Preparing an entry for a tech awards programme is often a balancing act between telling a punchy story and including enough detail to differentiate your product or project from competitors.
Before you put pen to paper, it is important to make sure you’ve done your research and are allocating your time and budget to the most appropriate programme.
Shortlist before you’re shortlisted
Before your company or nominee gets on a shortlist, you need to make your own shortlist of programmes to enter. The first consideration for building this shortlist should be how the award aligns with your strategy. If you’re pushing an ESG agenda, focus your search on awards from recognised organisations and NGOs. If innovation is your message, focus your search on programmes run by respected industry groups that have a reputation for advancing technology in your sector.
You should also think about who is going to take notice of your win. Look into how well the awards programme is marketed and how well the industry takes notice of it. One metric is looking at the coverage the winners’ announcement gets with trade media or engagement on social media. Awards programmes run by or aligned with large industry events are likely to get a lot of attention too and will likely have multiple channels to leverage your involvement. A more niche one might give you a more relevant captive audience. You can also focus on awards that have a timeline that aligns with a product launch, key announcements and your attendance at a particular event.
Another consideration is to look at which programmes your competitors have been shortlisted for or won. It is also important to be aware of the reputation or impartiality of the awards, so look at whether the same company wins the same category year-on-year and how often those companies not sponsoring win.
Give the people what they want
It sounds obvious to say, but it’s worth remembering – an award entry needs to do what is asked of it. Most programmes will have detailed guidelines and tips for entries. Don’t feel the need to max out the word count for the sake of it. The judges will likely have stacks of entries to review, so it can’t hurt to make their life a little easier. If you can tell a compelling story rather than a list of technical specifications, your judge is likely to be more engaged and to remember your submission. The simpler the language, the better. If your entry is about a product, for example, you’ll need to include technical specifications but try to focus more on what it does and how, rather than what it is.
Make sure you have evidence - videos, photos, or testimonials - of the product or project prepared ahead of your entry. If you worked with a customer or partner to achieve success, a joint award entry is often allowed and may add weight to the story.
It is also worth looking at who is on the judging panel. Whether they are a journalist, industry veteran or CEO, the more awareness you have of your audience, the better you can tailor your entry.
Make the most of it!
There are many ways you can promote your shortlisting and win once you’ve got the coveted trophy in your hands. For prestigious awards, just being shortlisted is worth sharing on social media, while a photo of your team at any associated award ceremony is also likely to get good engagement.
For those who go on to win, video interviews on the ceremony night, following the momentum of the win with a case study about the subject of the nomination, and press releases are also important tactics to make the most of the win and elevate brand awareness.
Have an award-worthy product or project but not sure where to start? Book a call with our team to find out how we can provide support: https://www.proactivepr.com/meeting
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