Tag Archives: PR contest

Why our customers say BetterBNC is better.

What sets BetterBNC apart from other platforms?  Customers who have come to BetterBNC from other platforms are quick to share their observations.

First, and what we hear most frequently, is that our customers appreciate that all training and support is included in our base price.  There is no bill at the end of the year for training and support.  They tell us an additional plus is the fact that our support is provided by our Tech Team out of our Washington state office which monitors support requests around the clock.

The second thing we hear most often is that contest administrators like that the platform was built specifically for their industry – journalism, creative, broadcast and public relations contests.  We do not have a generic platform that requires customization to make it work for these organizations.  Our team is made up of individuals who have worked in print journalism, broadcast news and PR, and we know firsthand the features that make for an easier contest experience for everyone.

BetterBNC has been designed to be easier and more efficient for contest administrators and contestants but just as important in its evolution has been creating an easy and smooth experience for judges.  We have received rave reviews from judges who tell us its the best contest judging experience they’ve had – intuitive and easy to use.

BetterBNC is also commited to continual improvement and adds new features each year to enhance the contest experience.  We listen to customers who have provided invaluable input and suggestions. In 2015, we added two features which come at no additional charge. One allows administrators to easily and conveniently email contestants and judges from the admin dashboard and the other allows the contest to easily create its own branded contest landing page.

We look forward to an even better 2016! Contact us today to take a look at the platform and discover how it can enhance your next contest.

 

Important Info. for BetterBNC Customers

We’re excited about the upcoming contest season – the largest yet for BetterBNC as we continue to welcome new organizations to the platform thanks largely to your referrals. We have important reminders for you below and, as always, please contact us if you have any questions. We appreciate your choosing BetterBNC for your awards program!

Contest Renewals
Thanks to those of you who have completed your contest renewals and sent in the information required. If you haven’t yet completed your renewal, send it in today. If you have questions, please contact Karen@smalltownpapers.com or PaulJ@smalltownpapers.com and they can assist you.

Are you new to BetterBNC?
If this is your first year with BetterBNC, help us ensure your contest is ready to go when the Call for Entries goes out. If you haven’t already, please complete and return your template as soon as possible.

BetterBNC Website Refresh
We’ve had a fantastic response to the BetterBNC website refresh launched this summer. If you haven’t yet checked it out, visit www.betterbnc.com today.  If you use BetterBNC screenshots in your contest instructions or other promotional material, you’ll want to capture the updated shots. If you need assistance, please contact the head of our tech team Cody France (Cody@smalltownpapers.com) You may have noticed the new Admin Overview Chart available in “Entries.” Admins could always examine an overview of entries, but now we’ve added a great new overview tool for entries made by Open Call contestants. It’s already in your Admin/Entries window – simply click to reveal.

Easy Download of Winning Entries
We’ve seen a dramatic surge in the use of Entry Asset Manager. Contest admins are discovering the value in having all the attachments for winning entries downloaded in one highly organized zip file. If you retain your winning entries on your own server, or want to create a powerpoint visual presentation for your awards ceremony, Entry Asset Manager can increase your efficiency by gathering all assets on one place for instant download. If you would like to add the Entry Asset Manager module to your contest, contact us today.

Use Marketing Manager to Email Judges & Contestants
Contest administrators are enjoying the Marketing Manager feature which allows you to conveniently email judges and contestants right from the dashboard. Use this feature to:

  • Create & save Campaign Email Templates
  • Send Campaigns to target audiences
  • Fully format typeface and fonts
  • Include your logos, graphics and images
  • Monitor progress of Sent, Received, Opened and Bounced

There are six different types of campaign emails to choose from and you can create a template to use in the future or create emails when you’re ready to send. Be sure to remind your members and participants to add email.smalltownpapers.com to their “safe senders” list to ensure contest email lands in their inbox. Marketing Manager makes communicating with your contestants and judges more productive and is included in the price of your renewal.

Build Your Customized Homepage Today
One of our most popular new features is the customized homepage which allows you to easily create a branded contest homepage.
From the administrator dashboard, simply click “Design Settings” to start building your own page.

Customer Q&A
Q: Why doesn’t the platform allow large PDF files to be entered?
A: You may have noticed BetterBNC’s 20mb file size limit for entries. The reason we don’t permit larger files to be uploaded is simply because it takes longer to download which creates a more cumbersome process for your judges, particularly if they have standard DSL. Customers are encouraged to limit file sizes to 5mb or less or opt to use an online e-publishing platform such as Issuu, VuDu or RealView. When contestants make entries using the e-publishing option, they enter the URL web address of the document rather than uploading. Judges are able to easily view and evaluate the entry.

Do you have a question for BetterBNC? Email Karen Tarica at karen@smalltownpapers.com.

The platform that can improve your awards program.

logo-300As we’re processing all of the renewals that are coming in and setting up the contests that have just signed on with BetterBNC, we find ourselves amazed at the growth in the platform over the past year alone.  At this time a year ago, we were excited to have expanded into more PR and broadcast contests and contest administrators were delighted to be using a new feature allowing them to create their own customized contest homepages.

