These kids today with their rock and roll, and new wave hair cuts, and MySpaces, and Facebooks, and blogs, and podcasts, and widgets...
Widgets?
Widgets are very cool and could be yet another nifty online marketing tool for HR suppliers if they’re branded right and offer something of value to their end users. Widgets are mini-applications that can be found on social networking sites like those mentioned above, or can be download like software applications right to one’s desktop.
For example, I’ve downloaded the Yahoo! Widget engine and use the digital clock, calendar and weather widgets. A little plain Jane for what’s available, but hey, I’m old school. But I did download a fun drum kit widget to play with on my desktop (my wife scoffs when I talk about buying a real kit).
There are thousands of widgets and new ones become available by the second. Google, Microsoft and Apple all offer widgets and gadgets, as do a myriad of other companies including WordPress, one of the top blogging tools out there.
Imagine the possibilities. What if an ATS or Talent Management software company developed a widget that can be downloaded on the desktops of line managers and recruiters, streaming the top 5 applicants for their hottest open reqs with one click, before even logging in to their accounts? Or what about widget that updates HR managers with the latest HR laws and other compliance news?
They may be just more distracting techno-scoobies that’ll die once the novelty wears off, but when they’re on the end users frequented websites or computer desktops, they could helpful marketing tools used to literally stay in the front of your customers and prospects online.
I read an article this morning about Slide Inc., which has emerged as the No. 1 widget maker so far. The point of the article is that Slide will start injecting advertising into widgets that is “user-initiated” – i.e., the end user will decide if they want to receive relevant ads or not via the widgets
For example, we could develop a widget that streams our regularly updated HR industry news. HR folks and vendors could download our news widget and then choose to receive ads from HR suppliers and other relevant products and services.
And then we could...hey wait – kids, let’s get on that one pronto!
Posted by Kevin GrossmanLabels: HR suppliers, marketing tools, social networking, widgets
