The OpenWater Blog

5 Ways to Spread the Word About Your Awards Program

You already know that marketing your awards program is critical, but determining the best way to spread the word isn’t always as simple or straightforward. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you have to be a marketing expert or have countless years of experience custom-tailoring marketing campaigns to meet the needs of your program.

Instead, you can rely on your solid intuition and your extensive knowledge of the most important information you need to know: the details of your actual awards program! If you still aren’t quite sure which approach is best for you, I’m going to share 5 ways that you can get out the word about your program, making it simple to get the publicity you need.

1. Email Marketing

Email marketing is unique because it is one of the few types of marketing that is cost efficient, easy, and used by almost 100% of organizations. If you’re already using email marketing for your company, you’re an expert on the versatility of its use as well. In fact, you can use email marketing to accomplish great things for your awards, including:

• Alerting contacts of your program in a newsletter to avoid sounding pushy or spammy;
• Promoting your program through your call for entry (CFE) and information regarding how to enter a submission; and
• Thanking entrants after they have entered a submission to your program.

2. Press Releases

Press releases are sometimes considered to be a traditional marketing technique, but this doesn’t mean that they don’t serve a purpose in your modern awards marketing efforts. The press release is still alive and well, and 75% of journalists agree.

A press release can accomplish what other marketing techniques often cannot, like lending a sense of legitimacy and professionalism to your awards program. The best part? You can even use a press release further down the road to market your program on social media platforms and on your new awards website. Talk about multitasking!

3. Advertising

Your awards program is an essential part of your company, your goals, and your values. Through advertising, you can create the hype and awareness that you need to ensure that individuals realize the true value of your program and get motivated to submit their own entry!

Of course, there is not just one way to advertise your program. As a matter of fact, you have some choices when it comes to what’s best for your unique program:

• Traditional Marketing – Traditional marketing includes mail, radio, and TV publication, among others.
• Social Media Marketing – As the more untraditional approach to advertising your awards, social media marketing is growing and can be a viable alternative to traditional methods.

4. Social Media

Speaking of social media marketing, another great way to spread word about your awards program is through this always expanding platform. In today’s social media world, it’s highly likely that you’re already engaged on multiple platforms. Now, all you need to do is to translate your strategies for your company and apply them to your program. It sounds simple, because it is.

By creating a plan for how to accomplish this, you can ensure your success. Then, you can execute and see the engagement and submissions come pouring in when you take advantage of:

• Advertisements;
• Suggested Social Sharing;
• Public Votes;
• Community Events; and
• Many, many more!

5. Website

What’s the first step you take when you’re preparing for the launch of your program? If you answered, creating a website, then you’ve got it right!

Creating an awards website is simpler than you think, and the benefits that it can lend to your program simply can’t be accomplished through other means. So, what should you be including on this all-important website? Let’s scratch the surface with some of the essentials that should always be easy to find on your site:

• Dates
• Eligibility Requirements
• Fees
• How to Enter
• Link to Submission
• Sample Application
• Contact Information

When it comes to your awards marketing, simple, straightforward solutions are best. And by utilizing the 5 tools above, you’ll be amazed at how quickly word can spread about everything your organization has to offer.

What tools have you successfully used to spread the word about your own awards? Share your own success stories below!

Need some help with any of the tools above, or maybe all of them? By downloading our Awards Marketing Bible, you can have inside information about how to make each tool work for your program!

Miriam Hancock

Miriam Hancock
Miriam is the Marketing Coordinator for OpenWater. When she isn't writing and designing content she paints and cooks for her own personal blog.

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