Widget Ad Networks: Making Money from Widgets
I predict that 2009 will be the year widget ad networks become a reality. Companies like Clearspring, Widgetbox, Gigya, SpringWidgets, and iWidgets have provided free widget distribution and/or development platforms for a number of years. Expect that to change in the future. Widget platform providers are externally and internally experimenting with mechanisms to monitize their previously “free” services (ClearSpring announced their widget ad network in Dec 2007, Gigya announced theirs in January). The monitization trend makes senses, Web 2.0 companies have to figure out how to generate revenue, and with where the economy and financial markets are today, there is not better time to start than now.
Expect to see the following types of ecommerce models being applied to widget distribution.
- Recommended and sponsored widgets channels
- In-Widget advertising
- Mini ad banners within widget sharing menus
- Trial and premium widgets
- Premium widget delivery and tracking
- Paid widget distribution
Most Recent Posts
- Google is Indexing Adobe Flash Files (SWFs) - SEO for Flash Widgets? - December 16th, 2009
- Widget News and Trends: Dec 16, 2009 - December 16th, 2009
- Recent Widget Blog Posts - December 15th, 2009
- Matthew West's Facebook Page - Why Every Artist Needs One! - December 14th, 2009
- CareerBuilder "Re-selling" Facebook? Yikes! - December 14th, 2009
Last 5 posts in Clearspring
- Understanding the Widget Space - June 24th, 2009
- Widget Wars: In Pursuit of Worldwide Widget Domination - February 18th, 2009
- Clearspring Widget Examples - February 12th, 2009
- Interesting Widget Market Size Information - February 10th, 2009
- Big Money for Lil Widgets? Widget Platforms Get Funded to the Tune of $50M! recently , $160M+ in Last Year - February 9th, 2009
Yes, yes and yes.
Many of those ecommerce models are already in place such as in-widget advertising and paid widget distribution or seeding/distribution plans which are extremely economical compared with other media buys.
Simply put, a creative campaign without an accompanying distribution strategy is quickly going the way of the dodo.
2009 will prove to be a very exciting year for us all!
Comment by Todd Havens — January 30, 2009 @ 12:28 am