7 Tips for Writing a Stand-Out Award Entry for the SMMAs

Thinking of entering the Social Media Marketing Awards but don’t know where to start? Well, whether this isn’t your first rodeo or you’re new to the whole thing, we’ve put together 7 handy tips, full of inspiration and guidance on our judging criteria, to help you write a stand-out award entry for the 2021 SMMAs.

This year’s Social Media Marketing Awards are fast-approaching, and our aim is, as always, to recognise the very best brands, agencies, creators, campaigns and tools in the industry. We go over and above to source expert judges who have a deep understanding of social media marketing and the hard work that goes into achieving success. This year, our panel includes representatives from the major social media platforms, including Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, as well as leading experts with specific expertise in areas such as achieving inclusivity, sustainability and business growth.

Head to the Social Media Marketing Awards’ website for more details.

Top tips for writing an outstanding award entry

Research all of the categories available

Before you start writing your entry, make sure you have a look at the categories available to enter. We’ve introduced a few new categories for the 2021 awards, so it’s worth checking out your options and making sure that you’re giving yourself, your team or your campaign the best chance of being recognised. 

If it’s relevant to you, consider applying to multiple categories to maximise your chances of being shortlisted - you can enter up to 3 categories. Then, once you’ve decided on the most suitable categories, have a look at the requirements for each category (available in each application typeform) and tailor your entries accordingly, making sure to hit all of the necessary criteria.

Get input from your team or colleagues 

It’s easy to get stuck for ideas when writing an award entry and find it difficult to blow your own trumpet - particularly if you’re entering as an individual. Reaching out to your team or colleagues for their input can be a really useful and beneficial thing to do in this situation. Other team members may be able to think of more relevant examples, more succinct ways of describing things or simply offer you the opportunity to see your application from an outside perspective. Colleagues or associates may also be able to provide testimonials or other evidence to support your application and help you stand out to our judging panel. 

Write your entry in a separate document first

It will be much easier to make corrections and adapt your application as you go if you write it in a separate document. You can find the questions on the application forms by clicking on each of the Social Media Marketing Awards categories and flicking through the individual typeforms. Then, once you have your entry finalised, you can copy and paste your answers into the submission form/s feeling confident that it’s of the highest quality (remember that separate documents offer you an extra layer of proofreading built in!)

Proofread it

It may seem like an obvious point, but you’d be surprised how many mistakes slip through the net in the process of writing awards entries. After you’ve dedicated your valuable time to writing an award application to blow the judging panel away, the last thing you want is for it to be full of little mistakes. Little mistakes, after all, add up quickly and may distract away from all of the quality content you’re trying to showcase. So, read it yourself, proofread it, then ask someone else to proofread it to make doubly sure that your entry is truly reflecting the high standards you and your business undoubtedly strive for.

Give yourself enough time

Although we’re sure writing your award entry might not be at the top of your priority list, try not to leave it until the last minute to write and submit your application. Scheduling in some time sooner rather than later will allow you to really think about your entry, get input from others and make sure you’re meeting the criteria, and the quality of your application is sure to reflect that. You could even draft your application in a shared, collaborative document to allow your team to contribute and build up an entry more quickly.

FYI: The deadline for entries to the SMMAs is 30th April.

Incorporate the human element

It might be tempting to keep your award entry on the more formal, professional side. While it’s a good idea to write clearly and without mistakes, it’s also important to inject yours or your team’s personality/tone of voice into your entry. Even if you’re applying for a campaign or content-driven award, allowing your brand’s unique style to shine through in your application will incorporate a much-needed human element into your applications that may help you stand out to the judges. After all, the social media marketing industry itself revolves around real people (“people buy from people”), so remember to highlight how you, your team or your content has considered this wherever you can. If you’re applying for an individual award, it’s also worth letting the judges know about the more human impacts you’ve had in your role. For example, have you had an impact on the people and culture within your agency or community? How do your personal values and behaviours help to inform your business decisions?

Provide plenty of recent and relevant examples

Whilst you know just how great you and your team or campaign are, you need to be able to communicate that to the judges. In your SMMAs application, there’ll be plenty of opportunities to back-up your claims and convince the judges that you deserve to win the award with examples, evidence and testimonials. All examples you provide, whether incorporated into your written entry or uploaded as separate documents, should be relevant to the category you’re applying for and support your application in meeting the judging criteria. It’s also worth remembering that, although 2020 has been a tough year for businesses, it’s given many a real opportunity to pivot, adapt and demonstrate their agility. If you can demonstrate that in your application, it’ll only strengthen your case for an award.

Social Media Marketing Awards 2021

Nominations for the SMMAs 2021 are now open. Here are a couple of key dates for your diary:

23rd April: The deadline for award nominations. There’s no need to wait for a nomination - you can enter yourself or your team, content or campaign for a Social Media Marketing Award whether you have been nominated or not.

30th April: The deadline for award entries. This gives those nominated by the nomination deadline to complete their entry application.

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