How to get awards and recognition for your company

Isn’t it about time for everyone to know you’re exceptional?

You see them all the time in newspapers and industry publications: those ubiquitous announcements that Company X was recognized for its service or Employee A got an award for a special achievement. Has your company received any of those lately?

Some companies believe that awards are a useless waste of time. With help from PR, you can learn why the opposite is true and how you can use these recognitions to achieve visibility for your company.

Why awards and recognition are important

Of course, no one wants to be seen as a braggart, but awards aren’t just another way to pat yourself on the back; they can also serve as a tool for teambuilding and remind you of all that you’ve accomplished in the past year. You can use them to motivate your staff and instill pride in working for your company.

Most importantly, awards increase your visibility and help you distinguish your organization from the competition. They also establish your company as a leader in your field.

When customers see that you are an award-winning company, it can change their opinion in your favor, make you stand out and might affect their purchasing decisions. Receiving an award can also give you a significant boost in name recognition. This can be crucial, especially before a big event such as a campaign launch or new initiative.

In addition to helping you retain current employees, awards can make you more attractive to the best and brightest prospects. After all, everyone wants to be on a winning team. Recognition shows that your company is still innovative, that you are a major player in your industry and maybe even a little fun.

How to make it happen for your company

There are business awards for practically every category, from most creative office design to best women-owned businesses. You may also find individual contests within your industry or area of the country. In addition to prestige and monetary awards, some recognition programs offer more intangible rewards such as a business makeover, a feature article in a major publication or opportunities for you to help stimulate the economy in your region.

Like it or not, getting awards doesn’t just happen. You have to do your homework, know what recognitions are available and complete often lengthy application processes.

Don’t waste time applying for awards that you won’t have at least a chance of winning. For example, if your business does most of its sales work over the phone, it may not make sense to apply for an award honoring field sales teams.

Make sure you read the qualifications carefully before you begin.

It might also be wise to start small. Instead of looking at global Business of the Year awards, see if there are more targeted categories in your community.

Look for awards that will recognize your staff and encourage them to locate possibilities as well. They will likely be the ones preparing the applications so they should definitely have a stake in the reward.

Use the right keywords when you search for awards and focus on recognitions that mean something and will actually help you grow your business. This can make all the difference. Seek out the ones that will allow you to highlight your expertise and those that will be recognizable to your target audiences.

What PR can do

With help from PR, you can choose the awards that will work best for your company and learn how to promote them to your advantage. At Axia Public Relations, we do the legwork to find the right awards for you.

In addition, we use tools such as social media campaigns, media connections and publicity materials to help you get the most out of the awards you receive. Contact us today to learn more about our Awardability services to increase your company’s awards, visibility and profits.

Lisa Goldsberry is a writer for Axia Public Relations with more than 15 years of public relations experience. She specializes in business, higher education and technology PR. Connect with Axia Public Relations on Twitter @axiapr.