How to say it

Approaches can either be made by phone or email. Email is best: phone calls risk catching harried editors or producers at inconvenient times.

5 ways to write engagingly…

The best writing is chatty, succinct and to-the-point. You aren’t here to be lyrical – that’s the journalist’s job – but you do need to quickly capture attention. These tools help:

1. Have a strong, concise subject line – e.g. “Cornwall’s only owl sanctuary scores national award”, or “New for 2023: Sherwood Forest visitor centre earns national recognition” – and don’t try to be clever or use puns
2. Use questions in paragraphs. Why do so? Because it entices the reader to read on…
3. No preamble: mention your hook in the first line. An editor may just skim-read this line before making a decision
4. Keep paragraphs and emails short: long tracts of text seem daunting to time-pressed readers (as above, some good photographs help here, too)
5. Use alliteration (successive words beginning with the same sounds) – such as (and because) “it puts pace in sentences, making them  fluid and fetching”

… and 5 other press-release tips

1. Some bold text or italics can look good – but too much risks making an email appear messy
2. Put your contact details and succinct company details at the end, perhaps under ‘Notes for Editor’, so it’s easy for an editor to glean more, or to follow up
3. Provide starting prices (or rack rates for a room) in the Notes to Editor section and briefly state what these include
4. Your email can either just contain a press release, begin with a personal note above the press release, or disguise the press release amid a personal email. The latter two tacks are slightly better, as they demonstrate more effort on your part. Whatever you do, never attach the press release; attachments are tedious for time-strapped editors to open
5. The ideal length is about an A4 side, or 300-400 words. Any more usually constitutes waffle

Using social-media channels is a great way to raise awareness of your award’s success. Channels such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and TikTok can be powerful tools for reaching and engaging with customers.

Top tips: how to use social media to publicise your win

1. Follow your local awards organiser on social media
2. Repost anything that mentions your business, destination or category.
3. Use the appropriate # (hashtag) and X (formerly Twitter) handles in all of your posts, for both the local and national competitions (for the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2024, these are #VEAwards2024 and @VisitEnglandBiz).
4. Announce being named a winner in real time
5. Congratulate other winners, including competitors in your category.
6. Use images in subsequent posts with your awards logo
7. Post images of your trophy/certificate
8. Keep your tone upbeat and positive.

For further guidance, read the social-media section of our Digital Marketing Toolkit.

Example social media posts 

You can use the following as a starting point for relevant social media posts:

We are so proud to be chosen as one of [region’s name] top tourism businesses [local awards hashtag]. Can’t wait to find out if we’ve won [category name] on [date of local ceremony] [local awards handle]

Delighted to be chosen as one of England’s top tourism businesses #VEAwards2024. Can’t wait to find out if we’ve won [category name] @VisitEnglandBiz

Wow – we’re national finalists #VEAwards2024! Can’t wait to see if we win [category name]. We’ll keep you posted @VisitEnglandBiz

We are chuffed to have won [gold/silver/bronze] in the [category name] category #VEAwards2024. Well done to all of the other finalists [handles of other category finalists]

Congratulations to all our staff and thank you to all our customers who helped us win [gold/silver/bronze] in the [category name] category #VEAwards2024!

We are proud to announce that we have won [gold/silver/bronze] in the [category name]  #VEAwards2024! It couldn’t have gone to a more hard-working team!
[plus a photo of the team smiling/cheering with the trophy or certificate once received].

Make sure that VisitEngland or your local competition organiser sends you the correct logo for your win as soon as possible. This year’s win is unique to you, so you should be making the most of it.

Top tips: how to use an awards logo 

1. Display it prominently at your business – consider putting it on a sign to gain maximum exposure. You may also receive a certificate or a trophy – display those in a prominent location too.
2. Put it in an prominent position on your website – ideally in the header or footer so that it appears on every page. If your website includes multiple locations or properties, then the awards logo must only be displayed on pages relating to the specific award-winning place..
3. Add it to your email signature.
4. Use it on any printed materials – leaflets, brochures, headed paper, adverts, posters and more. 
5. Use it in social-media posts.
6. Do not modify the competition’s logo in any way. Use the version which will give the best contrast from its background. Don’t place the logo over images or colours that could make it illegible. 
7. Embed a hyperlink into any digital versions of the logo, linking to a press release or the official winners’ list.
8. If you are lucky enough to have received a number of awards over the years, avoid the temptation to display every single logo. As a rule of thumb, display the most significant or recent ones.

Logo dos and don’ts:

• Do use the version of the logo that will give the best contrast from the background.
• Don’t stretch or alter the logo
• Don’t angle the logo in any way
• Don’t alter the logo’s colours
• Don’t place the logo on images or colours that will make it illegible.