Roll out the red carpet. Put the bottles of champagne on ice. And dry clean your best suit. Award season is here!
From the Oscars to the Grammys and the Critics’ Choice Awards to the BRITs. November through to March marks the most dazzling season of all, with many of the biggest awards take centre stage.
And while your own business might seem more local than large-scale, this season is also when many of the UK’s own business award nominations open.
So why not get involved? Entering an award submission can do you and your team a whole world of good. Let us explain…
1. It’s essentially free marketing
Once you’ve written your submission – or delegated the task to the professionals – awards essentially give your business free marketing. Especially if you’re nominated for the award or win the coveted trophy.
Entering an award, being nominated and being crowned the winner really is something to shout about. Whether it’s on your social media, own business blog or in the local newspaper.
It’s certainly something to bring to the table and will definitely give your business some extra exposure.
2. It puts you ahead of competitors
Let’s face it, when it comes to buying a product or paying for service, which business would you choose. A local business? Or a local award-winning business?
The facts speak for themselves. According to a marketing survey looking into the impact awards have on a business, 82% of respondents admitted to being influenced by awards when buying products of services.
3. It helps attract talent
As well as attracting new clients, awards can help your business attract new recruits.
After all, who wouldn’t a) want to work at an award-winning company? And b) want to work at a company that clearly values its employees? We’re sold!
4. Awards boosts moral with employees
A little recognition goes a long way. And entering an awards programme can provide your employees with a much-welcomed moral boost. You could put a member of your team forward for an award about a project they worked on or you could enter an employee for a rising star away. Either way, your team will feel immensely proud and know that all their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Plus, in today’s job market, more than 91% of HR professionals believe that a recognition and reward programme helps with retention rates. So once your awards have helped you attract talent, they can also help you retain your top hitters too.
Talk to the professionals
As you can see, putting yourself/your business forward for an award is a great way to raise your company’s profile.
And here at Semaphore PR, we are experienced in researching the best awards for our clients and in also in writing successful award submissions.
Awards are open and available to businesses of all sizes, no matter what you do. And there are heaps to choose from. So what are you waiting for?
Get in touch today to talk through any queries you might have. We can talk you through how we work and how we can help put your business in front of the people that matter to you.
