Why is the new widget so big?

[TheMadHouse]

I have just put the new widget on my blog and it is rather large. I am wondering what the benefit for me is of this. I am never featured and get no traffic from Mumsnet.

I also have never had a review, so is this just cheap, even free advertising for Mumsnet?

I just sent them an email saying I will not use it until they make it smaller. Between that and their badge, it looks like my blog is owned by MN.

If I can't be on the panel, so be it. It is absolutely unusable the way it is.

How funny, I have just sent an email too, asking what doors Mumsnet will open for me considering the amount of emails I get daily anyway.

Mich x

Hi TheMadHouse, SanTEEClaus and MichelleTwinMum,

Thanks very much for your emails. As you can imagine today is going to be hectic because we're rolling out the widgets, but we will reply personally to all of your emails and publicly on this thread tomorrow with a little explanation of the widget, what it can do for your blog and why it's the size it is. We'll also address the question of badge vs. widget. But please just bear with us till then!

Best wishes

Oh, and nice name change, SanTEEClaus!

Why would you continue to troll out the widgets when you have people asking questions?

Hi there

Thanks for the feedback. You can find everything under the sun on the widget here, but I want to answer a few questions head-on:

1. We've continued rolling out the widgets because things have gone pretty smoothly and we always expect a few questions surrounding a new project. We welcome the feedback!

1. This is not free advertising for Mumsnet . The widget displays our bloggers' reviews and editorial posts, so we're promoting the network's work, and driving them more readers. We include our name on the widget to explain what it is to your readers!

1. The widget is part of our offer to help you find more readers. We promote great blog posts through our own site and social media outreach. But that isn't the only way to see results with us. We are also linking you up with other members through our bloggers' forum and MBN badge (and sharing tips on how to improve your blog to snag more readers).

We're aiming to build a community that supports other members' work.

1. The point of our MBN Research panel is to link up top bloggers with top brands, and the point of our widget is to amplify your voices.

1. The widget is designed to carry a few posts to promote a good range of reviews, with enough text to encourage people to click. We built something that fits neatly on the major blog platforms and is smaller than a standard Twitter widget.

1. If you carry the widget, you don't have to carry the badge.

I hope this clarifies things. This is an opportunity, not an obligation! We totally understand if the widget's not your thing and you've changed your mind about reviewing products. We want our members to make use of the network in a way that feels right for them.

Thanks, Elinor

Thanks. I'll think about whether or not I want to use it over the weekend.

Thanks for taking the time to post back and answer.

So is it OK to start displaying the widget once we accept our first review?

Can you advise if the reviews are straight reviews or paid ones?

Thanks a lot, Michelle

Sure thing. We ask all members who want to review products for us to carry the widget - instead of the badge. And you'll need to wear it to be eligible to review. The reviews are straight reviews, but bloggers will get their hands on top products! We have some exciting new offers coming up...

I hope that helps.

I'm intrigued. How do I become a potential reviewer? Where do I get the widget from?

I've installed the widget, I like that it links to other bloggers most recent posts. I was wondering though, is it possible to make it open the links in a new window? Otherwise it might just be taking people away!

Hi BsDad,

Thanks for your interest! We are recruiting bloggers for the MBN Research Panel in waves, which is why you haven't been contacted yet. However, you and any other Mumsnet bloggers who are keen are very welcome to sign up for MBN Research Panel here and we'll get back to you soon with more details about the widget and how to add it to your blog.

Here's more information about the widget

Hi JenniferJJ,

That's a good question. We'll investigate whether it's possible and get back to you soon.