applications”, Facebook provides in depth data through the “Statistics” section. You can access data about the:
- Application
- Users
- Interaction
- About Page
- etc

Create a Page for the Community

Facebook Pages are public forums for fans and brands to interact. Pages are terrific ways to communicate with fans and promote / include your Application. Creating a Facebook page is simple and allows numerous customizations: just select your category and Facebook will configure the process depending on your focus: Local, Brand (product or company) or Person (artist, band, public figure).

Let Widgetbox Help Distribute

Whether you need help customizing your Application or crafting custom distribution campaigns, let Widgetbox be helpful. Contact us and we can help craft promotional campaigns that deliver based on your requirements (partnerships at widgetboxdotcom)

Learn more about the Blidget Pro and read other Tutorials

One of the most powerful capabilities of the Blidget Pro is the ability to turn the widget into a fully viral Facebook Application. Below is a video tutorial demonstrating what Blidget Pro Facebook Apps look like and how you can create one.

You can also find a couple examples here:
- Crank High Voltage Facebook App
- American Idol 2009 Facebook App
- Investor Business Daily Facebook App

Learn more about the Blidget Pro and read other Tutorials

The Lakers Widget is a Blidget Pro and features multiple tabs:
- News
- Twitter
- Blog
- Videos

You can get ready for the NBA Playoffs by grabbing the widget below:

1. Blidget Pros Go Facebook
A full post is coming… but the big news is that Blidget Pros are now Facebook compatible: on the profile, on the ‘canvas page’, via the news feed and more!

2. Reordering of Blidget Pro Tabs
One of the great features of Blidget Pro is the inclusion of tabs and custom tabs. Now, you can rearrange the ordering of the tabs with our simple UI (up and down arrows!). Now editing and updating your widgets is simple!

3. New About Us Section
Go ‘Inside the Box’ and learn more about Widgetbox, best practices, the team, etc

4. New Try Blidget Pro Section
Before you ‘Go Pro’, gain access to features, examples, screencasts and more

Don’t miss an update – subscribe to What’s New on Widgetbox via widget, RSS or email:

1. The New on Widgetbox Widget

2. The New on Widgetbox RSS Feed

Subscribe via RSS

3. Subscribe by Email!

The Blidget Pro keeps getting better!

Last week we introduced two new features for Blidget Pros:
1. Geographic & in-widget click tracking
2. Add/remove the Get Widget button

Today, we are excited to announce our most exciting new feature yet:

Custom Blidget Pro Tabs

The custom tab enables you to add content to your widget that is not feed-based – meaning, you can add custom, formatted text, links and pictures directly inside your widget! With the custom tab, you are able to:

- Add text and images
- Format that content: font size, color, alignment, etc
- Create hyperlinks to promote your content and sites
- Change the content on an ongoing basis… and have it automatically refresh across the web

Looking for ideas on how to use the new custom tab? Here are some ideas:

- Bloggers: In addition to your blog and Twitter tabs, add a custom tab that describes your blog and links to it
- Small Businesses: Add a custom tab that describes your business and prominently provides contact information (email, phone, URL, etc)
- Brands: Use the custom tab to further your brand awareness. Add a logo and links to more information.
- Realtors: Create a custom tab that describes your services and encourages viewers to schedule appointments

If you already have a Blidget Pro, simply login to edit it and press the “Add a Tab” button. There is a new “Custom Tab” option within that menu.

Learn more about the Blidget Pro and read other Tutorials

]]> http://blog.widgetbox.com/2009/03/introducing-custom-tabs-for-blidget-pros/feed/ 4 http://blog.widgetbox.com/2009/02/new-analytics-georgraphic-and-click-reporting/ http://blog.widgetbox.com/2009/02/new-analytics-georgraphic-and-click-reporting/#comments Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:55:16 +0000 Jillian Jones http://blog.widgetbox.com/?p=1088

Over the last couple weeks, we’ve added several features to the Blidget Pro…. In fact, yesterday we announced the ability to add / remove the Get Widget button on Blidget Pros.

Today, we are excited to announce upgraded analytics for Blidget Pros. Now, you get access to premium reports and mapping for your Blidget Pro including:

- Views by Country
- Uniques by Country
- Clicks
- Clicks by Domain
- Clicks by Target URL
- Clicks by Country

Learn more about the Blidget Pro and read other Tutorials

]]> http://blog.widgetbox.com/2009/02/new-analytics-georgraphic-and-click-reporting/feed/ 6