While awards are super nice to have, they aren’t just shiny trophies to put up in your reception area or on your desk to remind you that your MSP is a winner. Instead, they’re independent proof that you are a leader in your field. When you win or are shortlisted, award recognition shows the market that your operations are worthy of attention and accreditation.
In a crowded marketplace, awards help you stand out. They highlight your unique strengths in ways that marketing alone does not. When potential clients look for MSPs, they tend to choose providers that have a proven track record. Awards help here and, beyond simply enhancing credibility, they also have a positive knock-on effect, which will boost your marketing efforts.
Awards give you valuable content for press releases, social media campaigns, and case studies, which all help enhance your MSP’s multi-channel visibility. At Vitis PR, we have seen how award campaigns lead to more inquiries.
Choosing the right awards for your MSP
Not all awards are created equal and, although there may seem like a host of awards that you should be entering, the real key is to pick those that will matter most to potential customers and which show off your own excellent team, services, solutions, etc.
Focus on industry relevance by picking awards that are specifically for the IT and managed services sector, such as the CRN MSP or Channel Awards, and ChannelWeb’s MSP Innovation Awards. These awards matter to your audience because they recognise the high standards and competition involved in your specific field.
Respected media and organisations are important too as awards events that run will be more respected than those hosted by lesser-known, irrelevant to the channel and MSP sector or, even worse, “pay-to-win” awards events.
Smart MSPs go for awards that match their core strengths. For example, if cybersecurity is your focus, aim for security-centric awards, but if you specialise in cloud services, pursue categories that showcase those skills. Client-focused awards, like "Best Customer Service" or "Most Innovative Solution," are excellent to achieve as they emphasise results rather than just technical skills.
Be sure to consider your market reach too whenever choosing awards. Depending on your business model, regional awards like the UK IT Industry Awards might be a great idea, especially for local awareness and engagement. This could be a consideration for startups and MSPs looking to make a name for themselves before throwing themselves into global awards to attract international prospects.
At Vitis PR, we research all of the relevant awards for each of our clients every year then we share the full list with you so you can decide which might be the best choice. By giving you all the information, from entry open and closing dates to when the events take place and where, plus costs associated with the award entries, we recommend the categories that are right for our clients, to help them maximise impact without overwhelming their resources.
Creating a winning entry
Despite what you think, award entries aren’t just you or us listing all of your MSP’s achievements. In fact, it’s more about telling stories that the judges can connect with that show your MSP’s journey, any challenges you’ve faced, successes achieved because of tailored solutions and the benefits that you offered to your customers, saving them money, time, etc.
Solid data, facts, figures and any other metrics available are absolutely vital in award submissions. By using specific numbers like client retention rates, project completion times, cost savings, profits, etc, you are making your entry stronger. This will help highlight to the judges why they should pick you to win over all the other entrants.
Innovation always sets winners apart, so be sure to emphasise unique methods, proprietary tools, best practices, unique processes, and anything else that differentiates your MSP from competitors. Judges want providers who push boundaries and think creatively to resolve and overcome common industry challenges.
If you have friendly clients who would be happy to talk to the judges or approve a case study for you to include in the award entry, then all the better. Client testimonials add authenticity and validation that judges appreciate, and including testimonial quotes or detailed case studies from satisfied clients perfectly demonstrate the real-world, external impact of your services.
It goes without saying but paying close attention to submission requirements as going over word limits or sharing content in one long document rather than in separate folders or not including images when they have been requested will damage your consideration. Finally, don’t miss the deadline, the date to have everything submitted is priority as it is rarely extended just because you missed it……though many awards will extend their initial deadlines, though don’t count on that happening.
The Vitis PR team can help with all of this as we are award-winning award entry producers for a number of clients, and we enjoy crafting compelling client stories, combined with hard data to help them win in their chosen awards and award categories.
Boosting potential recognition from your accreditation
If you win the award you went for, how you use it is where the true value lies. As soon as you hear about a win or even a nomination, act quickly to draw attention to it, by letting your clients know via a newsletter or email campaign, then issuing a press release that announces your achievement. Coverage of the news will build credibility and give journalists sources to validate you as an MSP they should be covering or talking to.
Update your marketing materials right away with award logos on your website homepage, included in email signatures, and on anything else you consider relevant. Share your “2025 X Award Winner” news on social media, and tag the awarding body to encourage them to share your content, reaching even more potential customers.
And if you don’t win, but you receive recognition and/or are a finalist, share that too, as it still has marketing value. We've helped clients turn their nominations alone into PR campaigns that have received media coverage, and improve brand perception, which leads to incoming leads and inquiries.
Steering clear of common pitfalls and submission mistakes
The biggest pitfall is pursuing vanity awards pay-to-win schemes rather than merit-based awards - as they will harm your credibility, undermine your efforts, and waste valuable resources.
Managing resources is crucial for every business so don’t stretch yourself too thin by chasing too many awards at once. Award-winning entries take significant time and effort to put together and it is always better to focus on one relevant award than spread yourself thin across multiple mediocre ones.
Failing to promote your win or nomination is perhaps the costliest error as it wastes a fantastic opportunity to promote your excellence and to build on the credibility you've gained.
How Vitis PR can help your MSP shine
Navigating the international awards landscape can be overwhelming, especially when you're busy running your MSP. But don’t worry as we can help. Firstly, we research relevant awards then suggest those most suitable for your MSP. Next we work with you to create winning award entries, including interesting stories, data that highlights your strengths and achievements, and tells the judges why you are the one to choose as the winner.
Finally, we maximise your award win through strategic PR amplification, which is where we really shine. From targeted press releases, and strategic media outreach, to coordinating social media efforts, we don’t just help you win awards, we make them part of a broader PR and marketing plan aimed at sustained brand growth.
Our record speaks for itself! We have helped many MSPs secure award wins and turned those into measurable business results, from increased lead generation to stronger client relationships and increased market presence. Perhaps more important than anything else, we can simplify the entire process, ensuring your MSP is recognised as an industry leader rather than just another service provider.
So, if you are ready to use awards to improve your MSP's profile and drive business growth, and see how an award recognition might help to enhance your market presence and share of voice, contact Vitis PR today to start your award-winning journey.
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