The value of Awards in winning positive PR – The Great British Entrepreneur Awards & Community

Every business needs good PR, and local journalists love to
promote their local business success stories. All a business needs to do is
give them the good news story.

When we talk to businesses that use the JournoLink platform
to manage their PR, the most common piece of feedback we get is that they
struggle to come up with the story that they think a journalist will pick up
on.  Which is exactly where awards come
in. 

When a business has won an award it’s almost a racing
certainty that the local paper will be happy to cover it, alongside that half
embarrassing celebration picture at the awards event. Covid-19 has put paid to
the group picture for the moment, but that’s not to say a substitute one won’t
do….it’s amazing what Zoom lets us do now!

But even ‘shortlisted’ businesses are a cause for local
promotion, especially if the event has a national reach.  We’ve even seen businesses putting out a
press release saying they are applying for an award and getting picked up.

In short, there is probably no better way to win both media
coverage, and positive endorsement for a business brand than winning an award.
And then shouting about it.

So, what are the angles that work best when putting the
release together?

Firstly…. timing.

Use two trigger points. The first one when the shortlisting
is confirmed, and the second to release as soon as the win as been announced
(well after the champagne has all gone!).

The hook

In the headline always cite the location of the business and
mention the award recognition. That will help in catching the right
journalists’ eyes.  Remember that the
journalists receive a raft of emails every day, and it’s important to stand
out.

The body

This is an award for a reason, not the opportunity to share
the business strategy document. So, stick to the simple award details and the
reason why you won.

The quote

Include at least one quote, and if you can get one too from
a recognised ‘name’ willing to say the shortlisting and award is well deserved,
add that in as well. 

The image