As you are compiling your Sir Walter Raleigh Awards entries this year (remember deadline June 26!) we wanted to share some advice from past award winners. Below, Glenn Gillen, APR and Senior Account Manager at S&A Communications shares some tips.

What can you do throughout the year to prepare for awards season?

Throughout the year, S&A Communications staff track the results of our efforts and take note of projects we think might be award-worthy. We try to pay special attention to measurable objectives like number of pickups, impressions, web traffic, phone calls, sales figures, number of attendees, etc.

How do you decide what to enter?

When award-nomination deadlines are initially announced, we usually discuss potential submissions at our PR staff meetings.

We usually try to compile submissions that go beyond routine activities and results, and look for entries that exceeded expectations or that were difficult to achieve (e.g., getting recognition for a local client in a national media outlet).

How did you decide who would fill out the entry?

The lead account person will usually draft up the written nominations, and route them to several of our staff to edit and proofread.

Any other words of wisdom?

Read the nomination directions and award criteria closely, and draft your written entry to answer the specific questions asked. Also, proofread over and over again since typos can diminish the entries in the eyes of judges. Be careful to state specific objectives that are desired. Think measurable results, not tasks. For example “distribute a press release” is not an objective. Also, don’t write vague objectives like “obtain the most amount of coverage possible.” Remember that judges will read your entry but only skim over your supporting materials. Provide enough examples to illustrate your successful results, but don’t overwhelm judges with too many pages to wade through.

Ready to get started with your entries? Click here to access the submission form.