So, the champagne has been popped and the awards night is over. You’re well-recovered after the exciting night and the award is yours. But, what next? The hard work isn’t over just yet. When you’ve won, it’s so important to focus on the PR and how to increase your exposure.
In this article, we talk you through the PR for your award win and how to keep that momentum going.
PR for your award win
After the excitement of your award win has settled, it can often be confusing on how to promote and market your new award-winning status. When searching the internet, the results are teeming with articles and advice on entering awards and why it is great for business. However, the results are lacking significantly when it comes to what to do after you’ve been selected as a finalist or winner.
Upon winning, this presents an excellent opportunity to start broadcasting your remarkable achievement to your customers and the media. But there’s a crucial point to keep in mind.
Once the winners are revealed, the nomination story wraps up. So, waiting until you’ve secured the win before making the announcement is important. It will create a more compelling narrative. Regardless of whether you win or lose, taking the right steps after the awards night is crucial to maximising your exposure.
Step 1
The initial step in spreading the word is to write a press release. A press release is a formal statement from your business, designed to share news about your latest developments with the media and other interested parties, with the aim of generating press coverage regarding your recent award win.
It’s important to remember that writing a press release does not always guarantee you press coverage from the media. However, regularly sending out updates will help to get your brand noticed through consistent activities. Some newspapers and journal columns will wait until your brand and story aligns with a current piece or segment.
Step 2
When writing a press release there are certain things you should be considering.
Headline – firstly, you need a headline that stands out and catches the attention of potential customers or clients. Avoid going over the top with your headline as this will put people off reading it. It should be short and to the point, highlighting your recent achievements. An example of this could be ‘Pure Awards Named Start Up Company of 2023 in Business of the Year Awards’.
Highlight your Uniqueness – highlighting the parts that made you stand out over the other entrants is key to a good press release. You’ve won for a reason and that is because of your excellence, so share that with the world. Emphasise the best parts about your business, be that your customer service, your innovation in your industry, the way you take care of your team. Showcase what has made the judges pick you as an award-winning business.
Tell your Story – give the readers an insight into your business story, from how you first started, to your overall journey on becoming award-winning. It helps for others to see that you’re human and can be very inspiring for other businesses that may just be starting out.
Show your Expertise – an award-winning business is a status that people often see as being experts in the field. There’s a reason you’re at the top and people love to further their knowledge, so share a few lines about your success and how you achieved it.
Share your Future Insights – similarly to showing your expertise, this allows you to share your future insights into market trends. Since you are now considered an expert in your field, it can help to share some of your predictions into future market trends.
Think about SEO – like anything you write now that you intend to share online, you need to consider SEO and how you can ensure that search engines can maximise your exposure. Keywords or phrases need to be included within the opening paragraph of your press release.
Step 3
Once you have completed your press release you will need to send it to the right journalists. Think about your local newspapers, any industry specific blogs, and even national journalists within your industry. Reaching out personally is often a much better received way of speaking to journalists, and remember, you never know who might be looking to share your story, so keep consistent.
Your press release can be repurposed for your social media and marketing content too. Think about how you can tweak things to showcase in your email marketing, share onto your social media, and even be featured on the radio or adverts. You don’t have to rewrite the whole thing each time, but editing will ensure that your message stays fresh and relevant.
Final Thoughts
Your press release and any future marketing should be the cherry on top when it comes to your award win. What’s the point in going through all of the hard work of entering and winning a business award, if you aren’t going to shout it from the rooftops afterwards?
How you showcase your brand and award win after the awards night is crucial for your future growth.
If you need any advice on writing a press release, get in touch today.
