Ah, the smell of autumn is in the air. In my world, this means one thing: the start of the new awards season for public relations consultancies and in-house teams. The annual round of schemes kicks off with the European Excellence Awards (deadline October 7, chaps, so get scribbling now).

I see hundreds of entry drafts every year for all the major PR awards schemes in the UK and Europe, and knock a gratifying number of them into award-winning shape. Some of my clients (she blushes) have called me the queen of awards. And so, my loyal subjects, I bestow upon you a gift. Completely gratis, here is the distillation of some of the most important stuff I’ve learned over a decade of writing and editing award entries. I give you my top five tips:

1. Select the right campaigns. Focus on topical, interesting, creative or unusual work. Think in terms of ongoing campaigns as well as defined projects. Bear in mind that big budget/big name campaigns do not automatically win prizes. Be honest: is the campaign a winner? And is it right for this awards scheme? Look at previous years’ winners to get a feel for what sort of campaigns the judges like.

2. Read the criteria. Follow the criteria. Stick to the rules. Meet the deadline. Don’t underestimate how long it takes to pull together an entry. Start early. Factor in time for client approval (ALWAYS get client approval).

3. Give the job to your best writer. Tell the judges a great story. Don’t lean too hard on lists of bullet points. Watch spelling and grammar. Avoid cheery exclamation marks, flannel, waffle, and marketing jargon. Proof, proof and proof again for typos.

4. Judges have dozens – if not hundreds – of entries to review for each awards scheme. Make sure yours really spells out why it is a winner. Don’t expect judges to read between the lines. Include enough background and market/industry context to help them understand why the campaign was required by the client and the communications challenges it posed for your team. Don’t be modest, but on the other hand do always give the client team credit: a true team effort is more attractive than an agency claiming they did everything.

5. State measurable business and communications objectives, and ensure the results section proves that every objective was met. Include as much evaluation data and evidence of the campaign’s success as possible, from an increase in sales to campaigns being embraced by stakeholders. Never use AVEs or rely solely on media measurement. Demonstrate the impact of the campaign on the client’s business or organisation. What did it mean in real human terms? Back up every grand claim.

Follow these golden rules and, assuming the campaign was brilliantly conceived and executed in the first place, you’ll be well on your way to picking up that shiny gong to display in your reception.