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Tips on Winning Awards from a Brisbane Digital Marketing Agency
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Tips on Winning Awards from a Brisbane Digital Marketing Agency
Entering business awards is a powerful way to boost your brand’s visibility and credibility while also recognising your team’s hard work and planning for future growth.
At Sustainable Marketing Services, a multi-award winning Brisbane digital marketing agency, we have extensive experience writing winning submissions for our business and clients.
In this blog, we’ll share essential tips on how to write an award-winning submission and maximise your exposure, whether you win or become a finalist.
Why enter business awards?
The benefits of entering business awards go far beyond boosting your brand’s visibility and increasing trust.
Having won over 10 awards for our business, we’ve found the most valuable advantages to be:
- Reflecting on Your Achievements: Awards provide a chance to pause and review your business’s progress and successes.
- Boosting Team Morale: Recognising your team’s hard work boosts morale, motivation, and loyalty.
- Networking Opportunities: Award ceremonies offer a valuable chance to connect with other businesses and industry leaders.
- Planning for Continuous Improvement: Evaluating your strengths and areas for growth during the submission process helps you prepare for a stronger future.
- Media Exposure: Winning or becoming a finalist opens doors to local and national media coverage, elevating your brand’s profile.
K&G Automotive wins best Automotive & Transport business in the 2024 Logan Business Distinction Awards
The Key Elements of a Winning Submission
Writing an award-winning submission requires more than just answering the criteria. Over the past 16 years as a multi-award winning Brisbane digital marketing agency, we’ve helped clients like K&G Automotive, Bainbridge Technologies, and Intelligent Automation secure over six prestigious awards.
Here’s what we focus on in every submission:
1. Thoroughly Answer All Questions: Each response should directly address the specific criteria. Be concise, but make sure to highlight key strengths that demonstrate excellence.
2. Back Up Claims with Facts: Use measurable data—like financial percentages, marketing metrics, testimonials, case studies, or Google reviews—to support your claims. Highlight certifications on sustainability efforts to showcase a well-rounded business.
3. Showcase Multiple Areas of Strength: A strong submission highlights competitive advantages, such as value proposition, customer service, financial management, marketing, innovation, culture, community, and sustainability.
4. Reflect on Key Achievements from the Last 12 Months: List your business’s achievements or improvements from the past year before writing. This helps ensure that your most recent successes are at the top of your mind and included in the submission.
5. Brand Strategy & Storytelling: Weave your brand’s story throughout the submission, ensuring it aligns with your overall brand strategy. This not only makes your submission stand out but reinforces your brand identity.
6. Perfect Your Online Presence: Judges may review your website, social media, and Google Business profiles, so ensure your digital presence is polished and aligned with your brand story. Consistent, professional online marketing reinforces your credibility.
Our Process for Writing Award-Winning Submissions
With over 16 years of experience working strategically with more than 300 businesses, we know what makes a business succeed. Our success is demonstrated by winning 10 awards, recognising us as a leading business in our field.
We combine our expertise in brand strategy, marketing communications, digital marketing, public relations and business management—backed by our experience in tenders—to showcase our clients' strengths and position them for award success.
Some of our client successes include:
- K&G Automotive: Winner of the Automotive & Transport category in 2024, Car Sales & Services in 2018, and Best Business in Logan in 2018 at the Logan Business Distinction Awards.
- Bainbridge Technologies: Gold winner in 2013, Bronze in 2015, and Gold again in 2017 at the Terry Mahony Excellence in Marketing Award in the AAAA industry awards.
- Intelligent Automation: Winner of the Living Smart Solutions (Business) category at the 2013 Glossies Awards by Sunshine Coast Council.
What to Do After Winning an Award
Winning an award is just the beginning. To fully capitalise on your success, it’s essential to integrate the win into your overall marketing strategy. Here’s how to use your award to elevate your brand:
1. Leverage Media: Announce your win with a press release and take advantage of editorial and advertising opportunities around the awards. Share the news in your newsletter and blog to build awareness and trust.
2. Promote on Social Media: Post your award win or finalist status on social platforms, including local Facebook groups. Thank your team and sponsors (tagging them where possible), and share photos of you accepting the award with a personal quote to engage your audience.
3. Update Your Website: Feature the award on your homepage, ‘About Us’ page, and email signatures. If provided, display the award logo on your website, too. Use “award-winning” in your marketing collateral to strengthen trust with customers.
4. Update Your Website: Feature the award on your homepage, ‘About Us’ page, and email signatures. If provided, display the award logo on your website, too. Use “award-winning” in your marketing collateral to strengthen trust with customers.
5. Attend the awards night: The awards night is an excellent opportunity to network with other leading businesses. Take your team to the awards event to celebrate.
5. Consider Sponsorship: If you’ve won multiple awards, sponsoring future events can increase your brand's visibility while supporting other businesses seeking recognition as an award-winning business.
Sustainable Marketing Services is an award-winning Brisbane digital marketing agency with a long history of delivering sustainable success for our clients. Book a complimentary meeting on 07 3446 5837 or email us here.