An award as you might already know is a mark of recognition given in honour of an achievement you have made in a community, an economy or impact. Being nominated for an award is exciting enough but winning that award surely beats it! How then can you move from being a Nominee to an Awardee? Here are some tips nominees miss out on..
6 Tips on How to Get Votes For An Award
- Acknowledging the nomination:
As long as you have been put up as a potential recipient for an award it is important to let people know that you are being recognised in your industry. A lot of people seem to think it’s not necessary to do this but how will people know the milestone you’re about to achieve if you don’t put it out there?
Yes you can canvas for support from family and friends but what about social media? Nothing stops you from posting the graphics about the nomination? Acknowledging the nomination simply means showing appreciation for people who thought you worthy to win and asking for their continuous support and help. Doing this encourages your true followers to feel needed and like they are a part of your journey.
- Constant follow up:
A common mistake nominees make is posting on social media just once and thinking that they will be magically picked! People need to be pushed, they need to feel like you’re making efforts.
If I met someone at a networking event and the person tells me she’s being nominated, I’d want to check her out on Instagram. I go home and remember the conversation but I am not sure of the details, so I go to her page, but I don’t see anything that looks like an award nomination, a prompt or a ‘how to’ I end up not voting for her because there’s no follow up. She has done well by telling me about the nomination, but she has failed to mention it on her social media page, so on getting there, I’m not motivated enough to vote for her.
As we all know, nominees for various categories for the upcoming ACE awards is out, and voting would close in a few days, this article has been generated to encourage nominees to gear up their voting campaign now more than ever. As a nominee, the above being established, doing the following could serve as the push you need to get you into the top three.
- Why do you think we deserve this award?
An amazing way to get more people to vote for you is asking your true supporters to give reasons why your brand should be awarded. This can be done in the comment session on Instagram, feedbacks from regular customers, achievements noted in the past etc. This serves as a propeller for people to actually vote for your brand. Starting up a conversation around the upcoming award would create awareness and interest.
- Video story telling
Creating a 5 minute video geared towards voting and what winning this award means to you, reminding your supporters about the ongoing nomination and the process involved is a great way to generate interest and also get people to help you. You can do this simply with a phone or a camera and some editing.
Post it up and you’re good to go. I believe choosing the right social media platform also matters. Where you have a credible amount of followers is where your energy should be expended. Posting on your story frequently and leaving them as highlights is also helpful especially if you are reluctant to post non-product images on your feed.
- Random facts
The secret really is in being creative and promoting the strengths in your brand. You could do a ‘Random facts’ post i.e 5 random facts about your brand with an extra: P.S ‘Did you know ‘insert name of brand’ has been nominated for the ‘best …’ in the category of ‘…’ at the ACE awards? Help us create another fact by voting us for this nomination.
This is a simple yet interesting way to tell people what your brand is about and encourage them to celebrate your creativity.
- Family and friends
Really, as humans we have a close network of people ready to support us regardless if they understand what you’re up to or not. Winning an award is a recognition and if your family and friends aren’t trying to play their part, it might not be that they don’t want to but that you’re not making it easy for them to.
Simply create a WhatsApp chain that is understandable, short and reader friendly. It should include a direct connect link that makes it easier for people to vote. This is easier for people on your contact to rebroadcast and more people get to know about you. This chain should also be shareable on Facebook, edited and retweeted on twitter.
Also, when family and friends put up graphics on their display pictures or WhatsApp statuses regarding your nomination on a frequent basis helps tremendously.
Bonus Tip: You could always host a giveaway that would draw attention to your business and create awareness.
It is important to note however, that as a nominee your business is being promoted regardless if you are awarded or not. It is a big deal because doing business is one thing and getting recognised is another.
Acting on some or all of these tips is sure to bring added awareness to your business and that can never be a bad thing. Be careful not to just talk about it, make sure people understand the ‘How to vote’ process.
Good luck and see you at the ACE awards and exhibitions.
For more information about the event, pls visit event.bellaffricana.com
Article Written by Naomi, ACE Awards Team!
