Make your nomination count
Business awards can bring a range of benefits to your business. Being nominated for an award can boost awareness of your brand and help you gain new customers. Winning one can make your business stand out from the crowd.
But, writing an award nomination can be a tricky task. The format for a business award entry is typically text-based. You need to be able to explain yourself in a clear and concise manner. It’s easier said than done, but these top tips will help set you on the right path.
1. Don’t leave your nomination to the last minute
Submitting entries for awards takes time and thought. Don’t sell your business short by leaving it to the last day. Give plenty of time to ensure you’re positioning your businesses’ success over the past year persuasively.
2. Create impact using your success stories
Giving tangible measures of success will help make your entry stand out from the others. Saying “we’ve had a great year” isn’t enough. What project or achievement really stands out? What went so much better than you expected? Remember, it’s not always the latest or largest project that will make a winning entry.
3. Get testimonials from your customers
Getting your customers to say how great your business is will help boost your nomination. Don’t refer them to your website or social media. Do the legwork yourself. The more specific the testimonial, the better. And, make sure the testimonials are from the past 12 months.
4. Write in plain English
Most awards are often decided by independent judges. They’ll be faced with a number of nominations to wade through, put yourself in their shoes and make it easy for them.
Break down the question and write clearly with key points, short sentences and bullets. Avoid PR jargon, generic marketing literature and copy and pasting. Most importantly, fulfil the criteria and proofread your submission, checking carefully for typos and inaccuracies.
5. Use social media to build support for your bid
Use Twitter or LinkedIn, promote your involvement with an award. You could gain some comments from your peers which you can use in your nomination. Remember to tag the awards handle and post regularly to help drive engagement.
6. Look at previous winners
Think about why they won, what qualities or achievements they had that made them stand out. Get in touch with them to see if they can share some tips. It would also be a good opportunity to open up a unique line of dialogue for your business.
Good luck with your nomination, and if you found these tips helpful, tweet us!
If you’re looking for business awards to enter, take a look at these awards we’re involved with:
British Renewable Energy Awards
Institute of Recruitment Professionals
Recruitment International Awards
Sources:
www.bizspace.co.uk/news/business-awards-and-how-write-award-winning-entry
www.bathlifeawards.co.uk/12-top-tips/
www.exeterlivingawards.co.uk/tips/12-top-tips/
www.cardifflifeawards.co.uk/tips/12-top-tips/
www.bristollifeawards.co.uk/tips/12-top-tips/?edit_off=true