Industry award entry writing – inhouse, outsource… or a bit of both? 

Anybody who’s written an industry award entry knows that it’s not quite as simple as it seems. While you may be able to competently string some words together, writing a compelling award entry that hits the right notes – while still meeting rigid criteria and word counts – is a different thing entirely.  

But while that may be true, nobody knows your business better than you, right? 

So, who’s really best placed to write your industry award entry? Is it an inside job, or do you need to draft in some extra help? Here are some pros and cons to consider. 

The pros and cons of inhouse award writing 

Writing your award entry inhouse gives you total control of the information in, and presentation of, your submission – which can be both a good or a bad thing, depending on the skills and time you have internally.  

Some positives to writing your own award entry without any external support are: 

• In-depth firsthand knowledge of your business operations and industry 

• Faster and more efficient liaison between staff/departments 

• You can task the entry to the person most involved in the project being covered 

On the other hand, some negatives include: 

• An extra time-intensive task to schedule into workloads 

• Lack of objectivity  

• Difficulty in pinpointing the most compelling details from a sea of information  

• Lack of knowledge in crafting an award submission and writing to prescribed templates and word counts 

• Risk of writing a report rather than an engaging and effective entry 

The pros and cons of using an external awards entry service  

Using an awards entry service certainly comes at a financial cost but it can also represent savings in other ways. You might worry that they won’t have the insight required to build a solid submission – or that your own level of insight might lead to a confusing entry that darts around without dishing up the crucial details.  

Some of the key benefits of trusting your entry to a dedicated awards writing service include: 

• Less pressure on you and your team 

• Guidance on what data to collect and how best to present it 

• Having an expert who understands the judging process – and how to wow the panel 

• An objective eye that can scrap the fluff and focus on the most impressive details 

• Complex and technical information articulated in succinct, digestible and accessible content 

• An external party to manage information collection and communications with your employees 

On the downside, outsourcing your industry award entry can mean: 

• Submitting an award that isn’t written how you might write it 

• Letting go of some control, and trusting an outsider to get to grips with your business quickly 

• Some admin and onboarding time while you provide access to information and employees, and ensure their understanding of your activities  

A collaborative approach to award entry writing  

With quite a few things to consider for both options, it’s also worth bearing in mind that you don’t have to go ‘all out’ either way. 

You can also look to combine different skill sets, using internal resource to collate your data and draft up your submission, then bringing in specialist awards writer to edit your award and tighten up any loose ends.  

Or you could consider using a consultancy or research service, just to steer you in the right direction. 

Need some advice? 

If you’re not sure on the right approach for your industry award entry, we’d love to talk you through our comprehensive or complementary awards writing services – so drop us a line, and let’s find the right strategy for you.