Debbie Gainsford’s Post

It’s January again and for many sectors that means it’s awards season. An industry award win is a valuable marketing opportunity and means your organisation can leverage the powerful title of ‘award winning’. Our blog post explores how to put together a winning entry - have a read and get in touch for more info: https://buff.ly/3XAGDAd #Awards #Marketing #MarketingStrategy

To maximise your chances of winning an industry award you need a well-crafted award entry. That’s where we come in. Read on to find out how to create an impactful entry: https://buff.ly/3XAGDAd #MarketingTips #AwardEntries #MarketingAgency

A well-deserved award can be a powerful marketing tool that shouldn't be ignored! An award can help to: 👉 Shine a Light on Your Achievements: Awards validate your hard work and showcase your success to potential clients. They say, "Hey, we're good at what we do!" 👉 Boost Credibility & Trust: Third-party recognition adds legitimacy to your brand. People see an award and think, "They must be doing something right!" 👉 Get Noticed by New Clients: Awards generate buzz and put you in front of a wider audience. It's free publicity that attracts new customers who are looking for the best. 👉 Motivate Your Team: Winning (or even being nominated) is a morale booster for your team. It shows their hard work is valued and inspires them to keep striving. Ready to turn your accomplishments into marketing gold? Let's work together on those awards submissions!

The other week, Trinity Logistics held its annual awards and EOFY (end-of-fiscal-year) celebration. 🎉 It's always a joy to connect with my amazing coworkers outside the daily grind and cheer for those who get recognized for their hard work. As a marketer, I'll admit I often go into these events with low expectations for awards. Marketing isn’t always seen as the spotlight department—those honors usually go to sales, leadership, or perhaps even technology, as AI and automation come more into play. And I get it. In Marketing, we're often playing the long game with our projects. Especially in content marketing (think SEO, brand building, organic reach). It’s all about making an impact for the long haul. So, while I was a tad disappointed not to snag one of the coveted Banning Awards (who wouldn’t want a free trip to Sandals Royal Curaçao? 🌴), I’m truly honored to receive the Make It Happen award for my efforts this year. It feels really good to know that members of the company appreciate what I do because it's not just writing. I mean, sure, some days, that's what it feels like, but really, I'm doing so much more. My work involves maintaining and building our brand’s reputation, solidifying our voice, generating warm leads, engaging with our audience, and so much more. Humanizing our brand is a huge part of what I do, especially since we pride ourselves on being "People-Centric." Takeaway - Make time to appreciate your marketers! They are part of the team that keeps the company moving forward when your sales Team isn't making calls or sending emails. When everyone's out of the office or asleep, social posts and emails still go out; people search and find your website, read blogs, watch videos, read reviews, and form an opinion of your company. You want to make sure it's a good one, and that's where your marketing team comes in. Kudos to the man, the legend, Mark Peterson, for my recognition. We honestly don't interact very often, so for him to nominate me for this award and acknowledge my hard work means a lot! Thank you! And you've been warned - I'm coming for that Banning Award next year! 🤣 #marketing #contentmarketing #fiscalyear2024 #emailmarketing #appreciation #ai #automation #sales #seo #organicreach #contentwriting #brandbuilding #companybrand

I haven't won any awards. Sure, I'd like to. I've not actually entered any awards. Yet. But then, what do they mean? Really? Most awards nowadays are judged by people who, granted, are in marketing; but aren't in the industry sectors I serve. Many award providers email you telling you you've won something, then want you to pay for the privilege to get a trophy and/or digital sticker. A lot of people think big award ceromonies are a farse...and the bigger the table you book, the bigger your chance of taking home a trophy. Don't get me wrong, the day I submit a winning award entry, I have no doubt my ego will get a boost and I'll be bouncing off the walls 😂 But I'd love to know what it means to you...the people I serve. Do awards give more credibility? Do you pay any attention to them when looking for a service provider? Or are testimonials and case studies enough? Let me know 🙏👇 #Awards #AwardWinning #Marketing #Recruitment #RecruitmentMarketing

🏆 I won an award 🏆 BUT...I turned it down! I was honoured with an award in my industry, a recognition that initially brought a sense of accomplishment and pride. However, upon further investigation, I discovered that the award was part of a paid marketing strategy – a ‘vanity award’ designed to boost the profile of those willing to pay for digital certificates, trophies, and, of course, advertising space. While it's always an incredible feeling to be acknowledged for our hard work (no one at the marketing company could tell me who nominated me and why), I firmly believe that authenticity and genuine achievements should be at the core of any recognition. In the spirit of maintaining transparency and upholding my commitment to ethical practices, I have made the decision to decline the award. After all, is it really an award when the organisation can’t tell you who nominated you, how their judging process works, and encourage you to create your own award title, whilst paying £100’s to claim the ‘award’? As professionals, it's crucial that we remain vigilant and discerning in our pursuits. Vanity awards, although tempting, can compromise the credibility of our achievements and the integrity of our personal brand. Let's continue to value genuine recognition based on merit and contributions to our respective fields. I encourage you all to share your thoughts on this matter, as well as any experiences you may have had with similar situations. Let's keep the conversation going and uphold the standards that make our professional community strong and authentic. 💼✨ #IntegrityMatters #ProfessionalEthics #AuthenticAchievements #LinkedInCommunity #ProfessionalIntegrity

Get ready for awards season by checking out some of my key tips to help you improve your award submissions 🏆 🎉 🔵 Choose Strategically: Focus on the categories that matter most to you. Concentrating your efforts where they have the greatest impact. 🔵 Define the story you want to tell: Decide on the story you want to tell and make sure to convey it with clarity, as there is usually a word limit. 🔵 Be Direct and Answer the Question: Ensure that you answer the questions that are being asked. Get to the point! 🔵 Use Concrete Evidence: Support your claims with solid evidence and data. If winning an award is a part of your marketing strategy this year, I am happy to have a talk and see how Prominence can help! We have expertise in writing successful submissions that showcase our clients' stories. Some recent achievements include awards such as "Specialist Agency of the Year" and "Excellence in Social Purpose" for our clients, which you can see here: https://lnkd.in/dNdFqZkx If you're ready to make this your year, get in touch! #AwardsSeason #MarketingStrategy #AndTheWinnerIs...

