Enter competitions to raise your profile

Whatever it is you do there is probably an associated competition (or two). There might be awards or the equivalent for the oscars for your industry.

The investment of time can be significant. However, the right competition can raise your profile. This can potentially create new business opportunities and quite often it will also teach you new things. Exposure through winning could be the boost you need for a success. Even if you don’t win you can also highlight the successes. For example, being shortlisted or highly recommended can be highlighted as achievements in your PR and marketing.

However, entering competitions can be resource intensive and you have to perfect your application to stand out from the crowd.  This should not be undertaken without thinking it through.  Be clear about why you want to enter a competition.

Why should you enter a competion?

You should enter a competition to:

• gain recognition for your ideas, skills or capabilities.
• showcase your work.
• raise your profile among a targeted audience.
• raise your profile more generally if you are new to the game.
• get some good PR/publicity.
• learn new things and gain experience.
• develop your portfolio / work in a particular area or with a particular brief.
• gain new business.
• learn new things.

Before you decide to enter a competition you should be realistic and appraise your ability to fulfil any requirements and assess the commitment of entering.

What competition should you enter?

Think about your visibility goals. What competitions are aligned with your visibility strategy?

It is likely that there will be a choice of competitions that you could enter so be selective and pick the right one for you. Different competitions will have different formats and not all formats will be right for you.

Only enter competitions that are a good fit. So do your research.

Finally, it is always important to remember that it is a competition and there is no guarantee of success.