Writing a winning business awards entry can be challenging, but the payoff in the form of promotion for your business can be extremely rewarding, taking your business to a new level.
As an experienced business awards nominations writer, I’m often asked what it takes to write a winning award entry. Make no mistake, it is a project and will require the investment of time and energy – it cannot be a last minute decision.
Following are some helpful tips for writing a winning business awards entry
Before you start writing…
- Carefully read through the award terms and conditions to check your business is eligible to enter;
- Take time to consider which categories you should enter. Think about how you could leverage the award once you’ve won, and which category would best help you engage with your target market.
- If you find any “gaps” in your entry, consider waiting until the following year to enter, and take appropriate action to ensure you can cover that particular topic in future.
- Note the tips in the guidelines – they are there for a reason!
- Read and re-read each question, then make notes on your answer
- Think carefully about each answer. Judges want to see evidence of your performance, so be specific with figures, give clear examples and use graphs or charts to complement your text where possible.
- Don’t just mention what you’ve achieved, include the outcomes for your clients, how you’ve contributed to your industry or the part you play in your local community
When you start writing your winning business awards entry …
- Ensure you actually ANSWER the question. This might sound basic, but you’d be surprised how many businesses write a fluffy answer that doesn’t actually address the topic!
- Include the achievements of your team members where possible. This is a great way to acknowledge their input into the business and it makes you look like a great boss.
- Where there’s been a problem that you’ve overcome, don’t be afraid to mention it. All businesses have issues from time-to-time and demonstrating how you’ve overcome those problems shows your resilience and how you’ve grown as an organisation.
- Where possible, include social proof to add credibility to your entry.
- Use brief case studies or stories about customers’ success with your product or service to demonstrate the outcomes you’re able to achieve. Tell a story if possible.
- Before uploading your entry to the awards portal, ask someone independent to proofread your entry. We all make typos and grammatical errors and we rarely see them ourselves, particularly when we’ve read and re-read the same text many times over.
- Watch the word limit on each answer. If you exceed it, the end of your answer will be cut off!
Entering and winning business awards can be a fabulous way to boost your business. Winning helps raise your profile in your local community, with your clients and potential clients. However, if the awards you enter have state or national levels, and you’re successful in reaching those stages, your profile gets an even bigger boost!
Winning an award demonstrates that you’ve been judged as exemplary by a third party, portraying you as an industry leader. After you’ve entered, give some thought to how you can publicise your win and gain more business from it. You may utilise social media, print media or your local business networks to spread the word about your win. Have a plan of action in place and ready to go once your win is announced.
I hope this brief post has provided you with some useful tips on winning business awards. Should you require any assistance with writing your entry, please feel free to drop me a line.
Hi, I’m Lyndall Guinery-Smith, The Professional Writer. I write copy dedicated to attracting and engaging your ideal clients … and improving your bottom line. I happily work with clients all over Australia. Email me to arrange an obligation-free discussion about your latest project.