Are widgets truly free advertising?
First, let’s debunk the free argument. As anyone who has worked in advertising knows, nothing is free. Widget creatives still need to be developed by design professionals and updated by content professionals. Contrary to what your client might think, your branded widget isn’t going to “go viral” tomorrow without a lot of help. Expect you and your team (or agency) to work harder at the soft aspects of social marketing than they ever have buying media or tracking impressions and clicks. Second, let’s debunk the advertising part of free advertising. Do you really think people want your ad on their homepage, blog or social networking page? Maybe if you’re in the 1 percent of product categories that are truly cool and inspirational. For the other 99 percent your widget can’t be a repurposed ad. You need to capture and hold the attention of the fickle public by developing branded content that compels them to accept and share with others. Sounds a lot like good web development, and it is. Wha
