Widgets & Content Marketing
Published on Nov 06, 2015
Creating a distributed content network with widgets is a vast blue ocean of low cost, high reward Internet marketing. Won't be that way for long.
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widgets
Will Widgets Inherit The Web? "Widgetizing" Content Marketing
Widgets are the bluest of blue oceans. Why these powerful marketing tools aren't everywhere is strange and discussed in this deck from team Curagami.
@Curagami
http://www.curagami.com
@Curagami
http://www.curagami.com
Photo by Steve Bowbrick
Widgetizing Content Marketing
- What is a web widget?
- Widget examples.
- What should be widgetized?
- Widget limits.
- Widget benefits & Why Blue Ocean?
Content widgets are different than functional widgets such as calendars or other apps. Both use the same principles of a distributed network kept up-to-date by a central source, but content widgets do for content what widgetizing a program does for code.
This slide outlines the journey to widgetization covered in this Haiku Deck.
This slide outlines the journey to widgetization covered in this Haiku Deck.
Photo by Kid Kameleon
Content widgets
Transient or Auxiliary Application.
Widgets reside on a web page but call information from another source.
This "embedding" of an content engine controlled by a "curation engine" creates a powerful distributed network.
Haiku Decks and Slideshares are some of the most popular advanced widgetization of content on the web. If you embed this Widget about widgets we collaborate in a unique way.
This means content widgets are alive and always happening NOW.
This "embedding" of an content engine controlled by a "curation engine" creates a powerful distributed network.
Haiku Decks and Slideshares are some of the most popular advanced widgetization of content on the web. If you embed this Widget about widgets we collaborate in a unique way.
This means content widgets are alive and always happening NOW.
Photo by Don Nunn
Aux Apps
Reside HERE (on web page) Get Info From THERE.
Widgets are small spaces on OPW (Other People's Websites) you've earned by creating content they want to embed. "They" in this context can be bloggers, social mediaites, smart phone and pad owners.
Photo by Xuan Che
new channel
Widgets create a new marketing channel.
Done right a distributed widget network becomes a new marketing channel. Unlike many other channels your distributed widget marketing channel is
* 100% in curator's (widget creator's) control (no ISP to blacklisting content, message or communication).
* A powerful source of instant feedback.
* Very low cost, high return much like email.
Should say much like email marketing used to be before ubiquity, spamming and mobile shriveled open rates to a crawl even as list growth continues. Size of your list is LESS important than your OPEN rate! Open = engagement and engagement = conversion.
* 100% in curator's (widget creator's) control (no ISP to blacklisting content, message or communication).
* A powerful source of instant feedback.
* Very low cost, high return much like email.
Should say much like email marketing used to be before ubiquity, spamming and mobile shriveled open rates to a crawl even as list growth continues. Size of your list is LESS important than your OPEN rate! Open = engagement and engagement = conversion.
Photo by SnaPsi Сталкер
traffic
Widgets produce traffic benefits for hub.
Your widget on my site helps my site build reputation and authority and your site win hearts, minds and conversion. Everyone wins.
Challenge is not getting so greedy you miss the reason people embed widgets, reasons like:
* They feel connected to you, your company, products or brands.
* People want to let others know they are associated with you (they are part of the "tribe").
* You provide a valuable source of arresting content.
* Your widgets are consistent with the way those embedding think about THEIR content.
* Its easy and rewarding to embed your widgets.
Challenge is not getting so greedy you miss the reason people embed widgets, reasons like:
* They feel connected to you, your company, products or brands.
* People want to let others know they are associated with you (they are part of the "tribe").
* You provide a valuable source of arresting content.
* Your widgets are consistent with the way those embedding think about THEIR content.
* Its easy and rewarding to embed your widgets.
Photo by openDemocracy
distributed
Widgets create a distributed content network.
Imagine the value of having your content instantly updated on a million websites, blogs and social media pages.
If there is a cheaper way than widgetizing your content to build awareness, a new source of converting traffic and fast feedback we don't know what it is.
Widgetizing is powerful and vastly underutilized.
WARNING:
Since widgets move juice to the source of the widgets WHEN links are "follow" links we recommend making them "no follow" so the spider doesn't assign false value. SEO PALES in value to other widget benefits so no use running afoul of the big G.
If there is a cheaper way than widgetizing your content to build awareness, a new source of converting traffic and fast feedback we don't know what it is.
Widgetizing is powerful and vastly underutilized.
WARNING:
Since widgets move juice to the source of the widgets WHEN links are "follow" links we recommend making them "no follow" so the spider doesn't assign false value. SEO PALES in value to other widget benefits so no use running afoul of the big G.
Photo by scloopy
Up To Date
Widgets keep a content network up to date.
Widgets are ALIVE. When you change something it is instantly changes across your entire distributed content network.
So alive, widgets provide GREAT opportunities for collaboration such as:
* Multi-author widgets (as other curators to provide input to your widget feeds).
