When a company receives an industry reward or garners great customer reviews, it’s natural to want to spread the news. Industry awards, especially those that are established and competitive, lend credence and authority to winners. And glowing customer praise offers authenticity and real-life application assurance to consumers. As such, both awards and reviews can be extremely powerful marketing tools.
However, the way in which such news is shared is often as important as the news, with self-serving announcements often leaving a bad impression with the audience. To help you broadcast company praise or rewards in the best way possible, we enlisted the advice of 12 members of Forbes Agency Council.
Members of Forbes Agency Council share tips for spreading the word when your business receives an award or praise.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Create A Press Release
A press release is ongoing proof of your company receiving recognition from customers and the industry. Press releases are distributed widely because of national (or international) syndication. You can keep this proof on your website. In addition, your company is free to post the award as news in your social media stream. All the award coverage is solid social proof. – Jim Caruso, MediaFirst PR – Atlanta
2. Share, But Don’t Boast
Think of every accomplishment as a gift—not a trophy. The language you choose when sharing news about an award or review is key. Be humble. Make sure to thank whoever gave you the award or the client for the review. There is a fine line between trying to force your latest win into somebody’s face and showing pride in your team’s achievement. – Bernard May, National Positions
3. Incorporate Awards In Branding And Share Success Secrets
We are big on incorporating industry awards into our branding, from our email signatures to our social profiles and website. In addition, we showcase our awards through storytelling on our blog, describing how and why we were selected for special recognition in a way that allows others to learn from our success. – Paula Chiocchi, Outward Media, Inc.
4. Use The Customer As The Frame
Awards and accolades feel great intrinsically. But they’re most powerful in attracting others to your brand when they’re framed in the context of your customers. Talk about the customers who make up the group that selected your company for an award. What’s special about them? Why is their recognition of your company so special? What experience/expertise do they have that is unique? – Craig Klein, SalesNexus.com
5. Highlight Essential Ingredients
Keep award announcements humble by highlighting the ingredients that were essential to those accomplishments—like the team members who contributed or the approach you took to bring home the win. By shifting the focus from your own accolades to the factors that helped get you there, you’ll sound genuine, not self-aggrandizing. – Howard Breindel, DeSantis Breindel
6. Give A Nod To Your Team
We’ve been fortunate to receive several awards. And while award announcements generate great public relations for a business, it is also a huge opportunity to thank your employees for their hard work and commitment to your business and clients. Companies do not win awards without a great team delivering award-winning results. Give praise to your team; it goes a long way. – Lori Paikin, NaviStone®
7. Use Recognition To Promote Your Clients
Sharing industry awards is a great way to promote your clients. Your achievement couldn’t have happened without the vision of their brand and their buy-in to your work. Don’t just blast the news in a press release, though. Not all awards are newsworthy. If it’s relevant to media, conduct outreach directly to the publications. Otherwise, share the awards with your audience via social and email. – Benjamin Collins, Laughing Samurai
8. Use The Right Language On Social Media
The online image of your brand is more important than you think. And if you receive a prominent industry reward, it adds to your credibility. Of course, you can feature it on your website—some people will see it, but not as many people as could have seen it. It’s okay to share your accomplishments on your social media, provided that you use humble language and give credit to everyone who helped you. – Solomon Thimothy, OneIMS
9. Express Gratitude
Gratitude is always a good way to present pride for an award or honor without being self-promotional. Communications-wise, this means reaching out to the organization and constituents in a public way to thank them for their efforts and for providing the honor. This can be done in a variety of ways, including ads, press release quotes or sponsorships. – Stefan Pollack, The Pollack PR Marketing Group
10. Mention Peers And Others Who Are Recognized
Awards are competitive in nature, and often you are privy to a shortlist of contenders. This gives you an opportunity to share the accolades and congratulate them while highlighting your achievement and differentiators. If you have visibility as to the judges it is a good idea to also thank them for the consideration/recognition! – Ilissa Miller, IMiller Public Relations
11. Share The Spotlight
Industry awards and reviews are great, but if a company overhypes, then that enthusiasm can quickly be perceived as egotistical boasting. Be humble in accepting accolades as an organization and shine the light on the benefits to customers and the people at the center of the work earning the praise. After all, it’s about them—not about celebrating another notch in the corporate belt. – Erik Clausen, CG Life
12. Mention It Subtly In Your Marketing Collateral
Use it as a subtle builder of credibility and authority in your marketing collateral, without downright saying it. Pick a place that people who are still feeling unsure about buying would look, without being too pompous about it. Some examples of this include placing it in your website footer, including it as a small image in your presentation and slapping a mention on your business card. – Adam Guild, Placepull
