Winning an award is an outstanding achievement, no matter what industry or business you are in! To be recognised and congratulated publicly on your company’s achievements is a feeling like no other. To experience the excitement, read on for our top tips on writing a winning award entry!
We have had the privilege of winning many awards not only for our own agency, but for our client’s businesses too. Simply follow the process below and you’ll be sure to blow the judges away! If you’d rather listen to a podcast, check out Episode 7 of Revitalise & Grow, where we talk in-depth on how you can write an award winning entry!
- Create an initial plan
First thing’s first, allow plenty of time to organise and write your award entry. They are not something that can be rushed and submitted in a couple of hours, but require careful consideration and planning, which brings us on to our first tip – create an initial plan.
Just like you would when drafting any other content, you need to brainstorm and plan what you are going to say. This may seem obvious but taking the time to properly read about the award organisers, the award itself and the specific criteria required is essential to ensure you will include every last detail that will help you win the award. Approach this strategically and carefully, this will allow a good train of thought and proper preparation of your award entry contents, so when you get writing it will come together smoothly.
- Answer the criteria properly
Once you have identified the most relevant award for your business, read and re-read every piece of criteria. It is there for a reason! The judges will be looking to see which business has achieved success in the areas they have stated. If you do not stick to the criteria, you can be sure the judges will dismiss your entry early on. Read the questions carefully, re-read them again and write targeted answers. Avoid copying and pasting already-existing content you have – this is easy for the judges to spot and it is unlikely to answer the key questions in enough depth to be award winning!
- Showcase it all!
Don’t be shy! You want to win this award for a reason, so believe you can. Tell the judges exactly why your business should win, and evidence all your successes and achievements relating to the category. Write convincingly, but most importantly, have statistics to back it up. Your entry should be memorable and tell the story of your brand. Provide context and background at all times, to allow your entry to stand out from the crowd. Adding additional content such as graphs, assets and testimonials (if allowed), will illustrate you have all bases covered. Facts and figures are the best way to prove your claims, just ensure you are keeping succinct and aligned with the criteria!
- Proofread and approve
Once you have drafted the award, make sure you are thorough when you proofread the copy. Then proofread it again! It is best practice to ask for a second proofread before submitting – a fresh pair of eyes might spot something you haven’t! If you’re submitting an entry that is for a client or references a client project of any sort, then it is imperative to gain approval in advance, especially if it contains sensitive information. Once you have perfected the piece, it’s time to submit!
- Ask an expert for help
And if you are really struggling then ask an expert to help you (that’s us by the way)! We help lots of businesses perfect their award entries, making them stand out from the crowd and giving them the recognition they deserve.