So, are awards worth entering?

By Salon Gold Superstar Sally Learmouth

As MD of Gloss Communications I’m often asked if it’s worth entering awards. Well, there are definitely pros and cons.

Awards can be a really good way to put your business on the map – it looks great for clients, it looks great for prospective clients and it’s fantastic for catching the attention of brands and suppliers who you might be hoping to court. Be mindful that there are a lot of awards around, so you need to choose the ones that are prestigious enough to be a benefit if you win.

Take the time to look for categories that really resonate with you and your business. So. for example, if you’re offering education and training, some sort of award that is around education and training is ideal. If you’re a salon business then choose a category such as Salon of the Year because that’s the sort of thing that’s will resonate with clients, press and people outside of your industry. You could also choose categories that are most revered or respected by the people that you admire and look up to.

Business Award entries can be really time consuming to write and you need to do your research for them. I would always recommend that you do not rush a Business Award entry and leave yourself plenty of time. Even if you don’t win, it’s actually a really good opportunity to audit your business. Treat them as a way of looking at all different areas of your business and pinpoint where you’re really strong but also where you could do a bit more work.

What we see from writing awards over the years is that they actually get better year-on-year because you get to grow them and hone your messages. Don’t expect to win everything overnight, it does take a lot of work but you’ve got to be in it to win it. Plan ahead now to put in a strong entry for next year. If you don’t feel confident about writing an award, then get somebody to help you or get somebody to do it for you. You know your business better than anyone and while you can outsource it to someone who knows how to write award entries, they need a lot of input and information to make sure that your passion and unique qualities are present.

If you’re a Finalist amazing, you can shout about that and if you win, even better. Utilise both across your marketing, your PR, your branding and take full advantage.

If you need help with awards, contact Sally by email sally@glosscommunications.co.uk or if you have PR questions email members@salongold.co.uk.

Sally Learmouth

Sally is the founder of Gloss Communications which specialises in lifestyle public relations, from traditional PR across print, online and television, through to influencers and social media management, events and copywriting. Since 2005, Gloss has created hugely successful PR campaigns. Having created successful campaigns for Jack Howard, Luke Benson, Jamie Stevens, Errol Douglas, Karine Jackson, Cally Borg, Tina Hollis, Christopher Appleton, O&M, Nine Yards, Authentic Beauty Concept, Trevor Sorbie and more.

All articles by Sally Learmouth