Industry awards provide a great vehicle for PR and social media activity – if you win. But nominees are often either too busy or too close to the project to be able to prepare submissions that stand out enough to engage the judging panel. I’m not.
I’ve worked with major professional services firms, fintechs and law firms to craft submissions that have secured places on award shortlists and gone on to land the big one. And I’ve done it lots of times. In fact, in 2018 I helped to secure nearly 20 industry awards for my clients – awards for projects, products and innovations, individuals and teams.
In almost every case, good award submissions are about attention to detail and strong story telling: using the judging criteria to shape an engaging and compelling narrative; using accessible language that makes it easy for the judges, and; avoiding trying to squeeze in every available industry or technical term. It’s also important to remember that the judges may not be experts in the particular issue or topic that I am covering so I try to help them understand not just what is important in the story, but why it’s important. After that, successful submission writing is about maximising the impact within the word limit and ensuring that it’s clear why this entry should go forward in the judging process.
Words matter. 