When we construct a successful communications strategy, we’ll almost always include awards entries as a way of generating coverage and company exposure. No matter the customer focus or industry sector, awards offer a powerful opportunity to showcase a product or service in front of an invested and engaged audience.

Not sure how to go about constructing a stand-out submission? We’ve come up with some tips to help you get your brand noticed.

Tell a story

As simple as it may sound, an award entry hinges around exceptional storytelling. The judges must be immersed in the journey that your business has taken. If you’ve faced multiple roadblocks on the way to success, tell them. If you had to go above and beyond to get the recognition you’ve earned, let them know. People associate with experiences with which they can empathise.

That’s not to say that you should overload your submission with emotion and ignore the facts. Those reviewing the entry will want to see how you or your business has resolved an issue, brought something new to the game or stood out against the fierce competition in the marketplace. Be prepared to back it up with data and evidence too!

Make sure you’re the right fit

Submitting a competitive award entry takes time and can amount to a word count that runs into the thousands. Therefore, you don’t want to waste your time crafting something that isn’t a suitable fit for the judging criteria. Before you even consider writing up an entry, research the awards and the specific category you plan to submit to. Look back at some of the previous winners. Evaluate whether you feel you’ve achieved something similar or delivered an equally impressive project or result.

It can be worth picking up the phone to have a chat with the award organisers to get a better feel for how appropriate a submission would be if you were to make it.

It’s not the winning, it’s the taking part!

While it might appear counter-intuitive to not focus on winning, you don’t need to take the top spot in the category to benefit from exposure and coverage. Of course, it’s always nice to be recognised as the best and, admittedly, those who do go on to win often benefit from additional column inches. But securing a nomination can also unlock some PR and marketing opportunities.

Many industry titles will mention those nominated in their coverage, as will the awards’ in-house PR material. You’ll be seen by those attending the award ceremony and you can, of course, generate your own PR, web and social media content strategy based on your recognition.

If you’re interested in adding award entries to your communications strategy but are unsure how to get started, we can help. Get in touch at hello@torqueagencygroup.com.