Page 76 - 101 Ways to Market Your Business

GENERATE FREE ‘WORD-OF-MOUTH’ ADVERTISING

17 Everyone loves a winner

If you take the time to enter awards for your particular
industry you may actually win. Award-winning companies
can advertise the fact and, without a doubt, your business
will receive a lift in profile. Consumers will feel that if you
are an award winner your business must be good (which is
a reasonable assumption).

Filling in applications and sending in entries can really
be time-consuming, hence most businesses don’t bother.
However, once you have prepared one entry you will prob-
ably be able to make minor modifications and use the same
submission for other awards.

The publicity and credibility are worth thousands of
dollars in free advertising. Be patient—you may not win a
prize the first time you enter but eventually you will.

If a potential customer is comparing two businesses and
one is a prize winner and one is not, the advantage is
definitely with the winner.

If you do win make sure that you tell everyone. Put
the certificates on the wall in a prominent place. Include
them in the promotional material you send out to potential
customers and always include the term ‘Award Winning’ in
your advertisements.

Take the time to enter awards for excellence. Your staff
will stand a little straighter and everyone will feel proud.
This will rub off on your customers because everyone loves
a winner.

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