25%, said that it was important to work with a marketer. But while the importance of the bond is increasing, only 22% of sales professionals say marketing leads are qualified.
To combat this, marketers are continuously re-evaluating their strategies in order to better attract B2B buyers that they can then convert into SQLs. Oftentimes, the bright and shiny objects like social media marketing and media relations take precedent, and tactics like industry awards end up on the chopping block as both marketers and sales teams collectively question the value, whether it’s from a bandwidth (i.e. drafting an application can be quite a lengthy process, is it really worth my time?) or an ROI perspective (i.e. is it actually going to get me more qualified leads?)
As a judge for the SIIA CODiE’s myself, I am very passionate about the power of industry awards, and the value they provide beyond a shiny plaque sitting in the lobby or a digital logo placed on a website. Your B2B buyers care about the company awards you win…and they lead to more SQLs. Don’t believe me? The numbers speak for themselves – a recent research shared that corporate award winners saw 37% more sales growth and 44% higher stock price return. In order to reap the benefits, you must view industry awards from a strategic and integrated marcom lens. Below are three surefire ways to get both sales and marketing onboard with drafting that next award app:
Industry Leadership
As marketers, we’re continuously looking for ways to separate our company and its executives from the competition. There are many awards out there, and it’s important to narrow down the list based on your business goals. Is your company trying to attract new talent? A “Best Places to Work” award might be the best option for your company. Does your company want to increase your chances of landing venture capital funding or increase visibility in an industry dominated by companies that are household names? Choosing an awards program that recognizes a company or its products might be better suited for you. When it comes down to it, winning an award is a great way to build your company’s credibility in your industry.
Boost in SEO
When a company wins an industry-specific award, it really sets them apart from their competitors, such as best fintech solution, best AI solution or best cloud-based solution. Not only are companies given a shiny new plaque or a logo to add to their website when they win but using the opportunity to share the news far and wide can help boost your domain authority and positively impact SEO. Here are four marketing tactics to get the most bang for your buck:
Share the news in a press release: Sharing an award win via a press release to increase backlinks to the company website and also build news when you don’t necessarily have “new” news to share.
Add the award to the website: When prospective customers are evaluating your business, they’re looking at your website. Make sure that your award is visible on a blog or on the home page so that it can’t be missed.
Celebrate with your followers: Sharing the news on social media will not only serve as great content, but it’s a great way to celebrate with your team and customers and can drive more social media engagement with likes and shares.
Send an email blast to qualified leads and current customers: Sending an email blast helps you reach your current customers faster so they can celebrate in your achievement. The award win also serves as a great proof point for emails directed at qualified leads on why your company is a clear differentiator in the industry.
Continuous Improvement
For some industry awards, judge feedback is provided to all applicants after the winners are announced. This information is invaluable because the criteria they are using to evaluate your company or solution is the same criteria that your prospective customers are using to evaluate your company and its competitors. A great practice is providing leadership and product teams with this information so that they can use it to continuously improve year-over-year for both current and prospective customers.
Industry awards, when done strategically, impact far more than the C-suites egos, and the marketing and sales team’s friendships – they truly help to drive qualified leads, and that’s why Alloy includes it in its Alloy Methodology. Need help determining what industry awards are right for your company? Get in touch with us today.