A great way for your business to get exposure and typically free exposure is by winning awards (Sometimes you have to pay a small fee to submit an award application). The reason a company should do this isn’t to be cocky but instead it as a way to receive press and additional opportunities to gloat about their company while sharing the klout that they have received.
In my time as a business owner I have received a dozen awards on anything from local to state recognitions to even being mentioned an entrepreneur magazine for my contributions to growing the Norfolk startup community.
By applying for and winning awards, I have given myself and Hatch extended exposure and an opportunity to leverage when attracting new clients, business and other opportunities that I seek for my company. The application process for winning an award or even applying for an award can be very tedious so I recommend creating boilerplate text on what your company is and what you’ve done and keep that in the file so that you can continue to reuse it and just adjust when necessary.
Below are the 8 things that I’ve done to win awards which has allowed my to win additional awards, win contracts and receive introductions and opportunities I never expected.
1. Apply To Win The Award!
If you don’t apply you can’t win. As silly as it seems many people get angry at people who win awards, yet they didn’t apply themselves. Many folks are too modest or scared to apply to win awards but if you use winning awards as a marketing mechanism of growing your business over and over again with new clients and brand awareness you shouldn’t fret on the modesty. So if you think of it that way as a way to grow your business it should be looked at just the same as you would buy new ad on Facebook or creating a campaign with a local TV station
2. Create a document
Open up a text file and add all of your accomplishments and work throughout the year. This way when it’s application season, you just have to copy and paste. Applying or being nominated for can be very tedious, what I recommend is compiling throughout the year a document with all of your information on what you’ve done great what you’ve done for community perspective and any kind of great business that you have done. Do this both individually and for your business so that when you do go to submit your application or nomination form you have all the information already you can also do this by updating your LinkedIn account throughout the year.
3. Have a person of interest submit the application
Often times getting your application submitted by someone else can actually be a huge opportunity for you. Why? Because you’re allowing someone else to nominate for you so it looks, even if you’re the one I told them to do it, like someone else’s nominating you. I recommend finding someone in your city or in your industry to submit your application so that you can leverage their power and strength to improve your application or bid.
4. Start small. Win your local whatever awards
It doesn’t matter what award you win, whether small or large. It could be a small business award or even something from your local Chamber of Commerce level. Go after every award possible, the more recognition you can get the more opportunities you will have to promote and grow your business. Start small with your local chamber or city awards and you will see even more exposure in your business.
5. Go after business and individual awards.
Don’t focus on just your business awards, find your teams and try and have them win individual awards as well, because they’re going to be winning an individual award as an employee of your business. Both business and individual awards will do the same thing if you have a great marketing person on your team or a great technical person or team and they can win an award in that industry as an expert or an authority. You’ll be able to use that to promote your business.
6. Do something different
Awards are like resumes, if you don’t stand out, you won’t win. Be different. In our world I wasn’t the same person winning over and over again that looked the same. I was the startup guy, I don’t wear a suit. I wore jeans and T-shirt sometimes shorts and a T-shirt and I did something completely different than anyone else had ever done in my city. I promoted small businesses from a non-government way to help the business growth around and I did a ton of both business and community service.
7. Ask your city to promote you
Get a reference from someone in your city or industry. While you have the person before submit the application also try and get someone to promote you or endorse you as well from both your city and your Chamber of Commerce or someone in the industry your business is is, because when they go to bat for you are using that person’s authority status or which is likely help you win the award.
8. Once you win, promote it.
And once you win the award you need to promote it from a business level and individual level. Even run campaigns on it saying that you are the best business in your city, region or state or in this industry or maybe it’s one of your team members. Promote it and promote early and often. Don’t forget to add it to your website, Facebook campaigns and other places your fans and prospective customers can see it. Tell the world that you won the award because there’s nothing worse than winning an award and then never doing anything with it. Just because it’s being promoted on X-Y-Z medium (where the award was given by) doesn’t mean that any of your followers, prospects or others that may be interested will see it. Push your award out early and often.
So that’s it, that’s eight easy ways for you to win awards to grow your business now! It can be a tedious and long process, but if you use the steps I’m certain you’ll increase your chances to win something. And once you do let me know and I’ll promote it for you too!
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