An award is just a trophy, right? Well, not in the world of tech.
When it comes to industry awards for tech companies, an award can mean a boost in everything from investor funding to relationships with customers.
According to research by the British Quality Foundation, large award-winning companies experienced a 48% increase in operating income, as well as a 37% growth in sales when compared to companies that did not win awards. The news is even better for smaller startups, who experienced a 63% increase in operating revenue and 39% growth in sales.
Winning and showcasing your award is a form of social proof, which has long been considered one of the best forms of marketing. But these awards don’t just affect your marketing. They can have an impact on sales, funding, and even your product development plans.
How can you make winning an industry award work for your company? Let’s look at the best ways to leverage an industry award.
5 Ways to Leverage Industry Awards Throughout Your Company
- Take the opportunity to highlight your business trajectory
As a lead generation and research tool, ZoomInfo was named a Leader by Forrester Research in “The Forrester Wave: Marketing And Sales Data Providers by B2B, Q1 2024.” In a blog post detailing their win, ZoomInfo broke down what the award means and how they scored. But rather than simply focusing on the current win, ZoomInfo looked toward the future.
ZoomInfo went on to detail upcoming product launches, showing that they may be on top, but they’re not planning on stopping their growth anytime soon. While they brought in information about how their current customers are improving their sales process with their software, they also introduced their upcoming AI-powered lead generation solution, ZoomInfo Copilot.
Not only does talking about the next steps help tech companies excite their current and potential clients, but their introduction of ZoomInfo Copilot can also help them attract investor attention. The focus on AI is particularly timely, as PwC’s 2023 Global Investor Survey found that one of the most significant areas of concern for investors today is how companies are embracing emerging technology, with 61% of investors saying that the accelerated adoption of AI is very important or extremely important.
ZoomInfo used their award as an opener and then pivoted to talk about what’s next. Essentially, the award functioned as a hook, drawing them in, with detailing upcoming business plans being the closer that lands them investors and customers.
- Integrate it into your social proof marketing
When we talk about social proof, we’re talking about any online discussion about your brand, including online reviews, social media posts, and industry awards. Social proof is a powerful form of advertising, especially when you consider that research by Brand Rated found that 95% of consumers read reviews before they buy a product.
With 67% saying that they wouldn’t trust a high rating if it didn’t have many reviews, it’s more important than ever to ensure that you’re growing your social proof. When Constant Contact won awards for being one of G2’s Best Digital Marketing and Advertising Software and Best Global Software Companies of 2024, they used it as an opportunity to grow their word-of-mouth advertising.
The brand focused on thanking their users for helping them win the award, which is one way to give your relationship with your customers a boost. However, the brand went further to establish a reward program, MyRewards, which gives points to people for writing reviews, making referrals, and following the company on social media.
While it appears to be a way to give back to loyal users, it’s also a way for Constant Contact to grow their social proof, which they can use throughout their marketing. The award itself may be social proof, but the brand found a way to turn the award into even more word-of-mouth advertising.
- Drum up media attention
When Stampli won multiple awards from the Gartner Digital Markets brands Capterra, Software Advice, and GetApp for their AI-driven accounts payable automation platform, they shared the news with their fans on their blog, as many other brands do. Such blog posts can be a great way to reach users and update them on your award, but Stampli found a way to ensure that they’d receive more attention, even beyond their users.
Stampli issued a press release regarding the awards. PR Newswire reaches nearly 3,000 newsrooms, which can help audiences beyond Stampli’s own learn about the news. According to the Pew Research Center, while the majority of people get their news on digital platforms, most people are still looking for news on dedicated news websites and apps instead of other methods like social media and podcasts.
It’s worth it to look for ways to build media attention around your award news, as many news publications have a higher reach than a company’s personal blog. You may get your award news in front of potential customers who haven’t yet heard of you.
- Upgrade your SEO
While looking outward for media attention is one way to get new eyes on your award news and, therefore, your company, you can also use search engine optimization (SEO) to draw people to your website to find your award info. This method was what Screendragon chose when they won seven G2 awards for Spring 2024.
On their blog, Screendragon posted an explainer of everything that they won. While the blog post serves as an explanation to Screendragon’s users of what their software accomplished, it also gives an in-depth look into what the company does.
To help attract new customers, the company ensured that the post used SEO techniques. For instance, if someone were to search for keywords like “end-to-end work management solutions,” the post may show up in search as it utilizes such keywords.
From there, a potential user would find the article and learn not only about Screendragon’s capabilities but also how the company has been rewarded multiple times over for their work, which would encourage the searcher to develop trust in the brand.
- Encourage further engagement
Promoting an award can open up a door to further engagement, which is something Rippling recognized when discussing their win as HR Executive’s top HR product of the year. When Rippling shared a post about their win on their blog, they clearly targeted HR professionals, with information about what their product does and what strengths HR Executive highlighted upon receiving their award.
Recognizing that the win would attract the attention of HR professionals, Rippling used the blog post to invite readers to meet the team in person at HR Tech, an annual conference for the HR world. Using this post focused on their award, Rippling encouraged more interaction with their booth at the conference. Effectively, the award worked as a form of event marketing for the brand.
How Will You Leverage Your Industry Award?
When you win an industry award and choose to promote it, you give your reputation a boost and hone your competitive edge in the tech industry. An industry award can have far-reaching effects on your marketing, from your event marketing to your social media marketing. But it can also have an impact on your relationships with customers and investors, as well as shape the future of your product and overall business plan.
When you strive for recognition in your industry, it’s essential to take things a step further, as a win alone will not have the same impact. But by integrating the win into your business strategy, you can start seeing growth that establishes you as a major competitor in your industry.
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Bio: Jacqueline Gualtieri is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in The Huffington Post, Insider, and The Slowdown. In addition to writing, she works as a digital media consultant and content marketer, driving online traffic for her clients. She’s always looking to advance her skillset and believes strongly in the early adoption of new technology.
