- Quarter start List awards and lists your buyers actually trust
- 8 weeks before Collect customer proof, results and quotes
- 4 weeks before Draft the entry against the judging criteria
- Deadline Submit with clear evidence and contacts
- After results Add badges to site, sales decks and emails
Industry awards and curated “best of” lists act as third-party endorsements. A trade publication names you one of the top tools for logistics teams, a local paper includes your café in its best brunch list, or an industry association gives you an innovation award. This tactic fits B2B and SaaS companies in crowded categories and local businesses competing on reputation. It is a supporting tactic: it rarely drives large volumes of traffic on its own, but it makes every other channel more convincing.
Why it works
Buyers facing many similar options look for shortcuts. A recognised award or a spot on a respected list tells them someone independent has already checked you out. This is social proof from an authority, which tends to reduce perceived risk, especially for first-time buyers.
Award and list pages are also often found through search. People looking for “best inventory software for small warehouses” or “best bakery near me” may land on a list before they land on any vendor’s site.
How to do it
- Build a calendar of credible options. List the awards, rankings and roundups your buyers read. Ask customers which ones they recognise. Record each one’s deadline, entry criteria and fee.
- Filter out vanity awards. Look at past winners, judges and how the organiser makes money. Skip programs that seem to reward anyone who pays.
- Collect proof all year. Keep a running document of customer results, quotes, product launches and milestones. Entries are much easier when the evidence is already gathered.
- Answer the judging criteria directly. Use the organiser’s headings, give specific examples and include figures you can back up. Ask customers for permission before naming them.
- Pitch list writers thoughtfully. For editorial roundups, find the writer, read their past lists and send a short note about why your product fits their readers. Offer a free account or sample.
- Keep listing profiles current. Some lists draw on directory or review-site data. Make sure your profiles have up-to-date descriptions, screenshots and pricing.
- Use wins carefully. Add the badge to your homepage, pricing page, email signatures and sales decks. Link to the award page so people can check it.
- Thank customers and partners. Share the win with the people who helped you earn it, and invite them to share it too.
Example
A hypothetical family-run bakery wants to stand out among several new cafés in its neighbourhood. The owner lists three local awards and two city-wide “best bakery” roundups run by a regional newspaper and a food blog. She gathers photos, a short story about the bakery’s sourdough starter and a few customer quotes, and submits ahead of each deadline. The bakery is named in one newspaper list and a regional food award. She adds the badges to her website, window and online map listing, and staff mention the award when new customers ask what to try.
A B2B logistics platform could follow the same steps with trade publication awards and analyst-style roundups in its category.
Metrics to track
- Entries submitted versus wins. Track your success rate and which types of awards suit you.
- Referral traffic from award and list pages. Shows whether the pages send buyers your way.
- Conversion rate on pages with badges. Compare before and after adding badges, keeping other changes minimal.
- Mentions in sales calls. Ask the sales team to note when prospects bring up an award or list.
When it backfires
- Badge clutter. A homepage covered in obscure badges looks desperate and makes the meaningful ones harder to notice.
- Paying for meaningless awards. Buyers who look up an award and find it is pay-to-win may trust you less.
- Overclaiming. Calling yourself “the best” based on one list invites scepticism. Quote the award accurately.
- Ignoring the deadlines. Late or rushed entries with thin evidence rarely win and waste the time spent.
Growth Marketing Academy
Learn the framework behind this tactic
These lessons explain the math and the mental model, so you can adapt the tactic instead of copying it.
- Track 2 · Acquisition Content and SEO Loops: Pages That Keep Bringing Users Build content, UGC and programmatic SEO loops, organise them into topic clusters, and measure throughput from page published to customer won.
- Track 2 · Acquisition Growth Loops: Build Acquisition That Compounds Funnels describe how users leak. Loops describe how users create more users. Learn to map, quantify and choose the loop that fits your product.
Questions people ask
Are pay-to-enter awards worth it?
Some reputable awards charge an entry fee to cover judging. Be wary of awards where everyone who pays seems to win, or where the organiser pushes expensive packages for trophies and badges. Check who won in past years and whether your buyers recognise the name.
How do I get onto "best of" lists that are written by journalists or bloggers?
Make it easy for writers to know about you. Keep a press page with clear product information, offer trials for review, and pitch relevant writers when you have a genuine story or update.
Do awards help with search rankings?
Some award and list pages link to winners, and those links can help a little. The bigger benefit is usually trust, since buyers and journalists use awards as a shortcut when comparing options.