Widgets are small applications that users can add to their social network, desktop or blog and distributed using websites and viral sharing. Widgets can contain rich functionality, user interaction or mini applications and are less static as conventional banners. The below widget for www.samsungsoccer.com contains a free kick game which users can install on many different platforms using the sharing button.

Once the widget was installed other users can grab the widget from its new location which is called a “viral grab”. This is the real advantage of widgets - mobility.

Logically, over time most installations of a widget come from instances of the widget on other sites. One user might grab the widget and put it on his Facebook page, his friends take it from there to other sites etc.

Branded widgets are a great opportunity to create awareness by creating something useful and worth sharing.

Tracking widgets in terms of distribution, viral effect, installations and destinations can provide insightful information about users and show the number of interactions or the lifespan of the widget.

Together with social media campaigns widgets are a great way for a brand and its audience to interact.