Shweet.com

"There are a number of Canadian startups who are already tapping into this trend. A great example is..."

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:55:42 -0500

“There are a number of Canadian startups who are already tapping into this trend. A great example is Toronto-based Shweet.com, which offers rewards for people who share their partners’ video content. Every time you share a partner video from Shweet, you earn points. Once you’ve reached a certain point threshold, you are then able to purchase virtual tickets to enter to win sponsored prizes via a random draw.”

- Thanks to Andrea Wahbe for this nice mention, which comes via her wonderful blog The Running Start. The entire post can be read here—it’s worth the time and a good way to start enjoying The Running Start.

Add Rewards to Your Site with Shweet™ Buttons

Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:22:39 -0500

Shweet Buttons are our patent-pending system designed to help web publishers grow their audience, increase loyalty, and get more visitors to share articles, videos, and other content.

With Shweet Buttons, visitors automatically earn Shweet Points by sharing and visiting pages. As they move through the site, their points total increases and is displayed in the gold circle beside the Share and Tweet Buttons.

Visitors can use these points to get tickets for prize draws on Shweet.com. Alternatively, publishers can upgrade to an embedded private-label prize page that allows visitors to redeem points directly on the publisher’s site.

Embedding the Shweet Buttons takes just one line of code. It’s that easy! And here is how they look when deployed:

Viewing available rewards is as simple as mousing over the yellow points button:

And then your visitors can spend their points at Shweet.com on whatever prize draws catch their fancy!

You can try the new Shweet Buttons on this blog and on Pet Pawfection. Stay tuned for more partner announcements!

We're Rooting for You, AOL!

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:42:58 -0500

We’re delighted that our good friends at AOL Canada are on the shortlist for Media Player of the Year at Marketing magazine. We’re cheering you on, gang!

Learn more about it here.

Shweet.com now on AOL Music!

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:11:18 -0400

Shweet and AOL have teamed up again for a brand new campaign on AOL Music, which you can find here. This follows a series of launches with our wonderful partners at AOL, including our deployments on Cambio.com and Spinner.ca and our launch of the MyNXNE app in June for the NXNE music festival.

This time, there’s a special twist: a huge Canada-wide contest for high-school students in honour of Free The Children’s We Day. The prize is a Shawn Desman dance party, and when high-school students sign-up with Shweet at AOL Music their Shweet Points begin to count towards their school’s total. Of course, as in previous deployments, our members can also share AOL content and enter to win exciting AOL-sponsored prizes.

Visit AOL Music and check out our Shweet channel here.

Invite your pals to Shweet.com!

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:43:00 -0400

We’ve just made it even easier for new visitors to try out Shweet™. First-time visitors can now share videos on Facebook or Twitter without having to create a Shweet account right away. After they’ve racked up some points, they can decide whether they want to create a full Shweet account and start buying tickets for prizes. They’ll see why we say the Shweet is Sharing With Benefits™.

Shweet.com FAQs

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 13:04:00 -0400

General Questions:

Q: How does Shweet™ work?
A: At Shweet.com you find videos and other content you like and share it with your friends via Facebook and/or Twitter. As you share and tweet, you accumulate points that can be used to buy tickets for prizes you want to win. For more information, check out our How does it work? page.

Q: I have a Shweet account, and a family/household member wants to join too. Is that allowed?
A: Absolutely! Just remember that each individual can only have one Shweet account. If we suspect that one person is using multiple accounts, we have the right to disable these accounts. For more information, read the full version of the rules here.

Q: What social media accounts can I use with Shweet?
A: You must use bona fide personal accounts for Facebook and/or Twitter, meaning the same accounts that you use with your friends and family.

Q: How do I unsubscribe from the Shweet email newsletter?
A: First sign into Shweet and then go to your profile page. You can then change how often you receive the email newsletter under “Notification Settings”.

Q: How do I delete my Shweet account?
A: Email support@shweet.com with your email account that you used to sign up, and we will disable your account for you.

Questions about Sharing/Tweeting:

Q: When I click share/tweet nothing happens. What’s going on?
A: You likely have your pop-up blocker on and it is blocking the pop-up that prompts you to connect your Facebook/Twitter account to Shweet. Try disabling your pop-up blocker, then restart your Internet browser before trying to share again. If you are still unable to share/tweet, or for further instructions on how to disable your pop-up blocker, please email support@shweet.com.

Q: I get this error message when I try to share: “Facebook restricts Shweet shares to 20 per day, per person. Please wait at least 24 hours before trying to share again.” What does this mean?
A: This restriction is not set by Shweet. Rather, Facebook limits sharing from any one 3rd party site to 20 posts in a 24-48 hour period. We believe that trying to share during this period will cause the clock to reset and you’ll have to wait another 24-48 hours, so please wait at least 2 days before trying to share again. A good rule is to share to your Facebook friends those videos that most excite you, or that you think they will love. Quality beats quantity. Twitter doesn’t have the same restrictions, so you may choose to be a little more liberal with your tweets.

