Simply the Best 2020 is here! What do you need to know to compete in this year’s competition? We have all the information here. In Simply the Best, there is a nomination period and a voting period. During the nomination period, people nominate businesses for each category. The businesses with the most nominations are then transferred to the voting ballot and compete to win Simply the Best or Reader’s Choice.
Here are some of our most frequently asked questions. If you have a question that isn’t listed, feel free to contact us. The form helps us keep organized and ensures Darcy (the person who handles Simply the Best issues) doesn’t miss your email.
When is the voting period? Voting begins April 15, 2020, and ends June 15, 2020. You may vote once per category during the voting period.
Where can I find the ballot?
The ballot (both nomination and voting) can be found here:
https://harrisburgmagazine.com/simply-the-best-2020/
What do I do if I want to advertise?
Please fill out this form and we will get back to you. If you are interested in an enhanced listing, and not magazine or banner ads, you can purchase it online by going here.
What are enhanced listings and why would I want one?
If you are new to Simply the Best, you can find out more information about our enhanced listings on this page.
Doesn’t it give businesses an unfair advantage to let them advertise on the ballot?
We understand why some people may see the online advertising as unfairly affecting voting, but we disagree. First, our readers are the smartest in the world (in our opinion) and we know they will vote for the best.
The advertising provides them with reminders and/or provides them with additional information so they can check them out. Second, one of the reasons we have a two month voting period is to allow our readers to investigate different businesses and check them out. Third, businesses have won without purchasing any advertising from us, so it is not a requirement to win.
Why can’t you give the enhanced listings away?
The price of enhanced listings helps us cover the costs of doing this competition. There is a lot of work that goes into this. Just contacting all the nominees alone will take a week. And we have to pay someone to put up each enhanced listing, along with the cost of our website and the Second Street platform.
How does the nomination/voting work?
During the nomination period, readers will nominate businesses for the various categories. Then, starting April 15, the 10 businesses for each category with the most nominations compete for the title of “Simply the Best.”
Where can I find the ballot for Simply the Best People?
Simply the Best People categories are included on the main Simply the Best Ballot. These categories are indicated when it states to include the name and business rather than just the business. Categories where an individual will be nominated rather than a business include: Accountant, Bankruptcy Attorney, Car Salesperson, Chef, Chiropractor, Civil Rights Attorney, Community Activist, Counselor or Therapist, Criminal Defense Attorney, Dental Assistant, Dentist, Divorce Attorney, Employment Attorney, Family Law Attorney, Firefighter, General Practice Attorney, Hair Stylist, Insurance Agent, Local Hero, Mechanic, Medical Doctor, Nurse, Personal Injury Attorney, Personal Trainer, Police Officer, Property / Real Estate Attorney, Radio Personality, Real Estate Agent, Specialty Dentist, Stockbroker, Teacher, and Workman’s Compensation Attorney.
Where can I get the logos to use on my website, social media, etc?
The logos can be found on this page. If you need higher resolution versions, please fill out the form at the bottom of that page and we can send them to you.
How do I get information about advertising on the ballot or in Harrisburg Magazine?
You can find information on this page about advertising and request to be contacted.
Does a business need to make a purchase to compete?
No, but you do need to register. Registration is free and the information you provide is only for our internal use. We require registration to help us contact businesses to notify them if they are nominated and if they have won. To register, go here.
Why must businesses register to compete in Simply the Best?
One of the issues we have each year is contacting every business that is nominated for simply the best. With over 200 categories this year, we anticipate having at least 1,500 businesses nominated. That’s a lot of businesses to contact. Having an email of the person to contact helps us get the information you need about the voting period to you before the voting begins. And it also helps us contact the winners after the voting is over. It also allows us to have categories that
What things can get a business “banned” from Simply the Best?
This issue does not come up very often, but in the past, we have had to remove businesses from the ballot. Thankfully, this number is very small compared to the number of businesses that compete.
We reserve the right to eliminate any business or individual from the competition that we feel is not a good representation of Simply the Best or Harrisburg Magazine. (For example, if a business was discovered to be a cover for illegal operations.) We also will eliminate businesses that attempt to fraudulently cast votes. Finally, if we find a business will not respond when we contact them, they may be eliminated. This does include businesses that owe Benchmark Media llc money and are not responding to our attempts to collect.