Since then, we have welcomed dozens of new contests to BetterBNC and added new features like the Marketing Manager which allows contest administrators to email contestants and judges right from the dashboard.  It’s made it really easy to send out call for entries, reminders and thank yous.  We launched a BetterBNC website refresh which contest admins describe as clean, fresh, intuitive and easy to navigate and we are adding more creative contests such as advertising awards programs.

Some of the biggest fans of BetterBNC continue to be judges who say its far and away the easiest platform they’ve used to judge print and broadcast journalism, creative and public relations contests.  We appreciate all the feedback we receive from those using the platform and look forward to continued work with the best journalism, creative and PR awards programs out there.

Contact us anytime or email karen@smalltownpapers.com if you’d like to schedule a complimentary platform demo.

How does your contest platform handle large files?

applesorangesContest platforms are not the same.  Some, like BetterBNC, are easy and intuitive while others have a huge learning curve.  Some require lots of costly customization to meet your contest needs while others, like BetterBNC, have a base platform that meets most needs of a specific industry – in our case, journalism, creative and public relations contests.  Some platforms allow contestants to upload extremely large files while others, including BetterBNC, set a limit.

Got your attention, right?  Why would BetterBNC limit the file size of PDFs that can be entered?

If you’ve seen the platform, you have likely noticed BetterBNC’s 20mb file size limit for entries. The reason we don’t permit larger files to be uploaded is simply because it takes longer to download which creates a more cumbersome process for your judges, particularly if they have standard DSL. Customers are encouraged to limit file sizes to 5mb or less or opt to use an online e-publishing platform such as Issuu, VuDu or RealView. When contestants make entries using the e-publishing option, they enter the URL web address of the document rather than uploading. Judges are able to easily view and evaluate the entry.

This is one of the main reasons judges consistently praise the BetterBNC platform for its ease of use.  It saves them time and energy.

Check out BetterBNC today and learn how it can create a better contest experience for everyone involved – your contest administrator, judges and contestants.

4 Easy Steps to Getting Started with BetterBNC

Whether your contest is currently run manually or you’re using a different online platform, moving to BetterBNC is fast and easy.  Just a couple of steps and you’re ready to go.

  1. Contact BetterBNC to schedule a complimentary demo so you can see the platform at work from the perspectives of the contest admin, judges and contestants.
  2. Review your BetterBNC proposal which will include any modules or other features you may need.  Remember that all training and support for the year is included in your base price!
  3. Once you approve and return your signed proposal, you will complete an Excel template which guides the BetterBNC team building your contest.
  4. Once your template has been completed, the team will start building your contest and you can schedule training at your convenience.

For most of our customers, the contest can be built in just a couple of weeks.  When your admin logs into the contest, everything is there and ready to go but they can complete tasks such as making any changes, entering members/judges, creating a customized contest homepage, and more. The BetterBNC support team is always available if they have any questions or need help, and there’s never an additional charge for support.

The platform is overwhelmingly preferred by contest judges who, after using BetterBNC to judge contests, consistently recommend that their own media organizations make the switch to BetterBNC.  Contestants also enjoy the ease of entering awards programs using the platform saying it is saving them time and energy.

BetterBNC has been designed specifically for journalism, creative and public relations awards program and we’re committed the success of your contest.  Give us a call if you’d like to take a look at the platform and see how it can make your contest even BETTER!

Make the switch to an easier and less stressful contest platform!

BetterBNC has been delighted to welcome several new contests to the platform this summer most of which have switched to BetterBNC from other platforms that they found to be too cumbersome, difficult to use and expensive.

The #1 Selling Point for BetterBNC
Our new contests have indicated that they appreciate that BetterBNC’s base price includes all training and support for the year.  There is no bill at the end of the year for support calls or training sessions.  And, support is provided each day, from early until late, out of our Washington state offices. There’s no waiting days for a response to your questions.

Time Saved with Marketing Manager
Customers love that they can email judges and contestants right from the administrator dashboard.  It saves time and energy sending reminders and thank you notes.  There are several different email campaigns that can be launched and you can always monitor which emails have been opened or bounced. This feature was launched in 2015 and is included in the base price or with your renewal.

Your Contest Webpage
We also receive great reviews on our Customized Homepage feature which allows an organization to quickly and easily create its own customized contest homepage hosted on BetterBNC.com.  You can provide all of your contest information right there along with the log in button so judges and contestants can get started.  Like Marketing Manager, this feature comes at no additional charge.

Want a BETTER contest experience?  Check out BetterBNC today and see why so many journalism, creative and public relations contests are making the switch.

Streamline and Simplify Your Contest

simpleIn working with the numerous organizations currently using the BetterBNC platform for their awards program, we’ve found that even those resistant at first have discovered great success after streamlining and simplifying their contest.

Many have come into BetterBNC with cumbersome judging structures or entry fee schedules and rates, among other things.  For some contests, particularly those large awards programs, the structure is absolutely necessary and works beautifully.  With others, we often hear it described as very simply,  “just the way we’ve always done it.”