Questions about Prizes:

Q: How do I enter to win Shweet prizes?
A: First, register for an account at Shweet.com. Then share and/or tweet videos and other content that you like, and you’ll earn points. To spend your points, visit the prizes tab on Shweet.com and buy a ticket for any prizes you want to win. For more information, check out our How does it work? page.

Q: There’s a prize I really want to win! Can I buy multiple tickets for that prize?
A: Sorry, no. There is a limit of one ticket per member, per contest. This is to keep it fair for new members, and so everybody has a fair chance of winning the prizes they like.

Q: I just bought a prize ticket, but it isn’t listed under “My Prize Tickets”. Am I entered?
A: Yes, you have been entered. When you buy tickets you will see them when you (a) refresh your browser, or (b) visit Shweet again. In the meantime, the contest says “Bought Ticket” instead of “Buy Ticket”. Next time you buy a ticket, try refreshing the page, and you’ll immediately see your new ticket listed under “My Prize Tickets”.

Q: A contest I entered has closed. How do I know who won?
A: Recent winners are listed on the left hand-side of the prizes page. We also announce recent winners on the Shweet Facebook page, so check that out too!

Q: I got an email saying I won, and I replied to it with my mailing address, etc. Why haven’t I heard anything (or received my prize)?
A: Every once in a while, emails from winners get lost in cyberspace and do not make it to our inbox. If you haven’t heard from us within 3 days of sending your email, please re-send your information to winner@shweet.com.

Press release: Shweet 2 is Launched

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:09:16 -0400

Press release: Shweet 2 is Launched

Shweet 2: Tickets & Contests

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:52:00 -0400

If you’re new to Shweet™, one of the features you’ll enjoy is Prize Tickets. When you have earned some Shweet points, you can convert those points into entries in our sweepstakes, by “buying” a Prize Ticket.

Contests are found on the “Prizes” page. On the right-hand side you’ll see a column that says “My Prize Tickets”. Like this:

When you buy a Prize Ticket, it shows the contest details, the odds and a little progress bar that moves as the contest nears completion. When enough people have bought Prize Tickets, the contest is automatically closed and a winner is drawn. Here is what a Prize Ticket looks like up close:

After you buy a Prize Ticket, it will not instantly appear under My Prize Tickets. To make it show up immediately, just refresh your browser page; otherwise, it will be there on your next visit.

As contests close, your Prize Tickets will be updated to show if you won. And of course, when you win, you get an email from Shweet.com giving you the good news.

Happy Shweeting!

Shweeting Ethics

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 12:24:00 -0400

At Shweet™ we work hard to make sure that our contests are fair. It’s one of the reasons why we have Rules.

It doesn’t happen often, but we’re unhappy when we catch Members breaking the Rules; usually this results in us having to close their account. Those Members also forfeit any prizes they might otherwise have received, because when we disqualify someone, we draw a new winner. We don’t enjoy doing this, but we have to do it to make sure our contests are as fair as possible. As with so many things in life, it is a case of the tiny few causing problems for the great majority who follow the rules and act reasonably.

Here are some guidelines to ensure that you’re using Shweet in a legitimate way:

1. Follow the Rules. If a Member tries to get around the Rules to improve their odds at the expense of other Members we will find out and disqualify that Member from his or her wins. Shweet limits entries to each contest to keep it fair for everyone. When it comes to fairness, we mean business.

2. Members must use bona fide personal Facebook and Twitter accounts, not special-purpose accounts (including “contesting accounts”), which violates the Rules.

3. It’s obvious, but worth repeating: share only what you care about or what you think your Facebook and Twitter friends will enjoy. Shweet gives you lots of choices, and lots of ways to share. If you don’t see something you like, then there is no need to share. We have new content every day, and it’s better to share thoughtfully than to overdo it.

4. Don’t enter contests for items that you don’t really want or cannot use. Sometimes we have contests for special or unique experiences; if a Member wins that and does not want it, that only deprives another Member who really did want the prize. If you do happen to win based on a free contest entry, then just e-mail us and let us know you would like to forfeit the prize. We’d be happy to redraw so that someone can enjoy the prize.

5. Respond promptly to winner emails from Shweet. If a Member ignores emails we will consider the prize to have been abandoned, in accordance with the Rules.

We are lucky to have a great group of loyal Members at Shweet and we are serious about making sure that contests are always fair and that Members follow the Rules. It benefits everyone.

Shweet's Got Mail :)

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:42:00 -0400

Sometimes you may want to send a Shweet™ video to one or two special people in your life. With Shweet 2.2 we’ve made it easy to do that. On the bottom right-hand corner of every Shweet video, you’ll see a little icon for email. Click the email icon and it will open an email message and paste in the link. Voila!

If you have a blog or use other social media, you can now embed a link to post wherever you like—on a blog, your other social media channels, or wherever. Click the embed icon and the link will be copied to your computer’s clipboard. Neat!

Both of these features are for the convenience of our members, so neither earns points or triggers bonus awards.

You can find both of these new features at the bottom right-hand corner of any Shweet video.

