Contests2win’s new mantra: Over to the consumers

The online contests portal, Contests2win.com, has revamped its site to fit into the new realm of Web 2.0. The site now allows its members to create their own contests, apart from the ones created by the Contests2win team.

Registered users, now numbering 1.2 million according to the company, can create the contests through ‘skins’ and templates like Quiz, Hangman, Poll and Faceoff. Users can then add their own content and pictures to complete the contest. More templates will be added soon to the site. Other members can also comment on the contests uploaded.

“We have demolished the wall between customers by allowing them to talk to each other,” says Menon.

While the site has advertising in the form of display ads, Menon says the company is in talks with brands to integrate them into the contests in different ways. So, brands could have their own contests or be part of the message that appears on screen when contestants win or lose.

Another social media feature on the site allows members to place their contests on their blogs. The company also has a blog of its own at Contests2win.blogspot.com, where the latest post is on the “re-birth” of Contests2win.

Contests2win has not promoted the site so far, but Menon says that a campaign may be expected in a month’s time. He adds that the company plans to add more “community features” to the site, but it is waiting for “consumers to get used to the new site”.

The revamp at Contests2win is perhaps symbolic of the Web 2.0 or social media fever that has caught on in online publishing. Portals are increasingly facing competition from social networking sites and are trying to involve their consumers far more than they have been used to doing.