* Multi-thread - A "liberal arts" widgets for Vassar College, where I graduated, could address history, art and philosophy easily with multi-threads (can get confusing and so you may want separate widgets, but there are other ways to organize a single widget to provide multi-thread content).
* User Generated Content - Widgets are far from Wikis so ask for input and curate great input in to reinforce the value of your "widget network".
So alive, widgets provide GREAT opportunities for collaboration such as:
* Multi-author widgets (as other curators to provide input to your widget feeds).
* Multi-thread - A "liberal arts" widgets for Vassar College, where I graduated, could address history, art and philosophy easily with multi-threads (can get confusing and so you may want separate widgets, but there are other ways to organize a single widget to provide multi-thread content).
* User Generated Content - Widgets are far from Wikis so ask for input and curate great input in to reinforce the value of your "widget network".
Photo by Caro's Lines
conversation
Widgets create current conversations.
Own the conversation, own the traffic and widgets are a great way to "own" a conversation since your curation is reinforced across a broad distributed network with each node increasing your widget's "legitimacy" as curator of a particular conversation.
I love Quora's embed options as they provide a way to master a conversation. Read more about Quora's widgets here:
http://blog.quora.com/Introducing-Embedded-Quotes
I love Quora's embed options as they provide a way to master a conversation. Read more about Quora's widgets here:
http://blog.quora.com/Introducing-Embedded-Quotes
Photo by mikecogh
value
Widgets provide value for those who embed.
This is the KEY to embeds. There are at least two kinds of embeds:
* Embeds of content supportive of what a blogger or website is discussing on a particular page now.
* Embeds of content as an active source of curation and new related content.
Slideshare tends to get embeds from the first group - people who want to support what they are working on now.
If my Storytelling Is The New SEO Slideshare doesn't update that's probably okay since the 58 embeds were using my slides to make a point:
http://www.slideshare.net/martinmartysmith/storytelling-new-seo
If I had a ScentTrail Marketing or Curagmai widget and it stayed static that would be a problem since those who've embedded a Twitter or blog role widget expect NEW content to stream to them frequently.
Widget users use our content creation as a source of new content. We are glad to help since we receive awareness and a valuable source of new traffic and input into our "widget network".
* Embeds of content supportive of what a blogger or website is discussing on a particular page now.
* Embeds of content as an active source of curation and new related content.
Slideshare tends to get embeds from the first group - people who want to support what they are working on now.
If my Storytelling Is The New SEO Slideshare doesn't update that's probably okay since the 58 embeds were using my slides to make a point:
http://www.slideshare.net/martinmartysmith/storytelling-new-seo
If I had a ScentTrail Marketing or Curagmai widget and it stayed static that would be a problem since those who've embedded a Twitter or blog role widget expect NEW content to stream to them frequently.
Widget users use our content creation as a source of new content. We are glad to help since we receive awareness and a valuable source of new traffic and input into our "widget network".
Photo by badjonni
embed
69 Embeds Generating Over 19,000 Views
The 69 embeds of Storytelling Is The New SEO have generated 8,551 views (and counting) of the 19,507 total views.
Storytelling Is The New SEO isn't OVER or DONE either. Chances are it will exceed 20,000 views soon WITH LITTLE OR NO ONGOING SUPPORT!
Widgets create content marketing that keeps on giving.
http://www.slideshare.net/martinmartysmith/storytelling-new-seo
Storytelling Is The New SEO isn't OVER or DONE either. Chances are it will exceed 20,000 views soon WITH LITTLE OR NO ONGOING SUPPORT!
Widgets create content marketing that keeps on giving.
http://www.slideshare.net/martinmartysmith/storytelling-new-seo
Content Widget examples
- Haiku Deck.
- Slideshare.
- Twitter.
- Quora's Embeddable Quotes.
- Scoop.it.
Slideshare is probably the king of widgetization and that may be why Slideshare's SEO is so valuable, immediate and long lasting.
I know Matt Cutts said use no follow links and that is true for little guys like us, but BIG GUYS like Slideshare know inside baseball secrets that produce POWER inside Google's content network.
BTW, Storytelling Is The New SEO hab been #1 on that term for years (as judged by Mike's Keyword checker a tool capable of seeing inside Google's float to absolute listing position).
http://www.slideshare.net/martinmartysmith/storytelling-new-seo
#1 in Google for "storytelling is the new seo" for years.
I know Matt Cutts said use no follow links and that is true for little guys like us, but BIG GUYS like Slideshare know inside baseball secrets that produce POWER inside Google's content network.
BTW, Storytelling Is The New SEO hab been #1 on that term for years (as judged by Mike's Keyword checker a tool capable of seeing inside Google's float to absolute listing position).
http://www.slideshare.net/martinmartysmith/storytelling-new-seo
#1 in Google for "storytelling is the new seo" for years.
Photo by sylvain kalache
Great Widget content
- Presentations.
