What’s Next? That was the big question entering 2016 and our developers answered with a slew of awesome new features to PromoSuite Next! We’re already working on even bigger enhancements for the New Year but before we look ahead, let’s take a quick look back.
- A Whole New Sales Tool – This year we took the Sales Promotion Requests and gave it a complete rebuild based on your feedback. You told us you liked all the options but wanted to simplify the form in order to streamline the process for your AEs. Now you can customize it to include as much or as little as you need. We’ve added the ability to approve or deny a request directly from your inbox, a chat panel and a history of all changes.
- Digital W-9s – Instead of having a stack of paper W-9s in a file drawer somewhere in your office, have your listeners sign them electronically and store them safely and securely in PromoSuite Next. It’s always a little worrisome when too many people have access to that pile of W-9s on someone’s desk but now you don’t have to worry about that. Keep them in PromoSuite and feel the worries of your IT and Business offices melt away.
- Purge Inactive Listener SSNs – PromoSuite Next can now purge Social Security Numbers from your inactive listeners. Who qualifies as inactive? That’s up to you. But by purging those socials you’re ensuring that your data is even more safe and secure than ever before.
- Front Desk Backups – Even though PromoSuite Next lives in the cloud and you don’t have to back up your data (we do it for you!), you can have Winner Release Forms with pre-filled winner info automatically stored on your computer at the station in case you lose your internet connection. If a winner comes to pick up a prize and can’t sign the Winner Release Form because your internet provider accidently tripped over a cable, that would be a huge bummer!
- Fun with Tablets – Sure you can have your listeners sign paper Winner Release Forms or W-9s, but what fun is that? If you’re like me and don’t enjoy paper cuts, it’s time to make the move. Gone are the days of not being able to find these documents when needed. PromoSuite will keep them for as long as you want. Set up an iPad, Android or Kindle Fire at the front desk, slap your logos on that tablet, brand it as your own, and bring your prize distributions into the 21st century.
- Financial API – Our new Financial API will make your end-of-year 1099 process easier than ever before! You won’t need to log into PromoSuite and pull that information yourself. Instead securely pull that winner data directly into your financial software at the end of the year and never worry about it again.
- In-Studio Twitter Integration – Your winners already love hearing their name on-air. Let your jocks tweet their congrats directly from PromoSuite and continue the conversation online. Collect the winner’s twitter handle and make them internet famous. You may even get a retweet.
- Listener Spreadsheet Import – Did you collect a spreadsheet full of listener data from a remote? Maybe from a marketing partner? Someplace else? You can import those listeners directly into PromoSuite Next using the Import Listeners utility found in the Listener Database. You can even classify those listeners so you can find them for your next campaign.
- Contest Rules Export – You might be aware that the FCC now allows you to post your contest rules online in lieu of reading them on-air. Since you already store your contest rules in PromoSuite and don’t want to harass your webmaster every time there’s an update, post them directly from PromoSuite! We’ll provide you a link, or an XML file if you’re that kind of cool, which will always display your current rules.
Do you have any questions about a specific feature? Do you want to know what features just missed out on making my Top 9? Better yet, do you have a great idea to be included in “What’s Next in 2017?” If so, feel free to reach out to your Client Relations Specialist at (212) 509-1200.
A variation of this post originally appeared on the PromoSuite Blog where, as Product Development Manager, I occasionally post about new features, technology, and the impact it has on the radio industry.