Top Tips to Make the Most of Your Award Win

So, you’re thinking about entering an award?  Being shortlisted and winning an award is a great way to raise the profile of your business and build recognition for doing a great job.  As part of launching the Chamber Business Awards 2017, we caught up with Martin Wallwork from chamber member, Conker Communications, to get his top tips on how you make the most of an award win.

Conker’s Top Tips

Get a plan: this might sound like a boring start to an exciting opportunity, but once you’ve been shortlisted, you should prepare a communications plan setting out what actions you will take if you win.  Forget superstition, this is not tempting fate!  Having a plan gives you the head start on any other winners.

Your plan should include a press release with the details of what you’ve won and why, social media updates, photos, target media and target audiences.

After the win, the following should make up the majority of your plan:

Tell your staff: these are the main asset in most businesses, therefore make sure that you tell the staff first and foremost.  Have a short email ready to go so that you can send it out the following morning.  If you want to build some excitement around the event, email them about the shortlisting and tell them who is attending before the ceremony.

Don’t forget about customers: more likely than not, these will be the businesses that formed the content of your award entry.  You’ll probably have worked closely with them, so they deserve to find out from you fast.  This is also a great opportunity to reach out to old customers and warm leads with a nudge to remind them you’re still alive and kicking.

The wider public: here’s where the fun really starts!  To make the most of your achievement, target the local and regional press.  If it’s a really big award like the Chamber Business Awards, sell in the win and reasons why your business is a success story to the nationals if you think it’s worthy!

Trade media & regional business news – these are the lifeblood of communications for many B2B businesses. Send them your press release and follow it up with a call to the editors.

Social media: Be ready to post your award win on social media so that you’re first out of the gate and remember tag in the organiser.  If you can, video the award being presented to your team and some of the celebrations afterwards – keep it clean and professional though – and post this as well.

High resolution photos from the ceremony are a must for all of the above, everyone loves a good pic to go with the story.  Normally the organiser will have a pro photographer so make sure you get them or the organiser to send you the snaps.  You can also use the photos for future marketing literature and online.

Once the dust settles on the initial activity, there are miles still left in the tank for an award win – include it in tenders, on your website, in your email signatures and last but not least, make sure that the trophy or certificate is highly visible in your reception along with copies of coverage secured so that everyone (staff and customers) knows all about it.

We’d love to hear from you if you want to find out more about this or any other marketing and communications tips.  So please do give us a shout on 0161 445 9837 or email martin@conkercommunications.com.

Conker Communications are members of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce

Good luck!