Archive for January, 2009

Mini-calendar returns to BigTent

Published January 27, 2009 Big Features Leave a Comment
Tags: , ,

When we launched a new site look and feel in October, the mini-calendar took a mini-vacation. But when your feedback started pouring in, we realized it was time to call mini-cal and plead for its safe retun home.

We’re happy to announce that, as of January 26, the mini-calendar is back! Showing up as soon as you log into BigTent, and on every group buzz page after that, the mini-calendar bolds the dates when your groups have activities planned.

There’s also a text preview of two of the day’s events, and a link to view your full monthly calendar:

mybigtent_minical

mygroups_minical1

 

Mini-cal has had a few makeovers in its day. Here’s a gallery of how the feature has changed over time:

calendar_3

Mini-cal, today

Calendar 2 (c. 2007)

Mini-cal, c. 2007

Calendar 1 (c. 2006)

Mini-cal, c. 2006

Oh those features, they grow up so fast! Got questions or comments? Just let us know.

2009 at BigTent: A year in review

Published January 21, 2009 Big Features Leave a Comment
Tags:

2009 was a great year for BigTent! We celebrated the third anniversary of launching our first group, and we welcomed hundreds of thousands of new users from groups both large and small. Topping the list of super groups is FlyLady, who brought over her community of over 400,000 members in September.

We worked hard to bring you features that would increase opportunities to grow your groups, keep tabs on your members, and build a thriving, trusted online space in which to share support and have fun. Here’s a timeline of the major features we rolled out in 2009:

January

February

  • Editable subject line, sender email in news blasts
  • Forum usability improvements

March

April

  • Reviews allow members to list, rate, and discuss products, Web sites, businesses and other resources.

May

June

  • Event payments
  • Easier to re-issue expired group invitations
  • Classifieds listings previews now appear on Buzz page

July

August

September

  • Customizable group “help” pages
  • Member email status (e.g., bouncing) now viewable to admins
  • Simplified setup process for new groups —  2 minutes to set up and tabs to turn features on and off. Try it today!

October

November

December

We appreciate all the feedback and support we’ve received from the BigTent groups community. You’ve helped us immensely to learn and grow in 2009, and we look forward to all the opportunities that 2010 has in store!

BigTent welcomes MSN Groups leaders

Published January 19, 2009 Big Features 1 Comment
Tags: , , , ,

If you’re an MSN Group leader checking out BigTent, welcome! With the changes coming next month, chances are you’re deciding on the best new home for your online group. Of course, we hope you’ll choose BigTent.

We can help migrate your members and your message archives. Plus, we have some one-of-a-kind resources that make migrating from MSN Groups simple and effective:

1. Community Coaches. Change can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Once you create your BigTent group, get free phone and email support from a Community Coach. If you missed our email the first time around, contact us at coachrequest@bigtent.com.

Coaches are site experts who have managed their own groups on BigTent, so you’re bound to get some good advice.

2. Migration Guide. Follow the checklist in the guide to transition your members from MSN to BigTent.

If you choose the option to automatically import your members, we give you message templates to help get the word out about the switch.

3. Contact us. Have questions? We’re here to help. Please email us, call us (415-992-6550), or sign up for a live web demo.

As far as features are concerned, we offer discussion forums, photo sharing, and plenty of cool extras to add to your group experience. (How does unlimited, free file storage sound?)

example of bigtent features

Have you already made the switch to BigTent? Have other questions? Feel free to share your thoughts. We love hearing from you!

Import your members onto BigTent

Published January 12, 2009 Big Features Leave a Comment
Tags: , , , ,

We’ve just released a much-awaited feature — a way to instantly add members to your group. Using our new Import Members tool, you can get members into your group and start sending them email communications right away. Importing is faster than the usual method of inviting members to join, since inviting members requires them to act on their invitations before they get your other group emails.

Importing your members takes four easy steps:

1. Choose your members’ settings. Do they all have the same group membership type, or are some new and some alumni? How long do their memberships last? Tell our system.

Import members - step 1

2. Pick an import plan. You can cut and paste a list members’ names and email addresses, or import a list of contacts. If you’re coming over from MSN groups, we’ve got some extra tips for you in our MSN Transition Guide.

Import members - step 2

3. Review your data and make any changes. Fix a typo, change a membership end date, that sort of thing.

Import members - step 3

4. Review the email that will go to your imported members. This email tells members they’ve been added to your BigTent group, how long their memberships last, and how often they will get group emails. Personalize it if you’d like.

Import members - step 4

Read more about this new feature in our help area, or create a group and give it a whirl. Happy importing!