Why Some Awards Programs Seem to Have All the Luck
We all know those awards programs. They’re like the overachiever in your high school chemistry class or that one person at the gym. Everything they do seems to be awesome and super successful.
Sometimes it seems like some programs have all the luck: a large number of submissions, great industry experts as judges, and fantastic publicity opportunities. Just how do these awards programs manage to achieve success year after year?
Well, as tempting as it is to attribute it all to whether you’re lucky or not it’s not actually that simple. Programs that seem to have it together don’t have a secret recipe or a million four leaf clovers in their back pocket. Turns out what helps them be successful is a very clear plan of attack and the necessary time and resources devoted to carrying out that plan.
The great thing is that your program can also tap into that “luck” and achieve similar success. And to do so there are a few best practices to follow.
How to Turn Your Awards Program’s Luck Around
A large part of the success of different awards is directly attributable to marketing. As we all know, marketing is what drives people to learn about and become engaged with an organization, ultimately leading to them submit an entry.
Some crucial elements that need to be incorporated or further developed that will help your program expand are:
1. Content Calendar
A content calendar is what separates good marketing plans from great ones. It helps you plan and organize the different pieces of content that will drive your marketing forward – ranging from social media messages to webinars.
Without devoting enough time to planning you’re setting yourself for future issues. You need to make sure everything you do is relevant and interesting, as well as timely and fresh. A content calendar will keep you from getting stressed and disorganized down the line when the submissions start rolling in.
2. Social Media
While it has already established that social media isn’t going anywhere and that it’s become more and more of a priority for organization’s marketing efforts, not everyone seems to be taking that information to heart.
Even if you’re not entirely comfortable with the plethora of social platforms out it’s worth the time it will take. Because social media is where the entrants you’re trying to attract spend their time, it’s important to have a presence there to grab their attention and engage with them. Learn more about using social media for awards here.
3. Website
If we’ve said it once we’ve said it a million times: your website matters. Where are people going to go after they see your enticing post on Facebook? Your website. Where are they going to go in order to learn if they meet your program’s requirements? Your website. Where are they going to go to actually apply? Your website.
You see where I’m going with this? Take the time to make your website something extraordinary. It’s what will set your program apart from the others and the interest it generates will reflect that.
4. Email
Ah. The old classic. Emails is one of the simplest and most effective ways to get in touch with people. While you shouldn’t rely on it as your means of getting in touch with folks, you also shouldn’t discount it as an outdated mode of communication.
It’s important to utilize email to the fullest in order to get the best results. This means segmenting your lists, crafting well thought out emails for various stages of your program and also finding alternative ways to introduce your awards through email.
By taking the time to do it right you can attract more (and better) entrants because you have taken the time to build up your credibility and their interest.
What are your secrets to a killer awards marketing strategy? To learn more about how you can effectively market your awards, download our ebook!
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