The winners were announced at a special ceremony and dinner held in the Molloy Hall at the University of Chester on Wednesday, March 23.

Founded in 2006 by former High Sheriff of Cheshire and now Lord Lieutenant for Cheshire, David Briggs MBE, the Awards for Enterprise are judged on categories including: Innovation; Corporate Social Responsibility and Enterprise. The entrants are also required to explain how they will ensure how their company will continue to grow in the future.

The guest speaker was Malcolm Walker CBE, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Iceland Foods Limited, one of the region’s most high profile businessmen. Guests at the event were welcomed by the University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Tim Wheeler and Professor Phil Harris, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business, Enterprise and Life Long Learning and holder of the Westminster Chair of Marketing and Public Affairs at the University of Chester.

The current High Sheriff of Cheshire, Diana Barbour, said: “We have had some exceptional entries this year and given the extremely challenging trading conditions, to see such a diverse group of businesses that are all prospering is quite remarkable, not to say hopeful, for the future for us all.”

First place in the High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise, with a free place for one of its employees on the Chester Business School’s MBA valued at £10,000, is Click Consult. The firm is a leading internet marketing and web development agency in the UK and worldwide. Since 2003, Click Consult has been practicing expert marketing and technical techniques for hundreds of businesses worldwide. It employs more than 60 search engine marketing professionals with offices in Hooton, Cheshire and London.

Matt Bullas, Managing Director at Click Consult said: “I’d personally like to extend my thanks and warmest gratitude to everybody who’s helped get Click Consult to its current level.

“Winning the High Sheriff’s Award for Enterprise is a testament to all the hard work we have put into Click Consult as a collective, driven, professional unit over the years, and we are all proud of coming first in such a tough competition. This is a marker of success for the business, and we plan to use it as a springboard to approach bigger challenges in the near future.”

Highly commended was Amita (UK) Ltd an award winning IT support company based in Middlewich, Cheshire. It provides computer support, development, services and robust technologies to the business community. Using tried and trusted solutions from industry leading IT suppliers, Amita has vast experience in deploying cost-effective and manageable information technology in the workplace.

The winner of the Bank of America Award for Corporate Social Responsibility with a prize of £3,000 was The Petty Pool Trust, College and Outdoor Centre based in Sandiway. The Petty Pool Trust Outdoor Centre runs residential experiences for young people with learning disabilities, mainstream schools, colleges, teacher INSET days and corporate businesses from throughout the UK and Europe.  Petty Pool College offers a wide range of Entry Level courses to students from across Cheshire and Halton. Most of the students are aged between 16 and 25 years of age. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some come straight from school, others from different colleges, day services or from home.

Peter Evans MBE, Chief Executive of The Petty Pool Trust, said: “This prestigious award is in recognition of the many years of hard work and dedication from the staff at The Petty Pool Trust. We as managers are very proud of the commitment and the achievements of the college and outdoor centre which make up the Trust.

“This award in particular is an amazing accomplishment and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the High Sheriff for choosing The Petty Pool Trust.”

Highly commended was Applewood Wealth Management which is based in Chester and Oswestry and offers a wide range of high quality wealth management services to businesses and individuals. With over 900 clients and many millions of pounds of funds under management, it is well established as one of the UK’s leading wealth management organisations and was awarded a Best Investment Adviser Award 2009. Applewood Wealth Management brings together some of the most experienced, able and highly-regarded professionals working in financial services today.

The winner of the Mornflake Oats Awards for Innovation worth £3,000 was GSD, Graham Shapiro Designs. Based in Nantwich, GSD’s areas of experience include advertising, brochures, catalogues, corporate identity, marketing, newsletters, newspapers, packaging, presentations, public relations, stationery and websites.

Graham Shapiro, Managing Director at GSD said: “I’m proud and honoured to have received this prestigious award. It’s great that The University of Chester and associated sponsors have recognised GSD for its innovation and creativity. And with a great team, clients and suppliers that support me, they have helped GSD get to where we are today.”

Highly commended in this category was Certero, a specialist software vendor of Software Asset Management and PC Power Management solutions. Based in Warrington, with offices in Australia and South Africa, Certero delivers innovative solutions to help organisations remove complex processes to drive efficiencies in their IT investments. Certero’s clients are drawn from across the public and private sectors and its solutions have enabled organisations to cut C02 emissions and save thousands on licensing expenditure.

Professor Phil Harris said: “It’s fantastic to see so many innovative businesses doing well in Cheshire and being showcased by the High Sheriff’s Awards. It is very heartening to be surrounded by such talent and hard work at this event.”

The Awards prize fund was made possible thanks to significant contributions from the following international and regional sponsors including Barclays Bank, Bank of America, Bolesworth Estate, Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Flowcrete, Halton Borough Council and Mornflake. The High Sheriff’s Awards for Enterprise represents one of the highest values of any competition of its kind in the country.

