Monthly Archives: August 2014

A great question from BetterBNC users.

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Recently, a contest admin asked us at what point we refer user questions or issues back to the contest administrator. It’s a great question and we thought everyone would be interested in the answer.

BetterBNC works with users to resolve all how-to questions or technical issues. There are three situations where questions from contestants and judges are routed to the contest administrator.

  1. Reset Contestant Manager Account or Contact Email
  2. Assign a Temporary Password
  3. Login Information or Changes

In all three situations, the user is referred to the contest administrator because BetterBNC is not able to quickly determine whether the request is coming from a legitimate contest participant whereas administrators are able to quickly make that determination.  This protocol was put into place to ensure contest security and prevent unauthorized or bogus participants from gaining access to BetterBNC contests.

Have other questions about BetterBNC?  Email them to Karen@SmallTownPapers.com.

BetterBNC’s Newest Features & Benefits

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(The article below is an excerpt from our BetterBNC August newsletter.  Want to subscribe?  Email Karen@Smalltownpapers.com)

BetterBNC’s Admin Advisory Group was formed this summer and is comprised of a diverse group of ten contest administrators representing both print and broadcast media organizations using the platform. The group will recommend and review improvements and additions to the BetterBNC platform to ensure it best serves our customer’s needs.

“Our customers are the most informed users of the BetterBNC contest awards platform,” said Paul Jeffko, whose company, SmallTownPapers, Inc. created the product in 2007. “We will continue to evolve and improve based on the suggestions, ideas and feedback we receive from BetterBNC users.”

The Advisory Group has already made numerous recommendations, many of which are included in the release of version 5.0 which is currently rolling out. “We truly appreciate the time and work performed by this dedicated group of contest administrators. Their involvement will help ensure BetterBNC remains responsive to the needs of its users and the platform of choice for media industry awards programs,” Jeffko added.

Here are some of the upcoming new features and improvements, most scheduled for September release:

ADMIN

  • Customizable home pages
  • Direct email messaging and reminders
  • Improved table behavior, sorting and actions
  • Monitor Contestant Manager™ use of Authorized Entrant feature including number of sub-accounts established
  • New & improved reports
  • Set a flat-rate base contest fee variable by Division and CircGroup
  • MyContests page streamlined and easier to manage
  • Entry Table sort and search by Division
  • Set entry attachment limits by Category
  • Redesigned Category-to-CircGroup assignments
  • Redesigned Competition creation
  • Redesigned Competition assignments
  • Batch entry Confirmation process
  • Entry Asset Manager to download all winners’ entry attachments or all entries (optional)

CONTESTANTS

  • Open Call™ contestants begin making entries immediately
  • Revenue Manager cart system fully integrated with PayPal
  • Advanced and allows for mailed-in checks (optional)
  • Series date range, set by Category

JUDGING

  • Judging platform backend redeployed on dedicated server ensures performance during peak judging
  • Redesigned Judges welcome page
  • Judges see countdown as assignments are completed
  • Option for admin to display the entry Division to judges
  • Option for admin to allow “no winner” declaration by judge
  • Admin selectable winner places (First through Fourth)

CLOUD SYSTEM

  • Hardware updates include the most advanced cloud servers, scalable to meet demand

Interested in BetterBNC?  Contact us for a free demo.  Email Carter@smalltownpapers.com to schedule yours.

Admin Advisory Group Guides BetterBNC Enhancements

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BetterBNC’s Admin Advisory Group was formed this summer and is comprised of a diverse group of ten contest administrators representing both print and broadcast media organizations using the platform. The group recommends and reviews improvements and additions to the BetterBNC platform to ensure it best serves our customer’s needs.

“Our customers are the most informed users of the BetterBNC contest awards platform,” said Paul Jeffko, whose company, SmallTownPapers, Inc. created the product in 2007. “We will continue to evolve and improve based on the suggestions, ideas and feedback we receive from BetterBNC users.”
 
The Advisory Group has already made numerous recommendations, many of which are included in the release of version 5.0 which is currently rolling out. “We truly appreciate the time and work performed by this dedicated group of contest administrators. Their involvement will help ensure BetterBNC remains responsive to the needs of its users and the platform of choice for media industry awards programs,” Jeffko added.