If your company has recently won a prestigious award, you know that the honor would not have been bestowed on your business had your team not driven your success. However, an award isn’t limited to the important task of boosting your team’s morale. It can also showcase your plumbing company’s innovation and reliability while giving you an edge over your competition.

If your company hasn’t added awards to its public relations strategy, here are some reasons why you should consider applying for various national, local and trade accolades.

Value of Awards

While pursuing local or industry recognition can be time-consuming, winning awards provides your business with a newsworthy topic you can promote to help you build your brand identity and boost your credibility.

In the home services industry, awards bestowed upon your company by residents or business groups can give your team a sense of pride that they have achieved success in their community. Winning a national or trade industry award allows your company to raise the bar against your competitors while giving you an edge in hiring and retaining good talent.

People want to work for an award-winning company, and customers feel confident they’ve made the right choice when they see your team has been recognized as leaders in the industry.

Winning awards isn’t only a feather in your company’s cap. It can also bestow tangible benefits you can use to your advantage.

Right Awards

To win an award, you first need to identify the right awards to pursue. Applying for awards can take time for your office staff because many of them require financial, employee or company information that attorneys, accountants or other professionals must verify.

If your plumbing company has been in business for more than three years and grown significantly during that time, you could consider the Inc. 5,000 List, which showcases the nation’s fastest-growing companies. Other awards, such as the Stevie Awards, honor excellence in business for everything from having the best customer service team to providing a socially responsible service.

These national small business awards highlight your growth and provide you with bragging rights within your industry.

However, you may want to consider local awards, too.

While making the Inc. 5,000 list or the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year is certainly noteworthy, many of your community’s awards may mean more to your customer base than industry accolades.

When potential new customers need a home service professional to fix a leaky faucet or install a new HVAC unit, they often turn to the web to research companies in their area. A national industry award may not mean anything to these customers, but seeing that your team has won the local newspaper’s Reader’s Choice Award or received recognition from the area chamber of commerce could persuade them to choose you over your closest competitor.

Selecting the right awards for what your business’s goals should be part of your marketing and public relations strategy. So, make sure the awards you choose to compete for fit within your corporate initiatives and work to help you meet your growth or business goals.

Publicizing your Success

While you don’t want to come off as conceited in your efforts to promote your awards, you should proudly share the news of the accolades you’ve received.

A PR team that understands the home services industry can help you make a plan for publicizing your wins so your company is seen as the accomplished and reliable business it is. This plan could be:

• Use the awards release template to complement your message. Many trade and national awards will provide a press release template allowing you to plug in your award, company name and a quote from your company president or spokesperson. If you aren’t sure how best to write an awards release, this template can help get you started.

• Reach out to reporters directly. Don’t be afraid to call your local media to let them know of your win. Many reporters will want to do a “local company does good” piece for their news outlet

• Include your award on your marketing collateral. Add the award logo to your website and email signatures with a link to the press release or the award’s page. You should also include this badge on any direct mail items.

• Conduct a social media campaign. Be sure and announce your award on your social media pages. Provide the award announcement link and quotes about your win from the selection committee or your leadership. You can also host a party with your employees and encourage them to share the celebration on their own social media channels.

• Email your customers. Let your clients know you’ve won the award in a targeted email campaign. Letting your customers know they do business with such a reputable company is a great way to retain business.

Boost your Visibility

By applying for, winning and publicizing your awards, you help increase your company’s visibility in your local market and the home services industry.

If your goal is to scale your business for growth, being seen locally as a trustworthy brand is good for business. According to Best Business Awards, award-winning companies can see a 63 percent increase in income and a 39 percent growth in sales.

And if your goal is to attract a potential buyer for your business, winning industry awards presents your company as a great investment. Gaining the approval of an impartial third party attracts the eye of investors or companies looking to acquire solid home services businesses.

You may have never considered awards as the boon to your company’s public relations goals that they can be, so don’t overlook this avenue to boost your brand and gain recognition.