Have you considered hiring a business awards writer? Entering an award can feel exciting… until you actually sit down to write the submission. That’s when most businesses realise the truth: crafting an award-winning entry is much harder than it looks. It’s like a mini tender and those are never easy! The good news? Writing an award worthy entry is absolutely achievable with the right strategy, narrative, and writer behind it.
Why Awards Matter More Than Ever
Awards aren’t just shiny trophies. They’re credibility boosters, trust builders, and powerful marketing assets. Winning (or even being shortlisted!) attracts new clients, strengthens brand reputation, boosts staff morale, and creates valuable PR opportunities. In industries where everyone claims to be “leading” or “innovative,” independent validation is priceless. Awards help potential clients choose your business with confidence. Ultimately, awards set you apart in a crowded market.
If you want to boost your chances of winning, here’s exactly what it takes to write an award-winning submission, and why outsourcing it could be a smart decision for your business.
1. Understand What Judges Actually Want
Most submissions simply fail because they are written from the company’s point of view, not the judges. Awarding bodies typically provide a detailed set of criteria and information that they expect to be included in the entry. Judges look for unmistakable evidence that your business meets the criteria. They value a compelling narrative rather than a data dump. Strong submissions highlight measurable impact and tangible results. Authenticity, clarity, and a well-structured format also make entries easier to read and score.
Ultimately, successful award submissions prove your achievements rather than simply claiming them. In other words, it’s not about saying you’re great. It’s about proving it.
2. Strategy Comes Before Writing
The writing is only half the job. The other, and first half, is strategy. A winning entry might require research into the award and past winners to understand what the judges value. Identifying your strongest angles will ensure your submission focuses on your most competitive and relevant achievements. Extracting stories and proof from your team provides credible evidence that supports your claims. Understand what sets you apart to highlight your unique value in a competitive category.
Most companies are too close to their work to see what’s truly award-worthy. An external writer can spot golden nuggets you overlook every day and transform them into a strategic award submission.
3. Craft a Story Judges Actually Want to Read
Great award entries read like powerful business stories, not corporate reports. Judges review loads of submissions, so clear storytelling helps yours stand out. A winning narrative is clear, confident, emotional (when appropriate), anchored in results, and aligned to the category criteria.
This is where professional writing can make a stark difference. The right writer can elevate ordinary facts into a compelling, memorable story. Tailoring your story to the judging requirements improves clarity and increases your chances of winning or placing highly. By combining your business’s story with expert storytelling, your submission becomes easier for judges to read, understand, and support.
4. Evidence: Your Make or Break Factor
Judges don’t want fluffy claims; they want proof.
Compelling evidence proves credibility and boosts competitiveness. The most successful award submissions include data and measurable outcomes that show tangible results. Evidence includes testimonials, client feedback, and independent validation. Case study results are particularly powerful, showing judges the full context, actions taken, and measurable results your business achieves. Additionally, before and after comparisons clearly show improvement, and measurable change. This allows judges to see the true value of your achievements.
The difference between an average submission and an award winning one often comes down to how well your story is backed up by actual results.
The Common Mistakes That Cost Companies the Win
- Ignoring the criteria: Judges are looking for specific evidence that aligns with each category. Submissions that ignore or misinterpret the criteria risk losing points, no matter how impressive they are. Always read the criteria for your category carefully and tailor every answer to what the judges are looking for.
- Overusing jargon: Overly technical language can confuse judges and dilute the impact of your submission. Clear, simple language makes your achievements easier to understand and more memorable. A compelling entry should explain your work in plain terms, focusing on results and innovation.
- Writing around the question instead of answering it: Businesses lose marks by avoiding questions or providing unrelated information. Each section of the entry form is there for a reason. Directly answering questions with relevant examples demonstrates a strong understanding of the award and increases your chances of success.
- Submitting at the last minute: Rushing an award entry almost always leads to errors, weak storytelling, and poorly structured responses. Giving yourself enough time is crucial. With breathing space, you can refine your narrative, gather strong supporting evidence, proofread thoroughly, and make final improvements that help your submission truly stand out.
- Providing statements instead of proof: Statements like “We are innovative” are not enough to win an award. Strong submissions include evidence to demonstrate real impact. Proof separates a credible entry from a mediocre one.
- Being too modest, or too braggy: Striking the right tone is critical. Being too modest can underplay achievements, while over-the-top claims can appear arrogant. A balanced, confident narrative is the most effective way to persuade judges.
Why Outsourcing Your Award Entry Is a Smart Move
Hiring an award writing specialist isn’t a luxury, it’s a strategic advantage.
When you outsource, you get a polished submission. You also free up hours of your team’s time and gain an expert perspective from someone who knows how to shape your best stories. These all lead to a higher chance of winning!
What It’s Like to Work with a Professional Awards Writer
My six step process is straightforward, efficient, and tailored to you:
- Discovery call to understand your goals, strengths, and category. This detailed call explores your aims, key achievements, and the award category best suited to you. This gives me an understanding of how you want to be portrayed to the judges and how I can tailor this to the criteria.
- Information gathering through conversations, documents, and data. We will identify a checklist of the information that is required to support the entry, and the internal contact will be tasked with collating. If I can assist with this aspect, I will – for example, extracting data from your digital channels to prove performance. Information and data gathering ensures every claim is backed by credible evidence.
- Story and strategy development to identify your winning angle. Using the information from steps one and two, I will craft a compelling narrative that highlights your business’s strengths. The strategy will focus on elements most likely to impress judges and meet the category criteria.
- Crafting the full submission, ensuring it is structured, evidenced and persuasive. Your story will be turned into a complete, polished entry. Each section will be clearly structured, supported with data, and engaging to the judges.
- Refinement and final polish ensuring it meets all criteria. The submission is carefully reviewed and refined. Digital Den will ensure that your submission is flawless and aligns with every point of the criteria, maximising scoring potential.
- Submission support so nothing gets missed. This ensures all the loose ends are tied up, guaranteeing your entry is complete and compliant.
It’s collaborative, but I do most of the heavy lifting, so you don’t have to!
Make This the Year You Win!
Awards are opportunities, but only if your submission does your business justice.
If you want a submission that stands out, tells your story powerfully and gives you the best chance of success, outsourcing it can be the best way to get there.
Get in touch today and let us help you craft your story to impress the judges.