Widgets Gain Momentum

If you’ve watched a YouTube clip on another site, or viewed an embedded Google map, you’ve experienced widgets – a movement that’s getting increased attention for its content and advertising opportunities.

Widgets present targeted online content through a mini-application within your web browser or on your computer’s desktop. Popular widgets include weather, news, stock market, entertainment, audio and video applications.

What do widgets mean for advertisers? According to an overview piece from Reuters:

In a sense, widgets blur the line between an ad and a personalized service. Rather than just providing a banner ad linked to their site, savvy content providers can create a useful widget and slap their brand on it. Because it provides a service, users are more likely to interact with it longer than a mere banner ad, thereby increasing brand loyalty and longevity.

The Reuters piece notes that revenue models, licensing and tracking challenges remain. But it’s clear widgets are gaining momentum. A few recent developments:

• Media giant Gannett has launched a weather widget for many of its properties
• NBC will make much of its news content available via widgets
• Universal Music Group has launched the U Music Gadget
• Facebook will now allow widgets from other companies
• eBay has introduced a widget for adding auction listings to other sites

A good starting point is Yahoo, with a mere 4,000 widgets to consider.