Industry awards can give your business recognition where none existed before. They can help you work toward achieving your goals and raising awareness with your target audience. Finding these industry honors is often a challenge, and getting your company on the list for acceptance can feel like a daunting task. That’s why we asked 11 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following:
“As a business, how do you go about finding business or industry awards that your company is eligible for, and how do you determine which of those awards are worth your time? “
How to Find Relevant Industry Awards
Here’s what YEC community members had to say:
1. Research Past Recipients
“The best way to determine the quality and value of a business or industry award is to research what company has received the award in the past. If these companies are successful and well known, then you will be able to associate your business with that brand should you win the award.” ~ Patrick Barnhill, Specialist ID, Inc.
2. Check Out Competitor Sites
“Block out some time, maybe an hour or so, and go look at competitor sites to see what awards they win. You’ll uncover a lot of new opportunities. Make a list as you go. Then, check out the awards and apply for the ones that you would qualify for and best align with your goals.” ~ Dan Golden, BFO (Be Found Online)
3. Read Trade Magazines
“Using common industry trade magazines and events is a great way to source potential awards. Generally, it’s a good idea to look at who was given the award in the past. If those companies have some common alignments with yours then you know it’s worth applying.” ~ Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now
4. Get Involved in Professional Networks
“A simple way to stay on top of new awards is to join professional network communities. This allows you to not only network with businesses like yours, but those are the places where business owners and stakeholders share their experiences, award deadlines and offer other resources. These forums also make it easy to connect with past winners who may be able to she a light on their winning strategies.” ~ Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
5. Research and Ask Around
“There are too many industry awards in the marketplace today. Many are time-consuming and expensive to apply to, and only a few really have credible standing. If you’re thinking about applying, start with a little research. Look for which awards are getting press coverage, ask industry professionals you trust, then look at the complexity of the application. Weigh up the efforts with the rewards.” ~ Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure
6. Use Awards Finder
“I’m not a huge fan of industry awards — especially pay-to-play vanity awards. Customer satisfaction is more important than industry approbation. But some awards are worth pursuing and Awards Finder is a useful tool for discovering relevant business and industry awards in your field.” ~ Vik Patel, Future Hosting
7. Browse Social Media Sites
“Social media sites are very active with sharing business awards. You can do a search and find their pages and see what others are saying on there about the awards. This gives you a good indication of whether it is worth trying for a certain award.” ~ Angela Ruth, Calendar
8. Filter for Age and Buzz
“This can get tricky if your industry has a lot of awards being handed out by different bodies. If so, look for ones that find mention in industry publications as well as ones that have withstood the test of time. If you feel there is enough buzz begin created by newer awards, they might warrant your attention as well. Scouting professional network communities from your field is another way to go.” ~ Derek Robinson, Top Notch Dezigns
9. Let Them Come to You
“In the legal field in particular, there is no shortage of self-congratulatory services that prey on ego. Whenever we receive one of these mailers, we do a deep dive into online reviews and the actual mailing address of the organizations. Generally, prestigious awards that operate out of a P.O. Box at a UPS Store are not that prestigious.” ~ Ryan Bradley, Koester & Bradley, LLP
10. Join Top Publications in Your Industry
“Many of the top media publications will have awards or will list industry-related rewards. Make sure you are on their email address and that you’re following their social media so you will get the announcements.” ~ Andy Karuza, FenSens
11. Get Public Relations (PR) Support
“We utilize our PR department to scope for strong awards since they are actively seeking out awards for our clients and know the space. We split our time and budget between tier one awards and smaller channel specific awards. We realize the award either needs to be one that gives us credibility with clients or makes our team feel really good and proud.” ~ Grayson Lafrenz, Power Digital Marketing
Photo via Shutterstock