Many publications and organisations offer awards, but are they actually beneficial? Hannah Stevenson, Awards Editorial Manager for international B2B Publicising House AI Global Media (https://www.aiglobalmedialtd.com/) discusses the issue and why businesses should be more open minded about accepting accolades.
Publishers, organisations and even blogs from around the world often host awards programmes, and whilst it is tempting to jump at the chance to take up an award, it is always prudent to check it out first.
The Benefits Of Corporate Awards Programmes
Awards programmes offer many benefits to winners. After all, they bring publicity, and you can share the news of your win with your clients, industry peers and target market as much as you like. Also, awards offer prestige and status, giving potential clients peace of mind that they are working with a reputable company.
Types of Awards Programmes To Be Aware Of
There are many types of awards programmes, including those that host awards ceremonies, organisations that award their members and those that provide promotional materials. The latter is a great choice for those who are unsure about the benefit of using corporate awards, because nominees and winners do not have to pay a penny to be involved in the process, or if they go on to win. Every winner receives online recognition and use of a generic announcement or press release for free, but they also have the option to purchase marketing materials if they wish to.
How Do You Know That An Awarding Body Is Reputable?
Being recognised by an un-reputable awards company is worse than not being recognised at all, but how can you tell? One sure-fire way to find out is to check out previous awards programmes run by the organisation. If there are none, then that should show a red flag- they clearly don’t have the experience to be running a programme.
If the organisation has a previous year of either the same or a similar awards programme, check it out and see if there are testimonials from other winners, and whether they have received the marketing materials they paid for and their complimentary inclusions. For example, if you check out previous year’s programmes for SME News’ UK Enterprise Awards (https://www.facebook.com/SMENewsIntl/), you will see photos of winners posing with their trophies and sharing their success with their clients. As such, the programme has previous successful winners who have gone on to enjoy their success and can be classed as reputable.
OK, So They’ll Deliver The Goods, But Is It For Me?
Always check that the awarding body has given you a relevant award title before choosing whether or not to accept an award. In the SME News UK Enterprise Awards (https://www.sme-news.co.uk/awards), all of the award nominees were checked by an in-house team of researchers and given a unique award title that fitted their expertise if they won. Some awarding bodies do not go through such a thorough process, so always check that you’ve been recognised properly.
I’ve Gone Through All That And I’m Happy With My Award. Now What?
If you’re happy with your award, then you’re good to go! Whether you choose to purchase marketing materials or simply take the complimentary offering, use your accolade to your advantage. Share it on social media, and tag the awarding body, who will be as keen to promote your success as you are. Together you can showcase your achievement and show the world the hard work you have put in to building your business.
To contact the author please email reception@aiglobalmedialtd.com or call 0203 970 0010