Making the Shortlist for any We Are Search Award is EPIC!
There is so much more to Awards than winning! Making a Search Awards shortlist and becoming a finalist takes hard work; impressing industry judges is no easy feat!
The judges put the final shortlist together after a gruelling two step marking process and judge sessions that can be hours of deliberation and discussion. Industry experts in Search, their knowledge and experience is what makes the awards credible and valued, and they are no push over! If work is not up to their high standards it doesn’t make the shortlist, and they won’t award a winner if they don’t think entrants are deserving!
Winning is obviously the cherry on the cake, but making the final shortlist also deserves recognition and celebration.
5 ways to make the Search Awards Shortlist work for you.
Firstly, recognise that making the shortlist is an achievement. You know it, your peers and industry know it and your team know it! So, let’s start promoting and celebrating your success.
- Download the finalist assets! The Search Awards team will be sending you links to your official ‘finalist’ badge of honour and icon. Make sure you display this golden nugget, that demonstrates your expertise, on your website, social media and email signatures; include it in presentational materials and make sure your internal and external content brandishes it with pride.
- Blog about it! It is BIG News, it is GREAT news! Now is not the time to be shy… it is time to, dare we say it, boast! Talk about it everywhere. Your campaign is a story waiting to be shared. Your clients will love the extra publicity their campaign is gaining and they will undoubtedly want to share the success. It’s good business.
- Time is your friend! Between the shortlist announcement and the event and winners’ announcements there is time to build the anticipation and excitement. Take the journey a day at a time and keep that social media presence turned to maximum. Focus on making the shortlist and being a finalist.
- There is more to it than winning the trophy! Yes, the title is fantastic, you wanted it! But those finalist assets last a full year and beyond. Your hard work got you onto a shortlist where the competition was fierce and only the best were recognised. Don’t let disappointment cloud your view! Keep being proud of what you achieved and keep sharing your shortlist achievement – it will gain you new clients.
- Get back in the game. A team that makes a shortlist becomes even more determined to come back stronger and better. Shorlist teams crave the battle and their work, although it seems impossible, will develop and grow, creativity will flourish, commitment and spirit will thrive. And next year you might just be a winner!
Conclusion
So, what are we saying? Let’s take the worst-case scenario, you make the Awards shortlist but sadly don’t win. Don’t let disappointment cloud your view! Keep being proud of what you achieved and keep sharing your finalist honours – it will keep you in the spotlight, it will drive your team and it will gain you new clients and business.
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