Widgets are a modern web marketing technique where you invite somebody to put your badge on their website. EPA reports that it’s first foray into the world of widgets, was a success. The environmental tips, a brief update written in citizen-friendly language shares things you can do to protect nature and control pollution. It has generated a lot of interest. EPA reports:
… the ‘environmental tip of the day,’ released last spring, was seen 363,000 times in June after it was posted, which is more than any single page on EPA’s Web site other than the home page.
One of the neat things about widgets, at least compared to regular advertising, is that EPA knows how many people clicked on it. So I predict with confidence, that within in a few weeks, EPA will know that its sequel, the “Find Your Watershed” widget, seen below, is a comparative flop.
<br /> id=”zipcodewatershed” SCROLLING=”no”<br /> MARGINWIDTH=”0″ MARGINHEIGHT=”0″<br /> SRC=”http://epa.gov/owow/zipcode_widget.html”>
The reason, of course, is that the term “watershed” is pure eco-shop talk. So for everyday non-scientist citizens, the amount of curiosity that the “Environmental Tip of the Day” widget evokes compared to the “Find Your Watershed” widget is like night and… um… day.
“Pshaw!” you say? “Lots of people will be see the ‘Find your Watershed‘ widget and be moved to learn more,” you hope?
In a few weeks, EPA will have some hard numbers that will settle it: — 363,000 visitors responding to a “words that work“-ish message of the environmental tips vs. some number TBD who respond to a “words that don’t“-ish message of the watershed widget.
I’ll see if I can persuade the agency to release the results.
Hat tip to the Lake Stewardship Blog for spotting the widget.
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I’m loving these spotlights you’re doing on various e-marketing techniques (podcasts, widgets, etc). This is very helpful for a small org like Georgia ForestWatch as we consider ways to capture support from a younger crowd. The words that work have to be delivered in a way that reaches the target group. Right now our words are working for a 55+ demographic. It would be nice to reach the up & commers, too. We’ve discussed researching internet marketing stragegies, and you’re helping my research – thank you!