Tracking award opportunities is another key part of a robust public relations program that may not be immediately apparent. Like speaking opportunities, tracking award wins and submitting your business for consideration takes time but has many pros. Check out Part I of our blog here on building out speaking opportunities and see below for tips on awards!
What to Look For
Similar to speaking opportunities, there are awards to consider on a local, regional and national level. Start by looking at local publications. Media outlets have award opportunities for the business community throughout the year in a number of categories, including best places to work, diversity in the workplace, and individual accomplishments in the workplace. This can generate a wide pool of applicants.
Awards at a national level are typically from a trade organization or other business related to your industry, so the competition will be fairly niche. For example, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry has a number of award opportunities throughout the year open only to dentists.
Many awards, especially at the local level, are often “Best of the Best” awards for businesses throughout the community across various categories. These types of awards require you to submit your business for consideration. If selected, oftentimes the winner is determined by a public vote.
Crafting a Submission
It’s important to build out a spreadsheet of award opportunities to track deadlines and know what to expect, as many awards go live around the same time each year. There are always new awards being added so be sure to refresh your search from time to time.
Like those for speaking slots, every award submission is different. Some are very straightforward and require filling out an application and hitting send. Others, especially those evaluating your business as a whole, may require your staff to fill out a survey. For “Best of the Best” awards that are left up to public voting, you’ll need to help spread the word to vote for your business through social media, email marketing or word of mouth. Whatever the award, make sure you allow plenty of time to complete each component before the deadline!
The Benefits
Award recognition is a great resume builder and offers an attractive selling point for your business to both potential employees and customers. Wins, and sometimes even just nominations, provide instant media coverage, as the organization behind the award usually puts out a press release announcing winners or a dedicated article if organized by a media outlet. Local award ceremonies are great for meeting members of the community. And highlighting award wins serves as great material for your business’ website and social media channels.
Dedicating time and resources to tracking award opportunities is a commitment that will have a tremendous impact on your business. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t win anything right away. Instead, use any setbacks as a learning opportunity to improve business operations and make your application even strong for the next time!
Are you ready to implement an awards program for your business? Contact the Social Ape team to learn more!
