One of the time-tested ways of establishing yourself as a standard in your industry is to win an industry recognised award. An award serves as independent evaluation of your company's quality – an evaluation that your customers are more likely to trust than your own marketing material.
Most business owners already know this – and yet many fail to take full advantage of a win and leverage it for the massive authority building that it so easily provides. Shweta Jhajharia from The London Coaching Group encourages all her clients apply for the Business Excellence Forum Awards. They win so frequently that she now boasts the most awarded client base in Europe. Here are Jhajharia’s recommended actions that will allow every business owner to utilise an award win to its full potential.
1) Write a Press Release
Writing a press release can be one of the best ways to leverage an award. Once you have written a press release, you then have some base content which you can adapt into a slew of marketing materials – for your blog, for your social media channels, to send in emails etc.
2) Add it to your website
Potential clients often visit your website to look for proof of what you do, and the quality of what you do. An awards section will help this tremendously. Convert your press release into a blog article. The win will contribute to your status for anyone sitting on the fence, and reinforce the belief of those who already believe in what you do.
3) Add it to social media
Share a link on your social media channels to where the release has been published or to your blog post. Share a snippet from your press release; something short, sweet and natural sounding, which is in line with the tone of your business. Include a picture of the award or one from the awards night. Social shares with photos tend to capture attention better than those without. Sharing to your social media is essential as many consumers look to social channels to find out more about you and gauge your quality.
4) Send an email to your existing contacts
Using your press release as a starting point write a short announcement to those who have opted in to receive your emails. Upload any relevant photos to your Facebook or other social media platforms. Then place a link to the album within your email. This helps encourage readers to share via their own channels. Gaining social shares contributes not only to your authority but to your “social signals” which is great for your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).Towards the end of the email mention how to get in touch, or one of your latest offers, to encourage those who have become more convinced of your quality to convert now.
5) Celebrate with your team
This is an opportunity to build authority with the public AND to also foster a sense of achievement amongst your employees. It is their win as well and they need to see that you understand their contribution to the business. Create a break in your day-to-day activities and really celebrate this achievement. This will allow you to get to know your team better and have a good time with them. Plus, it will contribute to motivating your team to keep your business on a trajectory of greatness. Putting into action these five steps whenever you win an award may take some time out of your hectic schedule. However, the time taken to leverage something like this is worth it for the authority building that has far reaching effects with your customers and with your team.
