Widgets got their moment in the spotlight this past week at WidgetWebExpo (http://www.widgetwebexpo.com/)
in Brooklyn, NY. The conference looked at a critical emerging online
trends: How to utilize the power of widgets to carry a brand to the
world.
No doubt, widgets - and tools like Twitter, Plurk and FriendFeed - are changing how Word of Mouth marketing is executed on behalf of brands.
In fact, a recent article to by Abbey Klaassen for AdAge attempts to define when a widget - once a fun aggregator of information - becomes a brand altering distributor of information.
The turning point? According to the article, when content from a widget becomes searchable on Google. One of the WidgetWebExpo panelists - Steve Rubel - put it this way: "companies fight for shelf space at Wal-Mart, brands are fighting for shelf space at Google." The article goes on to say that, "it's a reputation-management engine, and social media dictates what shows up on that shelf."
What this means for brand evangelism programs is that what goes on at the front end is just as important as what goes on at the back end. In other words, how information is disseminated in the beginning of an influencer marketing program will have a significant impact on how it is received at its conclusion.
This is no different than when a viral marketing effort contacts a blog. Naturally, that information is not only written for that blogger, but also his audience, and the other sites that link to his blog. Now add on widgets that comb the net for certain topics and you've got more "shelf space." Maybe someone should create a widget that can help measure that.
No doubt, widgets - and tools like Twitter, Plurk and FriendFeed - are changing how Word of Mouth marketing is executed on behalf of brands.
In fact, a recent article to by Abbey Klaassen for AdAge attempts to define when a widget - once a fun aggregator of information - becomes a brand altering distributor of information.
The turning point? According to the article, when content from a widget becomes searchable on Google. One of the WidgetWebExpo panelists - Steve Rubel - put it this way: "companies fight for shelf space at Wal-Mart, brands are fighting for shelf space at Google." The article goes on to say that, "it's a reputation-management engine, and social media dictates what shows up on that shelf."
What this means for brand evangelism programs is that what goes on at the front end is just as important as what goes on at the back end. In other words, how information is disseminated in the beginning of an influencer marketing program will have a significant impact on how it is received at its conclusion.
This is no different than when a viral marketing effort contacts a blog. Naturally, that information is not only written for that blogger, but also his audience, and the other sites that link to his blog. Now add on widgets that comb the net for certain topics and you've got more "shelf space." Maybe someone should create a widget that can help measure that.
