Video sites are trying various tactics to get an edge against YouTube, mainly by offering to pay for uploads. WeWin, which launches today, is trying something different: they enter you into a sweepstakes every time you view a video, with the chance to win prizes like iPods and gift certificates. You can also increase your chances of winning by referring friends. These referrals join your "Winner's Circle", which sounds a lot like traditional affiliate schemes - when someone in your Circle wins a prize, you get the same prize.
As YouTube clones go, WeWin is a good attempt - it's well designed, fun to use, and has some interesting content, even though some of it may be lowest common denominator stuff. But the discussion is bound to center on the idea of the sweepstakes - is it just a gimmick to get some coverage and new users? MSN tried a similar scheme with a contest called "Search and Win", which rewarded users for choosing MSN search - a lot of commentators saw that as a sign that MSN couldn't beat Google on search quality, and decided to resort to a cheap gimmick. That said, WeWin is a pretty good attempt, and if the promise of prizes lures users to this interesting video site, there's probably no harm in it.
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