Entering awards is not only a great opportunity to boost the profile of your business and increase credibility but also a fabulous moment to shine the light on a special individual – a team member, friend, or family member – who is doing something out of the ordinary.
At Editing Edge, and through my role as a senior consultant for awards specialists Awards Intelligence, we have worked with world-leading businesses and individuals to help them submit award entries. An example includes the Queen’s Award for Enterprise (QAE), the world’s most prestigious business award, as well as countless other award schemes over the years.
There’s no doubt about it, writing award entries is a specialist skill and we have it!
The highest accolade
An example is the New Year Honours List, recognising the achievements and service of extraordinary people across the UK. This year’s list was the first during the reign of King Charles III.
Pre and post announcement, I did 17 radio and seven TV interviews – from Sky TV, GBNews and TalkTV to LBC Radio – discussing points from who was expected to be on the Honours List to possible changes made by the new King. To find out more about whether you might be eligible for a gong, check out my interviews.
Where to start…
When it comes to deciding which awards are most suitable to your business, you might not know where to start. However, awards range from local to national, industry based or with specific criteria, so there is something for everyone.
The process
Entering awards can be daunting as they often have a detailed and rigorous application process. Our five tips:
- Shortlist the most suitable award platforms for your business or the individual you would like to enter.
- Establish whether you meet the award’s strict requirements – and choose a category that gives you the best chance. You don’t have to be the best in the world – just the best to enter that category of that awards programme this time around.
- Research the judging panel – who are they, what is their background, what might they be looking for in particular and what might impress them most?
- Get the team involved! Organise a brainstorming session to get the ideas flowing and to narrow down a powerful message.
- Take time to plan out and develop a compelling proposition and well-structured entry. This might take a few attempts to get absolutely spot on, so give yourself plenty of time!
The perks
Awards are about celebrating success – so get your audience celebrating your achievements as well. Whether you are a winner or shortlisted, this is something you should be shouting about. Let your audience know through your website and social media. In other words, you could look at this as free and opportune marketing!
A new angle
Another bonus of the awards process is that it will make you look at your business from a completely new angle. What makes you unique? What are you doing differently to your competitors? This will have advantages all round as it helps you start thinking about what you could be doing better in other areas of your business and what might need tweaking for greater success.
Hire an awards specialist
Sometimes it is worth investing in an expert who has experience and a winning track record in their specific field. In this case, you need an award entry writing specialist. Me! I can help you create an award entry that:
- Contains strong financials
- Stresses your strategic thinking and how you have adapted to events
- Adds context to show why what you have achieved is important
- Uses human examples throughout
- Uses lots of testimonials to back up your boasting
- Maxes out the word count for each question – but keeps it relevant
- Makes the judges sit up and say, ‘Wow! That’s impressive!’
“We wouldn’t have succeeded without your help, your knowledge of how to put our case forward at its shiniest, and without your quick understanding of the key drivers of our business. We shall forever be in your debt.”
David SmithManaging Director, Specac, on winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade
I’ve worked with many fantastic companies, with great stories of achievement. Many were stumped, however, when it came to filling out the daunting entry forms. Please contact me if you are thinking of applying for an award and need a professional awards writer to help showcase your story.