- UGC - User Generated Content.
- Contests, Games, Gamification.
- Frequently updated (blog, Twitter).
- Curated, visual, happening now.
Not all content is equally "widgetizable". Think back to the two kinds of embeds:
* People looking to support a post today.
* People looking for a source of current, cool and free content going forward.
and you can see the kinds of content that make for great "widgetization".
* People looking to support a post today.
* People looking for a source of current, cool and free content going forward.
and you can see the kinds of content that make for great "widgetization".
Photo by Podknox
relevance
Constantly updating relevance key to great widgets.
Don't try to create widgets that are all things to all people. Find a niche, narrow it and then own it.
Examples:
* Daily or even hourly SEO tips.
* Inspirational quotes.
* Arresting visuals.
* Sports.
* Mashable & highly specialized.
* Quick design tips.
* Evergreen ideas like storytelling is new seo.
The more current and/or trend surfing your content the greater the embeds. Embeds have to be earned over and over. People can remove a widget as easily as add one, so monitor your embeds as a content marketing Key Performance Indicator.
Examples:
* Daily or even hourly SEO tips.
* Inspirational quotes.
* Arresting visuals.
* Sports.
* Mashable & highly specialized.
* Quick design tips.
* Evergreen ideas like storytelling is new seo.
The more current and/or trend surfing your content the greater the embeds. Embeds have to be earned over and over. People can remove a widget as easily as add one, so monitor your embeds as a content marketing Key Performance Indicator.
Photo by bebouchard
speed
Widgets must load FAST & play well with others.
Speed has many dimensions when widgetizing content. Programming must NOT slow the overall page. Adding your widget should be as close to neutral on page performance as possible (and publish that data too so people will know you are monitoring your widget's impact on their performance).
Speed also means creating widget content that looks and feels FAST, FUN and EASY (to use, anser or share).
Speed also means creating widget content that looks and feels FAST, FUN and EASY (to use, anser or share).
Photo by Fields of View
Widget Limits
- Don't be too self serving.
- Don't slow page.
- Don't crash other widgets/code.
- Need size variations.
- Can't be hard to embed.
Some may embed your "sale" widget if you are creative and cool like Woot.com, but most embeds want something ABOUT THEM in YOUR widget.
This is why we love UGC (User Generated Content) as a source of widget content. When your daily SEO tip comes from visitor suggestions you make THEM the hero of your widget and one mention keeps your widget embedded on their site for a long time.
That last bullet is very important. Embedding is NOT EASY and it should be. Make sure your embed process is clear, no more than three steps and easy. Include a video showing how to embed, the benefits of embedding and information about performance (you are NOT slowing or crashing their pages and you use no follow links to you aren't stealing their juice).
This is why we love UGC (User Generated Content) as a source of widget content. When your daily SEO tip comes from visitor suggestions you make THEM the hero of your widget and one mention keeps your widget embedded on their site for a long time.
That last bullet is very important. Embedding is NOT EASY and it should be. Make sure your embed process is clear, no more than three steps and easy. Include a video showing how to embed, the benefits of embedding and information about performance (you are NOT slowing or crashing their pages and you use no follow links to you aren't stealing their juice).
Photo by Armando Maynez
SEO
No Follow Links.
Widgets were a sneaky way to gain SEO benefits before Panda/Penguin because widgets were firing juice BACK to the source (mostly unknown to people who embedded the widget).
Matt Cutts, Google's spam master, suggests no follow links and I agree. After Panda and Penguin trying to game SEO value is stupid.
Here is a link to the Matt Cutts video on using no follow links on widgets and infographics:
http://youtu.be/PvR_8aGEc98
Matt Cutts, Google's spam master, suggests no follow links and I agree. After Panda and Penguin trying to game SEO value is stupid.
Here is a link to the Matt Cutts video on using no follow links on widgets and infographics:
http://youtu.be/PvR_8aGEc98
Photo by kolacc20
Content widget benefits
- Low cost high quality traffic source.
- Increase brand awareness.
- Empower brand advocates.
- Great CHEAP collaboration tool.
- Identify brand advocates.
Developing a distributed content network via widgets is right up there with email, crowdfunding and other low costs, high return "blue oceans" that few Internet marketers are fully exploiting now. Like all "low cost, high reward" Internet marketing activities that statement will not be true for much longer. Expect "widgetization" to pick up in 2014.
Photo by mckaysavage
Why Blue Ocean?
- Why aren't content widgets HUGE?
- Not easy to create.
- No easy, inexpensive tools.
- Strange IT / Marketing synergy needed.
- Lack of imagination.
Thought I would speculate about WHY widgetization hasn't already taken off, but, if you are a true Internet marketer, you don't care. Why is always moot. IS on the other hand can be very important to web marketing success. Widgets are about to explode. Do you want to be on this side of the Rubicon or the other?
Photo by Viking KARWUR
