It’s time to pop the champagne because we’re FINALISTS in the US-based Content Marketing Institute (CMI) Awards for 2023 for Strategy – Best Content Marketing Program, awarded for our comprehensive strategy and production with Koala. Thrilled is an understatement knowing the incredible talent that surrounds us in this category.
Strategy is at the heart of what we do, and it’s always a pleasure to see our results exceed expectations and deliver value for our clients. Our CMI Award recognition not only validates our commitment to excellence but also underscores the significance of data-driven decisions, compelling visuals and engaging videos in crafting a leading content strategy award submission.
So, how did we do it? Here are a few tips from the vault.
The power of data in your award submission
Behind every successful content marketing campaign lies a wealth of data. Data is not just information; it’s the key to understanding your audience, their preferences and how they interact with your content.
For our award submission, we placed great emphasis on gathering and analysing data that provided insights into user behaviour, content engagement and market trends. These insights, which also guided our initial strategy, highlighted the impact of our efforts – making a strong case for our nomination.
When preparing for award submissions, never underestimate the value of data. The metrics you provide offer a quantifiable representation of your strategy’s effectiveness. Whether it’s an increase in website traffic, a spike in engagement or a boost in conversions, data paints a clear picture of how your content strategy resonates with your audience.
Here’s an example of using quantified data in your award submission. Instead of saying, “Users are interacting with the content more”, say, “After just 3 months, we saw a 75% increase in engagement”. Providing quantifiable metrics with dates demonstrates your success.
Elevating your content with visual storytelling
In a visually-oriented landscape, the importance of captivating design and compelling graphics cannot be overstated. Visual elements have the power to convey complex messages in an instant and leave a lasting impression on your audience.
In our award submission, we added high-quality graphics and visually appealing charts to help share our success metrics and content strategy value. Graphic design is also a core part of our strategy process, helping share our vision with clients and the production team.
From eye-catching infographics that simplify complex topics to stunning imagery which resonates with the target audience, our visual elements play a pivotal role in enhancing user engagement and driving our content’s effectiveness, both in strategy and throughout our award submission.
When crafting your award submission, consider how your visual elements contribute to the overall success of your content strategy. Include before-and-after examples to demonstrate how visuals transformed your content from ordinary to extraordinary. This showcases your agency’s creativity and dedication to creating memorable, shareable content.
In many cases, there isn’t an opportunity to add images directly into the answer sections of your award. However, most award submission entries will allow you to upload supporting files and documents.
Lights, Camera, Engagement: The value of video content
Imagine reading several hundred award submissions and then coming across one with a supporting video. Not only is it a break from the ordinary, it also gives judges something they’re more likely to remember.
Video marketing is now a dominant force in our industry. Its ability to convey emotions, tell stories and capture attention is unparalleled. For our award submission, we created a video to showcase our impressive journey with Koala. From strategy and production to all the impressive results, our video captured the power and strength of our content marketing campaign using animated visuals and clever narration.
Whether it’s in the form of summarising the journey, promotional videos, explainer videos, behind-the-scenes glimpses or customer testimonials, video content allows you to connect with your audience (or, in our case, the judges!) on a deeper level.
We recommend having a bank of promotional video content and creating award-specific content for your next entry. This allows the judges to understand who you are as a company and the success metrics for the award submission. Share clips that exemplify your storytelling prowess and demonstrate how video content played a role in achieving your campaign goals.
While our Koala video submission remains confidential, you can review our award-winning 2022 AMI video to see how adding simple animation and results can be very effective.
Crafting your next award submission
Writing award submissions and organising the data required for a strong entry can be time-consuming, particularly for busy marketing teams. We’re here to help lighten the load with our award submission writing services. Let our team advise you on the best opportunities for your brand and help you maximise your entry.
Not sure which awards to choose? That’s okay, too. We can provide an award strategy that’ll give you a list of the top awards to enter for your brand, people and industry. This’ll also include the cost of entry and important deadlines for your diary.
Get in touch to make an impact on your next award submission.
