Writing your MiMA 2022 Entry: Why genuine passion is always a winner

Guest blog written by Natalie Asprey, Founder / Marketing Consultant – Natalie Asprey Marketing Consultancy.

Hey you! Yes you there, are you procrastinating over that MIMA entry? Putting it on the to-do list for another time? Well here’s the bad news, it won’t write itself but there is some good news too, help is at hand! 

For this blog, we’re picking the brains of our very own Marketing Consultant Natalie Asprey – from heading up Marketing right here at pro-manchester nine years ago and being part of the team that brought MIMA to life, to writing award entries whilst leading marketing at professional services firms and now writing entries and helping clients to win at MIMA as part of her consultancy business, she’s got a good success rate with every entry ever submitted making the shortlist and multiple winners to boot. 

Here she shares her 5 tips for success, and you might find them a little different to ones you’ve read before!

• Be genuine and show your passion 

The biggest tip comes first, be genuine and show passion in your entry if you are truly passionate about what you do and entering for an award to recognise that it will shine through in  your entry or nomination. I think a good reason many of my client entries get shortlisted is that they and I truly believe in what they and their business do and so it becomes a whole lot easier to write an entry that is compelling and from a place of true passion. Don’t be too corporate about the way you write the entry – people respond to people and an entry that is human and engaging is always a winner.

• Don’t make it too lengthy 

There is a word count for a reason, judges have a lot of entries to read, so bear that in mind when writing your answers, be concise and think about what are the most important points to make in each section. There are plenty of award writing guides out there that will encourage you to include as much information as possible including testimonials and other attachments to support your entry. I don’t agree with this and it’s not something I do for my clients unless the entry specifically requires it. The power is in the answer on the entry form so take your time crafting it really well. 

• Consider having someone else write your entry 

Not always an option but if it is I would urge you to consider it. When I mention awards to my clients they are rarely comfortable with the idea of shouting about themselves – and that’s where I come in I’m comfortable with writing about their amazing achievements and it adds a different dimension to the entry. There are often people within your business or network who’d be happy to write a nomination on your behalf but make sure it’s someone who understands you, your work and the impact you are having in your field of expertise – and make sure you read the entry before they submit it. 

• Write it when you feel good

There’s always a deadline when it comes to an awards entry so you do need to bear that in mind but in the case of MIMA that deadline is still weeks and weeks away so there is plenty of time. Writing an awards entry is like any other task that involves crafting a story and a point of view – you can’t just knock it out in ten minutes and tick it off the list. I like to write award entries for my clients on the back of a positive day or week or when we’ve been working together on something really exciting or had a success, take that positivity into your writing and inject some energy into your entry. 

• Enjoy It!

If the whole idea of entering awards, interviews and maybe winning and getting up on stage fills you with terror – it might not be for you – and that’s ok it isn’t for everyone. In most cases, though just a gentle push is needed to take part in what is the most amazing experience, make sure you have someone to support you along the journey and enjoy the experience of writing your entry and showcasing the amazing things you have done. And should you get to the shortlist stage and meet our judges and wonderful team then that is a moment to be incredibly proud and enjoy every second.

What are you waiting for? Entries this way >>> https://www.mimamcr.com/entermima2021.html

Natalie Asprey is a Marketing Consultant with over 14 years experience in B2B marketing with a specific specialism in working with start up and micro technology business alongside other sectors including health and safety, recruitment and executive search and non profit. Natalie is passionate about working with small businesses to build marketing functions which add real value to organisations and providing hands on delivery across marketing activity, campaigns, events and projects as well as consulting on marketing and operational strategy.