Widgets ´exciting´ for marketers

Widgets present an "exciting" opportunity for advertisers to engage their audience via social networking sites.

That´s according to Amy Kean, press officer at the Internet Advertising Bureau, who said that the small, interactive applications can be a cost-effective way of securing marketing results.

"Widgets are user-initiated, and are therefore a great way to reach your target audience on their terms, being entirely permission-based," she said.

"This makes them an extremely exciting prospect for advertisers looking to penetrate the social networking space, without resorting to intrusive and overt marketing messages."

Sites like Facebook have been utilising the "fun" applications for some time and search giant Google has recently entered the area with its Google Gadgets tool.

Ms Kean went on to explain that she expects widgets to be a major trend in advertising to consumers as they help firms to become "an integral part of their internet experience".

But she warned that careful research is still necessary. "The main challenge is for marketers to not bombard their consumers with advertising messages, and make any widgets or applications relevant to their brand values and online offering."