The Revolution Will Be Widgetized

Imagine you've got a great product, and you've opened your first boutique. You're drumming up customers, but getting traffic through the door is tough. Then you think, What if I could license other vendors to carry my product? In one deft motion, you multiply your brand ambassadors and significantly broaden product exposure without 'fronting a second down payment.

Now, graft this brick-and-mortar Eureka! moment to the Internet. Your site is great: the videos are funny! The design is hype! The writing kicks you-know-what! And to reward loyal visitors, you’re even sharing MP3s from local bands. So, why push all this product from a single location? That's such a worn-out, narrow notion. The Net is all about being everywhere, all the time.

… Enter the widget. There's no time like now to launch a few! 

You can use widgets to share news, music, videos or games with people who are totally beyond your reach. If users love what you're offering, they'll plaster your content on their Web sites, sprinkling little viral pieces of you in places you never considered.

And you don't have to pay ad placement fees or commissions. Unless you really wanna support that local band. (Speaking of which, Adidas Originals is disseminating a really cool Ultraviolet Sound widget. It sports MP3s, a product discount and audio ads. Band fans are snapping it up—and Adidas is sitting pretty.)

The Po!nt: Invest your content—and your brand—with legs. Go Widget Way: launch a widget, and your customers will advertise for you!

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