In the online media world where choice is unlimited and generating content is on a level with consuming it, newspaper websites are faced with enormous competition. How to solve this problem? Why not offer tools known as widgets that create a branded presence that potential readers can integrate into their daily web habits?

The Associated Press describes how newspaper companies are increasingly adding widgets to their standard offerings to help their brand name follow users around the Net. "Web reality has kicked in, and it's hard to get people to your site," the AP quoted WashingtonPost.com Executive Editor Jim Brady as saying. "'You have to throw a lot of fish hooks out there' to attract new readers."

Brady might be right, especially when it comes to attracting a younger audience. Think about the hours the 18 to 40 demographic spends fine-tuning their Facebook and MySpace profiles, hours that used to be spent with traditional media. Now, through widgets which are "third party item(s) that can be embedded in a webpage (Wikipedia)", traditional media have a means of establishing themselves on potential readers' personal pages.

For instance, the Washington Post created a widget for Facebook called "The Compass"which helps Facebookers to compare their political views with those of their friends. Other widget innovations from newspapers include Gannett's travel-oriented widgets and the Wall Street Journal's idea to allow readers to embed the paper's video on their own pages.

What remains to be seen is if money can be made off of these ventures. That markets-based application is more of a "marketing and brand extension," says Mike Jones, director of business and audience development for The Wall Street Journal Digital Network. "The revenue model is still to be determined."

But in the meantime, be on the look out for more traditional media roll outs of one of the Web's latest crazes.

Other articles on widgets:

USA Today and WaPo launch widgets, Widgets, are they the next big thing in advertising?

Source: AP (via its new Google pages)