It’s the Midlands Food, Drink and Hospitality Awards tonight. We’re very excited as four of our clients are finalists, as well as our sister blog Extreme Housewifery. All of these small businesses have been through a rigorous process of nomination, public voting and judging, and they are all winners for getting through to the finals of a tough regional competition. The competition is truly fierce with the creme de la creme of the regions restaurants, hotels, pubs, venues and commentators up for gongs.
If you run a small business, dedicated to delivering great quality products or services, you can make your business into a winner too.
Three secrets to winning at industry awards – whether you win or not!
- Identify the high quality awards that are open to your industry and plan for them. Make sure they are quality, not just a marketing exercise aimed at separating you from your cash! You want awards that really show your client base your value. Then put a note in your diary when they open. Read in advance about the criteria – can you tweak your business now to have a better chance of winning later? Then, most importantly, DON’T FORGET TO ENTER!
- Industry awards that have a voting element can be irritating for your customers. Don’t overdo the pleading for votes! However, a couple of carefully written social media posts, perhaps a blog post and – for physical venues – a note in store for your customers can go a long way to boosting your chances. However, remember, often winning is the secondary reward – you’ll find that these posts gain your highest engagement. Just being in the running for an award can really impact your reach and engagement. Even being nominated for an award is a great excuse for a press release to get your name out there.
- Use the awards ceremony to their fullest extent. You’re in a room full of the stars of your industry! Talk to people, make connections, form new collaborations. DON’T FORGET YOUR BUSINESS CARDS! This is a great way to help your business grow and develop in the future – by connecting with like-minded people.
Press the Panic Button is this all sounds like too much additional work for you to handle and Thirst Media will come to your aid. We have a proven track record of writing successful industry award applications.