As it may require customization to accommodate these structures, BetterBNC encourages organizations to take a fresh look and see if it’s possible to simplify things to make it easier and more efficient for everyone involved and save costs.

When it is possible, the big winners are the contest participants including the judges who have a simple, intuitive and straightforward approach to evaluating entries.  As well, contestants report that the time required to make entries has been reduced and the process is more clear.

Change can be difficult but it’s only for that first year.  We haven’t had a contest administrator yet tell us they prefer the more cumbersome approach.  What we hear frequently is that simplifying the process has resulted in more contestants and an easier time recruiting judges.   When an organization’s awards program is growing and thriving – everyone wins.

Your judges want an easier way to evaluate entries.

computerWe had a great call with an organization looking at BetterBNC this week.  They were referred to us by one of their contest judges who said they needed to find a better way to run their contest – especially for the judges.

The judge had used BetterBNC to judge another contest and gave the platform a strong endorsement saying it would alleviate so many of the issues that existed.  We hear this often.  BetterBNC has worked hard to ensure a smooth and efficient process for everyone involved – particularly judges who donate their time and expertise to the awards program.

The organization was surprised to learn that moving to BetterBNC was an easy and affordable process.  Step one is to set up a demo to learn how the platform can streamline the contest process. BetterBNC builds the contest for organizations so it’s ready to go when you’re ready to issue your call for entries.  The administrator can make any needed changes through the intuitive dashboard and all training and support for the year is included – no surprise charges for customer and tech support.

Take a look at BetterBNC – set up your complimentary demo today. Email karen@smalltownpapers.com for details.

 

Tips for Promoting Your Awards Program

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Here are ten quick tips for promoting your journalism, creative or public relations contest.  Promotion builds excitement and increases participation.  Good luck!

  1. On your website.
    Add a contest or button banner with your entry deadline to your homepage – link it to your entry page.  If you have an awards program page on your site, include your “call for entries” and deadline dates linking to the “make entries” page.  Be sure to also add contest information to any relevant calendars on your site.
  2. On your BetterBNC branded contest page.
    BetterBNC allows you to create a branded contest webpage at no additional charge.  Drive contestants to this page for all of the contest information they need.
  3. On Twitter.
    Twitter is a great way to remind contestants about your contest and deadlines.  Use hashtags and ramp up tweets as the deadline approaches.
  4. On Facebook.
    Post a link to your contest webpage and encourage visitors to share it with their friends.  Add logo or trophy images to build interest.
  5. On LinkedIn.
    Post contest information to your LinkedIn Group or Company page.  Encourage members to promote the contest to their business contacts via LinkedIn.
  6. In your newsletters.
    Always include your contest information in newsletters and bulletins you send to members.  Create a banner or badge for the top of the newsletter with a link to the entry page.
  7. Via email.
    Send an email to your membership or general database and include a “forward to a friend” link.   BetterBNC allows you to email contestants from the current and previous years right from the platform’s administrator dashboard.  Encourage your organization’s leaders to add contest information to their email signature, as well.
  8. Via awards program sponsors.
    If your program has sponsors, provide them with logos and contest information so they can also share it on their site, newsletters, socials, etc.
  9. At organizational events.
    Promote your contest at any organizational events using flyers, postcards, table talkers and banners.  Weave in a mention during any available speaking opportunities.
  10. Promote your contest winners.
    Promote your winners in all channels and include a reminder of your next contest dates to encourage future participation.

Schedule Your BetterBNC Demo Today

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Calls are coming in.  Many contest administrators are looking to either move their journalism, PR or creative contest online or change the platform they’re currently using.   This the time of year to schedule your demo and see what BetterBNC can do to improve your contest experience in 2015.  The platform today is being used by nearly 200 organizations hosting contests of all shapes and sizes.  Some of our contests have just a handful of entries while others have hundreds.

MABLogoMany of our BetterBNC contests are reporting consistent growth in their contests each year – more organizations and more entries.  The Michigan Association of Broadcasters just had a record year for its Broadcast Excellence Awards.  They had 926 entries submitted by 89 stations across the state.  Congrats to contest administrator Mary Worland and her team! Winners of their contest will be announced March 11th.

Those using BetterBNC enjoy its features  and modules including:

  • Contestant Manager™ – Allows organizations to manage entries and monitor employee contest activity.
  • Open Call™ – Allows contest administrators to open the contest to non-members and freelancers.
  • Customized Homepages – Organizations can create their own branded contest homepage for no additional charge.
  • Revenue Manager – Cart system fully integrated with PayPal.
  • Integrated Judging – See real time judging updates and easily generate and export judging reports. (more details here)
  • Exceptional  Customer Service – The BetterBNC tech support team is responsive and thorough.

Join us in an upcoming demo to see the platform in action and learn more about what it can do for your contest.  You can easily schedule a demo for your and your team by contacting BetterBNC – email karen@smalltownpapers.com.