How to Launch an online Award Program that Increases Your brand’s Visibility and Credibility
How to launch an online Award Program that Increases your brand’s Visibility and Credibility? Award programs are becoming increasingly popular around the world. They can not only generate revenues and provide significance for your business, but they can also significantly build brand awareness. Awards, unlike exhibitions and conferences, are known for bringing people together in competition and celebration – something that might be difficult to honour in a virtual environment.
When you consider the ultimate phase of standing on a podium to resounding applause, running an Awards Program sounds like a lot of fun. However, there is much more to organizing an awards program than just the actual award ceremony. Before the final showdown, there is a full project lifecycle of planning, organizing, and managing all stakeholders.
Running an awards program is not easy, but it is also not impossible. That is why we’d like to give some helpful hints that will keep things going smoothly during the program and help it stand out from other award programs. Following the 9 tips below will ensure that your program is well on its way to building a reputation for itself in your sector!
Here are the top 9 tips to create the best online awards experience that also increases your brand’s visibility and credibility;
Define your program structure
Before you decide on anything else, you must first define the structure of your software. This will serve as a guideline for what you require in terms of human resources, timing, and budget, but it will also provide clarity on what you hope to achieve with your program. That is, how are you hoping to assist your applicants, and how will they assist your organization?
Know your audience
Not all awards are as formal as black tie, but if you operate in an industry where formal ceremonies are expected, you’ll need to deliver an experience that fulfils your audience’s expectations. To accomplish this, you’ll need a flawless, engaging digital experience that’s exciting and exudes exclusivity.
Infuse credibility into your program
Any program that accepts applications or submissions will get a large amount of sensitive data that must be safeguarded. You can accomplish this by:
- Data encryption
- Requiring all participants to register
- Providing a method for judges to evaluate anonymous entries
All of these procedures will help your awards program gain credibility.
Create a high traction awards website
Then comes one of the most important aspects of your program: your awards site. You’ll need a location where applicants can get information about the application process, eligibility rules, showcase the awards, put your brand and the branding of your sponsors front and center, and ask any other questions they may have before and after submitting.
By building an insightful and user-friendly site, you will ensure that all of the answers to all of the questions are in one place, reducing the number of queries and support requests you will receive as the program administrator.
Awards are a great way to create real value for sponsors
The data analysis & insight provided to commercial sponsors and partners is a big benefit of a digital event. Virtual award ceremonies provide a plethora of new and unique marketing opportunities, as well as some revamped traditional sponsorships.
Using this new online format allows your team to be more creative and focused with advertising, marketing, and branding during your event. Furthermore, these new options will expose your company to new potential sponsors brands who focus solely on digital marketing and may have previously refused to participate in the actual event.
Find well-respected judges
Finding the ideal and suitable number of judges for your awards program is critical to the success of your evaluation process. To begin, having the appropriate number of judges to review the applications would assist provide a more equitable evaluation and can help reduce evaluation biases. Second, having judges who are well-known specialists in their respective fields would undoubtedly bring value and prestige to your award program.
Invest in marketing
Developing a great marketing plan for your program is an important component of advertising it to the outside world. The interest you will obtain from candidates and judges is directly connected to the success of your marketing approach.
We understand that you may be hesitant to devote a significant portion of your time and budget to implementing an extensive marketing plan; however, we can tell you from experience that doing so will help you spread the message, engage a diverse number of people, increase submissions, and increase the reputation of your program.
Where to invest is also determined by the program’s needs; the same marketing strategy may not apply to all programs. There is no one-size-fits-all answer; you may need to spend in social media marketing, focused sourcing, or channel partnerships at times.
Throw an awards gala
Now comes the exciting part! An awards gala is an excellent method to recognize all of your program’s finalists and winners. It’s also a great chance to thank everyone involved in the program, from the contestants to the judges to the program managers. Splash your brand all over the event, and don’t forget to include your sponsors if you have them. It’s a win-win-win situation!
The most crucial aspect of managing an awards program is staying on top of all phases, from pre-awards preparation to entry, judging, and awards. Create a memorable experience for each person, and they will return year after year.
Tie it all together with an awards software
One of the most difficult aspects of preparing for your program is remaining organized. A multitude of methods and platforms are typically utilized to manage a program, which can become complicated and cause your awards staff to become overwhelmed and angry.
To avoid these headaches, an increasing number of firms are turning to awards management software, which may provide a one-stop shop to an online system that will track, administer, and coordinate all aspects of the application rounds and review process. This means that spreadsheets, physical calendars, and online form builders are no longer necessary. For administrators, applicants, and judges, the entire rewards procedure can be streamlined and “mess-free.”