Use a PR agency to help your company win awards

Simplify the award submission process and reap the benefits of winning with PR

Awards can provide many benefits. They can distinguish your company in a specific market or help your business showcase unique approaches or attributes. They can also help attract top talent and improve morale among staff. The moment of receiving an award is great, but the real benefit of an award happens all year, when you have the bragging rights to your honor.

Where to start?

Think about what kind of awards you want to win. Would local awards be most beneficial to your company, or do you look for trade recognition? Maybe both are equally important to you. Once you think about your “dream awards,” research what’s available. Good places to check are:

Industry websites/magazines.
Business websites/magazines.
Industry associations.
Chambers/business organizations.

After you build a list of target awards, start to prioritize and organize your approach.

How can a PR agency help?

Submitting for awards takes time and energy. It’s not something you should do in a haphazard or careless way; you want to actually win, don’t you? That means you need an award submission that’s targeted, creative and well-written. Here’s where a PR agency can step in.

PR agencies can help with awards as early as during the research process. It’s likely the PR team already has knowledge of awards that work for your organization. PR professionals are writers and storytellers. With their help, your company's submission will be engaging and well-written.

PR agencies assist clients with award submissions all the time, so while it may be your first time participating in the process, it’s certainly not theirs. They know what judges expect, and if they’re good partners, they’ll want your company to win as badly as your team does!

Axia Public Relations’ AwardAbility service can help you identify, research, apply for and promote the awards that can position you as an industry leader. Contact Axia to speak with a PR professional, and if you already have an award or two under your belt, download Axia’s e-book Maximizing Your Public Relations Investment to learn more ways PR can optimize your media coverage.

Julie Miller is a marketing and communications professional, working for more than seven years in the industry. She primarily works in the technology and education sectors and specializes in digital marketing and communications. Julie has worked with Axia since November 2015. Connect with Axia on Twitter @axiapr or tell us what you think in the comments below.