How should professionals who’ve been featured on a media list, such as Forbes 30 Under 30, use the recognition as part of their online brand?
Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) is an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every industry, generate billions of dollars in revenue each year and have created tens of thousands of jobs. Learn more at yec.co.
1. Place It Selectively and Strategically in a Few Places
“A mention on a media list, such as Forbes 30 Under 30, should be worked into places like email signatures, brief bios and character profiles. It’s important to strategically place your mention. Seeing the accolade once or twice will create positive feelings in the viewer, and they’ll find it impressive. If they see it on every page of your site, you may only look self-important.”
Brandon Stapper, Nonstop Signs
2. Explain Why It’s Important
“While it’s important in the business world to make known any big accolade as a way of standing out from the crowd and instilling buyer confidence, it’s also equally essential to attach meaning to it. This might entail posting a video interview on your site where you’re asked what the accomplishment personally meant to you and what you had to overcome to get there.”
Dalia MacPhee, DALIA MACPHEE
3. Include It in Your Guest Article Bios
“My company relies heavily on written content such as guest posts to generate interest and sales. Because of that, I think the best way to implement an accolade is to mention it in every short blurb or description for any guest posts or written articles. This will immediately demonstrate credibility and recognition, adding weight to the content.”
Bryce Welker, Accounting Institute for Success
4. Share It on Social Media
“Anytime I receive an award or recognition, I keep posting it on Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Medium and my own website. I make the post continuously for several weeks to generate traction. This really helps me attract clients or generate leads from my network.”
Piyush Jain, Simpalm
5. Display Clickable Media Logos
“Being featured on a media list will help you gain instant authority on what you do and leverage it to fuel your business. Be vocal, and brag about your achievement in your LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram profiles. You would also want to leverage the logos of the entity that gave you the recognition and link the logos to the article or media release to gain trust.”
Fred Lam, iPro Management Group Corp.
6. Display Them on Your Homepage
“Placing media logos on your homepage is a great form of social proof, which can help you get more sales. You’ll often find sites that do this will make the logos a lighter color so they don’t detract from your product’s marketing materials but enhance it.”
7. Follow the Brand’s Guidelines
“The brands that give these awards want the publicity as much as you do — and they often provide guidelines for using their logo, writing press releases and spreading the word. So take their free advice, and check those boxes first.”
Sam Saxton, Paragon Stairs
8. Create a Press Page
“As you start receiving more and more accolades for your business, you’ll want to create a dedicated pressroom. From there, you can link out to all press you’ve received as well as create a press kit for new publishers.”
9. Mention Accolades in Your Sales Materials
“Adding the media logos to your sales materials can be a great way to instill trust in your company. You can add them to things such as brochures, sales decks and, of course, your website. This will help customers feel more comfortable purchasing from you compared to someone who hasn’t been vetted by the media.”
Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights
10. Don’t Overdo It
“Mentions such as Forbes 30 Under 30 are important social-proof tools that drive conversions on your website and help you appear as an authority figure. The more reputable the source, the better. However, I caution those who plan to blast it anywhere and everywhere. You may come off as holier-than-thou.”
Zachary Burkes, Predictable Profits
