This document is designed to assist you in capitalising on a mention in beststartup.us. The table of contents below can be used to quickly navigate.
Outlined below is a series of ideas to increase the value of a mention. We have created resources to reduce the amount of work required, but do not feel forced to stick to our suggestions.
Table of Contents
Blog Posts - Write and share a blog post on your blog letting your customers know you were nominated as a top company.
Value
Informing your customers that you are a top company can boost trust in your brand, and reduce customer churn. A blog post is a great way to get the word out about your award.
Writing and publishing a blog post on your website with a backlink to the original article featuring your company will help the article to rank higher in google for relevant keywords. This can aid in driving leads to your business.
Template
To reduce your work, we have produced a template blog post.
It requires a little work to input some information about your company.
The template can be found here:
Bonus
Send a link of your blog post to us and we will promote it across our social accounts.
Press Release - Write and distribute a press release showcasing your award.
Value
Press Releases offer an effective way of reaching your target audience, by having a great effect on brand awareness highlighting how your brand has been recognised as a recipient or nominee of an award. This is a newsworthy event!
Writing and publishing a press release on your website with a backlink to the original article featuring your company will help the article to rank higher in google for relevant keywords. This can aid in driving leads to your business.
Template
To reduce your work, we have produced a template blog post.
It requires a little work to input some information about your company.
The template can be found here:
Bonus
Send a link of your press release to us and we will promote it across our social accounts.
Press Release Distribution Services
Free
Free services can go some of the way to achieving the goals of a press release. We have listed below some free press release distribution services. This is by no means an exhaustive list and please bare in mind services often remove or add a free element to their service.
- Free
- Starts Free
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Free PR News (UK)
- Free
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Radio - TV Interview Report (RTIR)
- Free
- Free
- Free
- Free
UGA Media (Europe)
- Free
Paid
Paid press release distribution can go from a few bucks to thousands. Listed below are some of the press release distribution services we recommend if you’re looking for broader syndication.
- $$
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HelpaReporterOut.com (HARO)
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Posting on Social Media - Templates and posts to share on your social media
Awards increase consumer trust in your brand, you can capitalise on nominations/inclusions in lists by posting about them to your followers on social media. This keeps your followers up to date on the latest news regarding your company/brand. Social media is a great way to get the word out to your most engaged customers/advocates. Posts can be accompanied by a short statement such as:
“Really excited to announce that we have been nominated/ included in the Best Startup US list of (insert article name here)”
Below is a link to a picture for you to use that we have created for Instagram:
Tell your Email Subscribers
Send a special, one-off email to your list. They are your fans and care about what’s going on with your business. Don’t forget to include a link to the blog post you wrote. They can get a glimpse of what you did in the application process and understand why winning is so important for you. You may not want to send that email to everyone, so think about segmenting your list.
You could even give your list a free gift to celebrate your win. It doesn’t have to be big. If you’re in retail or e-commerce, you could give a small discount. If you sell to other businesses, the gift could be a free guide or even a free place for an event you’re running. Think about what they would find valuable.
Update your website
One place that most people forget about is their website. If you have a scrolling banner, then add a picture announcing your big win. Again, link it to the blog post you wrote, giving people the chance to read about your journey and understand why the award is important for your business.
Awards add credibility, especially if they recognise your expertise or the quality of your products. Adding an announcement to your website helps new visitors in their decision making. Who wouldn’t want to work with or buy from an award winner?
Involve your team
This is a biggie. If you have staff, one great way to promote your wins is to involve them. I’m sure that on winning your award, you’ll want to celebrate with them. Whatever you decide to do, take photos of your celebration. People love seeing behind-the-scenes photos and this is a great way to share more about your team.
But don’t stop there. If you think of your team as your extended marketing team, imagine how much further the promotion of your win could go.
What would make it easy for them to talk about your win? Create a special email signature they can add to their emails, linking it to your blog post. Give them a list of social posts that you would like them to use over Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. If you give them the tools they need to promote your win, I can guarantee they’ll do it. Remember, they’ll be just as excited as you at winning.
Include Mention of Your Award in Your PPC Copy
If you had to choose between a plumber and an award-winning plumber, which would you choose? Including your award in your search advertising copy can set your business apart and capture a user’s attention when they’re searching for a business like yours.
Create a Video Highlighting Your Award
Take the celebration to the next level by creating and sharing a video about your award. You can use this video on your social sites and your website to give customers (and prospective customers) another way to engage with your award.
Looking for a video idea?: Feature customers who voted for your business in your video so they can tell other people – in their own words – why your business is so great.