Awards galore on LinkedIn   All of us know that we are in a ‘commercial world’. But it has stretched to an extent where initially commodities required marketing but now more than commodities it’s humans especially professionals on LinkedIn are fighting for space to share their ‘awards’.   Testimony of the same is that an industry of ‘awards’ and conclaves on the pretext of awards, has mushroomed.   I am sure many of you would have been flooded with the calls / WhatsApp or mails inviting you as a participant or with a nominal fee as esteemed speaker with an addition of 2 free passes for your colleagues from ‘Delegation Acquisition Specialists’ of these companies.   Earlier there were restrictions from HR or it required approvals to be on a public domain but now even brands agree to the marketing efforts, that too coming at the cost of an employee.   Unfortunately we have this tendency of stretching anything to a point where it loses it’s sheen. I think now any thorough professional would be able to see it through which award and which award winner is deserving.   It has practically defeated the very purpose of accolades for the deserving ones and take away the real learnings as these are far & few now.   In my view point, celebrating ‘40 Under 40s’ or ‘30 Under 30s’ is good, but rather than being obsessed with any type awards, let’s include some ‘50 yet fighting’ or ’60 still struggling’ as they might have some pearls of wisdom which many of these award winners might not have. As it’s not always the ‘what went right’ makes us learn but more often ‘what went wrong’ has innumerable learnings in it especially what ‘not to do’.   PS: Congratulations to all award winners on LinkedIn as it anyway brings more eye balls to the platform too.

DON’T SLEEP ON AWARDS! I know the topic of submitting for award shows can be polarizing amongst the community, but hear me out y'all! I think they can be really valuable. Especially for small to mid-size agencies looking to differentiate themselves. As the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Defy, I'm often asked about our commitment to participating in industry award competitions. I regularly make sure to submit to award shows especially when we have work I’m extra proud of. Here’s why I’m a fan of them! Recognition Amplifies Impact: Participating in industry awards is not just about trophies; it's about the recognition too. Awards validate our commitment to excellence, elevating our work from noteworthy to outstanding. This is the ultimate morale booster for your team…and your clients. …That takes me to my next point 👇 A Boost for Team Morale: YES. Awards DO boost morale around the office. When a team comes together to accomplish something and is then rewarded for it, it’s incredibly validating (especially for the creatives). It inspires confidence and motivates us to go harder on the next project. Trophies for the Office Rack: Trophies are cool too, not gonna lie. When our clients come in and see our trophies it’s a conversation starter. When new talent comes in and sees our trophies it’s also a conversation starter. It shows we take our job seriously and we mean business. Evoking Trust from Clients: It doesn’t just boost morale, but it also builds trust with clients AND prospects. It’s a very powerful tool in building trust. Winning awards showcases our ability to deliver exceptional results. To me, It positions us as a trusted partner.  🆖 #awards #designawards #agency #campaign #brandingagency

Last day to vote in the Nordic SaaSiest Awards 2024. SaaSiest Woman: https://lnkd.in/d59pVgNw SaaSiest Man: https://lnkd.in/dTkVVP7P SaaSiest Company: https://lnkd.in/dCcX3zgb Nominees for SaaSiest Woman are: Alexandra Wyatt Sevelius, Marketing Director, Staria - A full-cycle Marketing leader with an aptitude for building programs that support the end-to-end lifecycle of customers, on a truly global scale. Emma Aidanpää-Salmi, VP Customer Success, RELEX Solutions - building and managing a world-class CS team that goes on the offense, breaks boundaries, and drives revenue for the organization and positive customer outcomes as no one else does in the business. Frida Ahrenby🧚🏻 Ahrenby, CMO, Rillion - courageously and creatively building demand that converts, pushing the boundaries every day. Previously she did it for GetAccept as their CMO building it into a household name in a very competitive market, and now looks to repeat that success with Rillion. Sofia Sundbom, Chief People Officer, BIMobject - a human-first leader, who has helped her organization establish strong Human guiding principles that remain intact throughout a global expansion journey and M&A processes. Nominees for SaaSiest Man are: Erik Almenberg, CPO, Kognity - a vital part of the growing SaaSiest CPO Network. On the mission to change the world of education, he often adds extra depth to the conversations and is always ready to share his thoughts and experiences. Nick Peters, COO, Ardoq - the philosopher turned tech leader, has over the past 6 years led Ardoq into a true global giant in its space, designing an organization and processes to support hypergrowth, while maintaining clarity at work and supporting staff to meaningful work! Robin Daniels, Chief Business and Product Officer, LMS365 - “the Jay-Z of B2B”, dares to do the unimaginable. With a background at Salesforce, Box, and Linkedin, he is now set to be a part of building Denmark's next unicorn, which he does in the most human, approachable, and caring way - all in the eye of the public. Tim H., VP RevOps, Funnel - one of the driving voices in the RevOps community and with a particular talent to build a RevOps program that supports efficient hypergrowth, finding the gaps, identifying the opportunities, and developing the plans to drive future revenue success. The winner will be crowned during the award ceremony at https://saasiest2024.com/, on April 16th in Malmö Sweden. Voting closes today, April 9th, 23.59 PM CEST