The Mashable Awards, our annual contest highlighting the very best the web has to offer, is gaining momentum with more than 150,000 votes already. If you’re an entrepreneur looking to get recognition or working for a startup that needs to get nominated, we have some quick tips for you.
If you haven’t nominated yet, now’s the time. We’ve opened 21 of the 25 categories so far, for which you can nominate a person, company, organization, app, device, gadget, video, URL or technology. Also, make sure to follow along in the Mashable Awards series that takes a closer look at nomination categories.
Nominations will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, November 29. The top five nominees with the most nominations (subject to editorial policies and official rules) will move forward to the “Final 5 Voting Round” starting Wednesday, Dec. 1.
Place Your Nominations
Whether you’re nominating yourself or a company you represent, the nomination process is simple and the best part is you can nominate once per category every day (meaning up to 21 total nominations per day). Submit your nomination in four easy steps:
Step 1: Visit Mashable.com/Awards
Step 2: Log in via Facebook or Twitter
Step 3: Choose a Category and Nominee
Step 4: Submit Your Nominations for Any and All Categories
(You may nominate/vote in all categories once per day.)
Suggested Categories
Here are just a few of the categories we thought would be most interesting to you, but you can also see the full list here.
- Entrepreneur of the Year
- Most Promising New Company
- Must-Follow Brand
- Best New Gadget
- Best Social Media Service for Small Business
- Breakthrough Website Design
- Best Location-Based Service
Get More Nominations
If you think you or your preferred nominee are right for a category, Mashable would like to provide a few tips to help you start promoting.
Promotional Widget and Graphic: Visit our Mashable Awards Promote Page for a graphic and/or link to present the nominee.
Tip: Promote the nomination link via Twitter (using #MashableAwards), Facebook, YouTube, company newsletters and e-mail blasts.
Tip: Embed the promotional graphic and a link on your website or blog. Below is an example of one that would enable readers to nominate Mashable, for example.
Suggest Nominations To Your Community
If there are people that you think deserve to be nominated for a category, you can always nominate them yourself or you can also encourage others to do so. Here are a few ways to spread the word:
1. Submit a blog post with your top nominations for a specific category to our Mashable HQ Tumblr.
2. Write a post on your own personal blog with suggestions for who to nominate (Ex. “5 Picks for Entrepreneur of the Year“).
3. Tweet a link to the category of choice with people you think deserve to be nominated using #MashableAwards.
4. Let us know in the comments who deserves nominations.
5. Post your suggestions to Facebook.
Attend the Mashable Awards Gala at CES 2011
In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, the Mashable Awards Gala event will take place in Las Vegas. It will bring together the winners, nominees, Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics brands, technology brands and attendees of the 2011 International CES Convention. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner, Cirque du Soleil Zumanity. In addition, there will be special guest presenters and appearances.
Thanks for voting in the Mashable Awards! Are you in the consumer electronics industry? Register now for CES and receive FREE registration with priority code MSHB! Then make sure to attend the Mashable Awards Gala LIVE in Las Vegas.
Date: Thursday, January 6, 2011 (during International CES Convention week)
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. PT
Location: Cirque du Soleil Zumanity, New York New York Hotel, Las Vegas
Agenda: Networking, Open Bars, Acts, Surprises and the Mashable Awards Gala presentations
Tickets On Sale Now: General Admission and VIP Tickets Available through Eventbrite
Socialize: Facebook, Plancast, Foursquare, Meetup, Using #MashableAwards on Twitter
Sponsorships are available. Please contact sponsorships@mashable.com for more information.
Thanks to our sponsors:
Mashable Awards Gala Partner:
From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a global entertainment organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has over 5,000 employees, including more than 1,200 artists from close to 50 different countries.
Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to nearly 100 million spectators in 300 cities on five continents. In 2010 Cirque du Soleil, will present 21 shows simultaneously throughout the world, including seven in Las Vegas.
For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com
Mashable Awards Online Partner:
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Mashable Awards Gala VIP Lounge sponsor:
Influxis specializes in the deployment of creative streaming solutions. Services include large scale deployment, mobile streaming, turn-key applications, and enterprise support with custom network options. With the unique combination of a worldwide network, knowledgeable developer support and nearly a decade of streaming media experience, Influxis is an essential partner to businesses, advertisers, developers, educators, and others who seek expertise in innovative streaming.
Sponsorships are available. Please contact sponsorships@mashable.com for more information.
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