New Shweet™ Widget on Cambio.com

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:42:00 -0400

Shweet is partnered with Cambio.com, AOL’s teen entertainment site. They have their own Shweet page, which is advertised on their homepage with this brand new snazzy Shweet widget:

Clicking on it sends you to Cambio’s Shweet page, where you can share Cambio content and enter to win more Shweet prizes. Check it out!

Also new in 2.2: Featured Prizes

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:42:00 -0400

Another great Shweet™ 2.2 addition is the Shweet prize header that displays featured prizes right on the homepage. Not only is it a fun reminder of all the prizes that you can win, it also helps new Shweeters understand what they can do with their Shweet points. That’s Shweet x2!

You Might Also Like...

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:42:00 -0400

…the brand new footer on every video landing page, suggesting what you might like to view next. When you share or tweet a video on Shweet.com, a link to that video is posted to your FB wall or Twitter feed. Now, when your friends click that link to watch the video you posted, they’ll also get some great suggestions for what to watch next. And who knows, they might find something new to show you.

2.2 Feature: Free Prize Tickets!

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:04:00 -0400

As we mentioned before, a great feature of the new Shweet™ is the chance to unlock surprise rewards when you share or tweet content you like. Often this surprise reward is a trivia question, and getting the answer right earns you some bonus Shweet points. Now, you also have a chance to receive a free prize ticket for a contest that you haven’t entered yet. Here’s what one of these free contest entries will look like:

Hope you find a free ticket soon!

Rules Updated

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:21:00 -0400

Shweet just updated the Rules to version 2.1. Refer to the Rules for any changes.

Please note per the Rules Addendum that “[w]ith regard to Sweepstakes conducted on Cambio.com, no Member may validly win such a Sweepstakes if he or she is under the age of 18 and residing in the United States at the time of his or her entry or the closing of such Sweepstakes. In such case Shweet.com will disqualify such Member from that Sweepstakes.”

Shweet 2 Covered by TechVibes

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:08:00 -0400

We’re pleased to see that TechVibes, one of our favourite tech sites, has covered the launch of Shweet 2. Knowlton Thomas described 2.0 better than we could ourselves:

How does it work? First, check Shweet.com for videos and links—good ones. Then share and tweet ‘em to your friends. This activity unlocks points. Finally, cash in your points to enter contests to win prizes, like Kobo e-readers and gift cards for all sorts of places.

In a nutshell, have fun exploring the internet and get rewarded for doing so. Sound simple? It is. That’s what makes it Shweet.

The full blog post is here. As for TechVibes, Shweet™ recommends it highly as the best place to go to stay current on Canada’s tech scene. Visit TechVibes here.

Shweet 2 Feature: Discover Bonus Points!

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:10:00 -0400

One of the cool features in Shweet™ 2 is that now you can unlock surprise chances to win bonus points when you share or tweet content you like. One such surprise is a quiz card. Get the answer right and you earn bonus points!

Shweet 2 Launched Today

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:29:00 -0400

Today we roll out Shweet™ 2, an upgrade of our service. And we are excited to tell you about it.

Shweet has always been about discovering exciting new content and products and then sharing your discoveries with your friends. As a bonus for sharing with friends, we give our members the chance to win prizes.

With Shweet 2.0 we wanted to make it more fun to discover content and products. We improved the user experience, and our programming will now feature far more video than before, drawn from our partners and elsewhere on the web.

We have also shifted to a new model for entering sweepstakes. No longer are draws tied to individual content items; now members can earn points by sharing the content they like, and they can use those points to buy tickets to enter draws for prizes.

So now you can share what you like most and enter draws for what you most want to win. Happy Shweeting!

- Keith Bates, CEO, Shweet.com

Notice: Updated Shweet™ Rules, Terms

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:37:00 -0400

As part of upgrading our service to Shweet 2.0, the Rules have been modified and updated. One notable change is that sharing via Facebook now requires a genuine (or bona fide) Facebook account that has 15 or more friends. The Twitter requirement remains unchanged at 15 followers. The Terms & Conditions have also been changed. Members are encouraged to refer to the Rules and to the Terms & Conditions if they have any questions.

Shweet™ & AOL Led in NXNE Social Media

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 17:29:30 -0400

Focus on Social has a blog post on how different social media campaigns fared during NXNE. We are delighted to see that Shweet, working with AOL, led the pack. Here is what Focus on Social found:

Knowing that this was going to be a large social media event, many companies decided to create their own Social media campaigns. Two of the biggest roles that we saw were Windows running their #rockwithwindows hashtag, Pepsi using the #NXNEpepsisecret hashtag and we were also was introduced to a new bookmarking website SHWEET. This is where things get interesting. Rather then (sic) spending big dollars on paid advertising. SHWEET built an alternative NXNE iPhone app that ran constant giveaways that really showcased great marketing creativity and dominated conversation all weekend – Showing that it’s easy to create likes but it will never be easy to create conversation.

If you are interested in social media analysis and campaigns, we recommend you visit Focus on Social. It’s a fascinating site.