All the winners

John Lea Chief Executive of Mornflake , Malcolm Walker C.B.E – Keynote Speaker.  – Founder & CEO, Iceland Foods Limited , Diana Barbour,  Matt Bullas, Managing Director Click Consult ( winner of High Sheriff’s Award for Enterprise supported by Barclays)  Graham Shapiro Managing Director GSD , Peter Evans MBE,  Chief Executive The Petty Pool Trust , Professor Tim Wheeler Vice Chancellor, University of Chester

Related posts:

1. Click Consult Shortlisted for 2011 Daily Post Regional Business Awards On 4th May 2011, The Liverpool Daily Post unveiled the...
2. Click Consult Win Large Business of the Year at Cheshire Business Awards Click Consult, one of the UK’s leading search marketing agencies,...
3. Click Consult Announce Record Results for the 2010/2011 Financial Year Click Consult, an award winning search marketing… agency, have announced...

When composing your online press release, it’s vital to stick to the facts. The central aspect of a successful online press release is that it is newsworthy. It can help to study news in print for the right tone. In the news, the details of a participant are rarely relevant and usually only mentioned as an aside. A report of a 25-year-old council worker’s rescue is usually just that: it’s about the rescue, not the details of the council worker’s employment.

This doesn’t mean that no details of your company should be mentioned in your press release. It is important for readers to have a picture of where a product or service is coming from. These details can easily be given in an aside, with contact details provided below the body of the press release. Talk to us at Click Consult about the format for press releases.

The nature of your company might seem a necessary point to explain in ordinary business life, but for online press releases, it’s needless information. Use your news to lure internet users to your company. There, they can make the discovery themselves.

Related posts:

1. The difference a voice makes in press releases When composing an online press release, you can generally choose...
2. Press Releases Should Entice A lot of companies treat their press releases as yet...
3. Press Release Glossary Terms: The Hook The hook of a press release is the section that...

1. Stick to the facts

In the main body of your online press release, it’s important to stick to the facts as much as you can. This means the plain facts of your story, ungarnished by pretty adjectives. Listing the basic things you want to say is a good starting point, as you can always work up your content from there. You can talk to our experts at Click Consult about press release composition.

2. Ring in some praiseworthy quotes

Not many readers realise that a quote can come from anywhere. Even print journalists sometimes cite friends when in dire need of a quote. If you’ve got a customer comments section on your website, you may not need to stoop to this level.

Anyone is fair game for a quote for your internet marketing press release, as long as they agree to having their words used. You may find that some of the most valuable resources for your release are people within your own company.

Self-praise has never been an effective method of selling a message. Find a way to give your online press release an objective tone through quoting others.

Related posts:

1. If It’s A Fact, Back It Up Online press releases are factual pieces of newsworthy media. They...
2. Never Give Readers Stale News If a press release gives stale news and information is...
3. Building Your E-Reputation With Online Press Releases An e-reputation is the reputation of a company on the...

An online press release is one of those areas of online marketing that companies rarely have the time to test. Often, the press release stage is at the end of a marketing campaign, and is often hurried through. You can talk to us at Click Consult about testing. You can test your online press releases, however, and the process is easy. All it takes is a little help from a friend.

If you can, track down a friend or acquaintance that is unassociated with your business, and ask them to go over your press release. Encourage them to ask the hard questions, including ‘Why should I care about this news?’ If those questions ultimately go unanswered in the press release, you’ll know you have some work to do.

It can help to read over your business’ online press releases with an objective eye, but this is usually very hard to do. If this is the only way you can test, then it’s still worth a try. Try to look at your press release as an outsider would, asking the harsh questions. It’s far better for you to ask at a stage where you can fix problems, than to receive comments after the content has been released.

Related posts:

1. Truth Is Vital In Press Releases Although the internet has plenty of abundantly stupid information on...
2. Before you write that online press release Online marketing is extremely competitive; to be successful you have...
3. Press Release Timing There are many challenges in creating and distributing press releases...

Let’s face it; most online press releases have a marketing or advertising purpose. They are created by a business that needs a little more online coverage, and very rarely contain news that is of objective interest when it’s stripped down to the bare bones. Unfortunately, stripping things down to the bare bones is what is necessary for a really effective press release.

There are a few reasons press releases have always been fashioned around the news format. The first, and most obvious, is because press releases have always been intended for the press. The reason this format has travelled over onto the net, where plenty of press releases never see a press room, is because news writing is so effective at getting a message across. The reason news gets messages across so well is because it is straight and to the point.

When designing your online press release, there are likely to be all sorts of adjectives you want to attach to your business image. Resist that impulse. Stick to the facts of your press release if you want it read. Talk to our search marketing experts at Click Consult if you have questions about press release writing.

Related posts:

1. Press Release Timing There are many challenges in creating and distributing press releases...
2. No News Is Not Good News It's impossible to stress the importance of good, newsworthy content...
3. The ‘Newsworthy’ Test For Online Press Releases An online press release is traditionally intended for the press....

