With the awards season in Hollywood in full swing, we thought we would reflect upon the ways businesses can leverage industry awards. There are numerous benefits to being shortlisted or winning an industry award, from media coverage to employer branding. Below, we’ve outlined some of the advantages that come from winning an industry award, as well our six top tips and tricks to secure a spot on that coveted shortlist.
Pure Telecom wins Best Broadband (with or without landline) at the bonkers.ie National Consumer Awards 2018
Benefits of winning an award:
– Generating media coverage
Award wins are a great way to garner media coverage with key publications. Whether you want to raise your profile with a national newspaper or show your CSR efforts within your local community, journalists like to tell a good news story about a business excelling in their respective field. See, for example, the fantastic coverage that Ricoh Ireland received in the recent Japan Ireland Chamber awards.
– Positioning as a thought leader
In a crowded market, it’s important to set yourself apart from the competition. An industry award can make you stand out from other players in your space. Winning a respected award or certification helps to establish your business as an industry leader and its representatives as thought leaders with in-depth expertise and experience. As well as journalists and business partners, this will appeal to potential customers.
– Attracting business
We know that generating leads is one of the ultimate goals for businesses. Winning an award can help you achieve these business objectives, be it by boosting your company profile through media coverage or meeting like-minded professionals at an event. These events can often be valuable opportunities to network, make contacts and even meet potential customers.
– Enhancing your employer brand
Want to attract and retain the top talent for your organisation? Awards like the Great Place to Work are growing year-on-year as prospective employees seek out organisations with stellar reputations. It’s a job seekers’ market at the moment, so making sure that your company is seen as one of the best in the market and a great employer is of increasing importance.
Comit’s six tips for winning an industry award
1. Check the rules and answer every question fully
Like doing an exam, you need to make sure that you give due attention to all the questions and ensure that you answer what you are asked. Get your entry in on time, ensure your answers are clear and concise and make sure you qualify for whatever award your entering as you don’t want to waste the judges’ time. This brings us on to our second point.
2. Hook the reader quickly
Judges will have tens, if not hundreds of entries to sift through. You need to engage the reader really quickly so that you don’t get lost in the pile of applications. Strong storytelling and excellent messaging can set you apart from competition.
3. Offer evidence
No matter what the award, judges will look for evidence of your achievements. Whether it’s for CSR initiatives, employer wellness or customer wins, it’s important to show judges some proof – use press coverage, customer testimonials or case studies to strengthen your application.
They are busy – provide a summary. Keep your content tight and to the point.
4. Have a look at last year’s winners
Previous award winners are a great indication of a winning formula. Look at previous winners’ applications if possible to see what they did to catch the judges’ attention.
5. Get a second pair of eyes
Writing an award entry can be a tricky task as there is a certain standard that needs to be adhered to and word limits to take into account. Getting a second pair of eyes to review the application is important as it can be difficult to write about your own business for an external, and perhaps unfamiliar, audience. If you’re interested in applying for awards, you can even get a public relations specialist to do it for you. Comit can help!
6. Make it easy for the judges
If there was one way to eliminate yourself from the selection process, it’s having a poorly-written application. Judges are busy and don’t want to waste time reading badly-written applications. Little mistakes can be very costly, so make sure your application doesn’t have glaring errors and write in concise language that clearly describes what your business does.
Comit’s clients have done exceptionally well at identifying award opportunities and helping client to win awards including the Tech Excellence Awards and the BEFTAs. If you’d like to find out more about Comit’s services, contact us here.