Award entries can seem incredibly daunting, especially when they have high word limits and numerous questions to answer.
But don’t worry, there are a few key things you can do to ensure you write a great entry. With awards season just around the corner, this blog will kit you out with our top tips for writing a winning award entry!
Read the requirements
Before you start writing, make sure you read the award entry requirements along with the terms and conditions properly. Highlight and flag key parts so you don’t forget them, and re-visit them as you work your way through your entry.
Sometimes, the award you’re entering for may have an accompanying entry toolkit for each category. These toolkits are usually packed with additional advice and helpful pointers, so be sure to look out for one, and if available, utilise it!
Give yourself plenty of time
Trust us, you really don’t want to leave it until the last minute! Give yourself plenty of time to plan, prepare and write your entry. You’ll also need to allow time for proofing and checking, so make sure you factor this in.
Provide supporting evidence
Make a claim and back it up. Most award entries will require supporting evidence, and there’s normally a limit on how many supporting files you can upload, as well as a limit on the file type. With this in mind, you need to think strategically with your evidence. Consider what you’ve claimed and what you have evidence wise. Do you have staff and/or customer feedback, statistics and/or KPI examples? If so, make sure you include them!
Say you tell the judges that you’ve doubled your yearly turn over, you should back this up with a summary, chart or graph which clearly shows that what you’re saying is true. If you tell the judges your staff are the happiest they’ve ever been, try to illustrate this with some employee feedback. Every piece of evidence that you submit helps to boost your application.
What if supporting evidence is optional?
We know it may be tempting not to bother with evidence, but we would always advise that you do. In fact, if supporting evidence isn’t specifically asked for, this is your chance to stand out above the crowd! Your entry will be stronger if you’ve also supplied proof. Especially if another entrant hasn’t and you’ve both made the same claim.
Proof it to perfection
It almost goes without saying, but it’s always a good idea to re-read your content. Don’t just proof it once, proof it as you write it. There’s no harm in triple checking! It’s even better if you ask someone else to proof it as you can often become blind to your own mistakes. Failing that, using a text-to-speech programme can be helpful to spot errors.
Submit on time
This one should be a given, but it’s hugely important that you submit your award entry on time and before the deadline closes. Don’t leave it till 3 minutes before the deadline, just in case there are any issues with the webpage or the files you’re submitting as evidence. Don’t let all your effort go to waste, a late submission could throw your chances away before you even had a chance.
Need help writing an award entry?
We’ve helped a number of our clients with award-winning entries across multiple sectors. And we’d love to help you too!
Feel free to drop us an email and tell us all about your entry.