What people generally fail to say is that simplicity tends to impress much more than a fancy opening. With all of the pressure on to write up a grabby opening sentence, it can be tempting to try something spectacular. The old cliché of ‘STOP! Now that we’ve got your attention…’ comes to mind here. When you’re desperate to grab people’s attention, it can seem logical to do just about anything. When you write this sort of thing it can get you into trouble when the reader moves on from the first sentence.

Readers react best to a straightforward approach. The average internet user is short on time and even shorter on patience. A well-written opening that simply informs is more likely to encourage them to read on, as long as they’re interested in the subject. If they aren’t, the rest of the press release isn’t going to interest them in any case.

Simplicity is the secret to online press release success. The absolute best opening line is one that lays out your subject neatly. Talk to us at Click Consult about web marketing press release writing. Convey important information first, and worry about wowing your audience later.

Related posts:

1. Handy Help for Writing a Press Release that Works A press release is a great way to gain some...
2. Top Tips For A Good PR There are all sorts of outside elements that play on...
3. Press Release Glossary Terms: The Hook The hook of a press release is the section that...

Internet marketing professionals will advise you to try all sorts of tricks to gain attention when competing against other companies and their advice should certainly be taken into account. There are ways to grab attention without such flashy moves. A professional writer will tell you that all you need to do is stick with the form, and do it well. In the case of press releases, you need to write up a decent summary paragraph.

A good summary paragraph can win readers.

The summary paragraph is one of the most important parts of an online press release. After the title, the summary of your press release is what convinces readers whether to continue to read or abandon the release. Unlike the title, however, your summary paragraph can actually convey a lot of information. If written well, your summary can get your entire message across, making it less of a disaster if people decide not to read.

Summary paragraphs can also be used as descriptions in the press release listings. This makes their composition even more important, and you can talk to us at Click Consult about press release composition.

It’s important to note that summaries can outlive their welcome, so keep them short. Remember, on the internet, brief is better.

Related posts:

1. Don’t Overlook The Small Things In Press Releases Getting together an online press release… can be a stressful...
2. Optimise Your PR Summary For SEO Benefits An online press release is designed to spread the word...
3. Online Press Releases And How To Structure Them An online press release is a great way to boost...

One of the trickier things about an online press release is how to format it. Despite the possibilities that an online press release opens up in terms of using links and inserting multimedia, there is a need to conform. The news industry has certain standards and conventions, and these need to be addressed if you want the news to pay attention. If you send just any old thing to a major publication’s press room, you risk them ignoring it as unprofessional.

It can help to get advice from a professional when you’re composing your online press releases, and you can talk to us at Click Consult on how to implement them into an internet marketing campaign. If you’re going it on your own, here are some of the essential formatting elements you should take into account:

- Correct spelling and grammar is essential

- Don’t get over excited with fonts. Times New Roman is fine

- If you plan on getting fancy, provide a plain Word document first, then your HTML version

- Include only materials and images to which you own the copyright

- Take your time. This helps you avoid mistakes

Related posts:

1. Press Release Glossary Terms: The Hook The hook of a press release is the section that...
2. Press Release Timing There are many challenges in creating and distributing press releases...
3. Handy Help for Writing a Press Release that Works A press release is a great way to gain some...

Newsworthy events happen to a business more often than you might think, but it often takes a fair bit of thinking before the average business event can be turned into something newsworthy. The help of a professional can be extremely useful when you’re looking for a newsworthy angle for your online press release, and you can talk to us at Click Consult.

The writing of a press release also needs to take on the news style. This means answering the five W’s – the what, where, who, when and why, in the early stages of the press release, and avoiding any sort of language that seems like advertising.

There are a few tests you can put your online press release under to ensure that you’re taking the right approach. The first is to read a series of news articles from the publications to which you will be submitting the press release. If the writing style of your internet marketing press release is similar, you’re probably on the right track. The second is to hand the press release over to a colleague who is unconnected with your business and can give an honest opinion whether they think it works. Their honest opinion is valuable, as it’s likely to resemble the opinion of the average internet user.

Related posts:

1. Never Give Readers Stale News If a press release gives stale news and information is...
2. No News Is Not Good News It's impossible to stress the importance of good, newsworthy content...
3. Never Give Online Press Release Readers Stale News If an online press release… gives stale news and information...

Factor 1: Time of year

Is your news seasonal? If you’re announcing a big change in your executive staff at the cut-off of the financial year, that could be big news. If you’re having your pre-Christmas sale beginning in November, you could sell it as a convenience for your customers. Seasonality can give you some great angles in search marketing and you can talk to us about this at Click Consult.

Factor 2: Time within the week

Millions of people around the world work office hours and behave very differently when surfing the net at home. Bored office workers are more likely to read random news pieces, so time your press release to suit.

Factor 3: Time of day

The time of day you send out an online press release can determine how many people read it. If, for example, you post your press release in the afternoon, it’s unlikely to make a splash. It’s worth getting up early to ensure your news hits before lunchtime.

Related posts:

1. Put Time On Your Side For Press Releases If you’ve been looking into an online press release… as...
2. Getting Into Google News An online press release is aimed to hit the best...
3. Press Release Timing There are many challenges in creating and distributing press releases...