MediaWeek: Advertisers Embracing Widgets

MediaWeek's Digital Download reports on widget's bright future, which was heavily bandied about at this week's Media Summit in New York. Writer Mike Shields points out that "advertisers and media companies are beginning to embrace the power of widgets."

One source within Shields' piece predicts online ad networks will serve largely as widget distribution platforms. We feel this prediction has no merit...the future is already here! In the opinion of WidgetBucks, we're living it. Our ad widget network is firmly planted between innovative widget makers (i.e. RockYou, Slide), which are trying to figure out how to make money, and online advertising networks, such as ValueClick, Tribal Fusion and countless others, where innovation is spotty.

WidgetBucks already provides a combination of built-in business model (shopping widgets now, more to come soon), proprietary technology (i.e. YieldSense, MerchSense, and mass distribution (3 billion impression mark is quickly approaching). And as a result, we're one of the fastest growing networks today.

Read the rest of the MediaWeek piece here.

- Dean

WidgetBucks Updates International CPM Country List

Over the past few weeks, WidgetBucks' international advertisers have been concerned about traffic originating in certain countries. Even with fraud-protection, advertisers can deem traffic from certain regions non-valuable. As such, when advertisers no longer wish to pay for traffic to certain regions, WidgetBucks has to adapt and no longer offer traffic monetization to those regions.

Effective immediately, WidgetBucks is shortening the list of countries that pay on a CPM (cost-per-thousand impressions) basis, meaning only traffic from the list of countries below will earn CPM revenue. Site visitors originating from countries not on the list will result in zero payout. Revenue earned through visitors from countries no longer on the list will still be paid through today, March 7.

If a WidgetBucks ad widget is placed on a site that is visited by a user in a non-paying country, that user will not see any ad content. And this does not involve or impact the recent roll-out of the "hybrid" widgets, which include a CPM display ad for U.S. and Canada traffic.

List of countries whose traffic continues to pay on a CPM basis:

• Australia (AU)
• Austria (AT)
• Belgium (BE)
• Denmark (DK)
• France (FR)
• Germany (DE)
• India (IN)
• Ireland (IE)
• Italy (IT)
• Netherlands (NL)
• New Zealand (NZ)
• Portugal (PT)
• Puerto Rico (PR)
• Singapore (SG)
• South Africa (ZA)
• Spain (ES)
• Switzerland (CH)
• United Arab Emirates (AE)
• United Kingdom (GB)

Over time, additional countries may return to the "approved" list, but only after ad partners become increasingly comfortable with the traffic trends and are willing to pay for ad content in those regions.

Thanks for your understanding.

-- Dean

January Payments On the Way

If you're a publisher receiving WidgetBucks earnings via PayPal, you should be getting that glorious notification of January payment in your email inbox today. And consistent with previous month's payments, PayPal funds are distributed first, followed by mailed checks both domestically and outside the U.S. (checks will go out later today and tomorrow).

As many of you have probably noticed by now, the MyBucks page is now updated. Our apologies in the delay in updating that particular page.

- Dean

Earn Free Money on WidgetBucks with 'Code for Cash'

We all like free stuff! Free lunch, free giveaways, free gas -- but nothing beats free money.

That's what WidgetBucks is giving away through 'Code for Cash' -- a $10 credit to your account simply by updating your WidgetBucks widget code on your site or blog. Starting on Wednesday, March 5 at noon PT, the FIRST 100 publishers who update their code (based on our log files) will be credited the 10-spot in their WidgetBucks account for February. This offer ends on Sunday (3/9) at noon PT, so hurry!

The benefit of updating your code also has to do with money: this new code will give you even more options and flexibility when selecting the type of WidgetBucks ad widgets that run on your site -- and give you the ability to earn even more. Today, the ads are focused on shopping, but in the coming weeks, additional ad models will be available, so stay tuned.

Here's what you need to do to get your $10 'Code for Cash' credit:
1. Within your MyWidgets page, go to "edit" for each active widget
2. Within "Customize your Widget" page, copy the HTML code and repaste it into your site or blog. Voila!

Note: This code change was originally announced on Dec. 11. If you've updated code since that time, you already have the correct code and there is no need for an update.

BusinessWeek: 'Widgets: Future of Online Ads'

This week, BusinessWeek ran an entire special section, "CEO Guide to Widgets." One particular article of interest, relative to WidgetBucks and all you publishers, was this piece titled, "Widgets: The Future of Online Advertising" along with a counter-point here. There's also this video interview about making money from widgets that's mildly informative.

- Dean