Back in August, I shared on Medium that my podcast had been nominated for an award. Now, I am so excited to report that it has won the award! I’ve already shared on social media the great news. Now I decided to share the process of being nominated and winning in case anyone else is interested in adding their podcast for the chance to win an award. Full disclosure: this is my experience with the Women in Podcasting Awards. This may not be the process of other awards, but here is my experience.
Just like I wrote in the article for Medium, I posted on Facebook in 2023 that one day, I wanted to win an award. My friends and family commented on the post as if I had already won, which was really cool. One of the main reasons I wanted to win an award was because I know that awards are a prestigious recognition, and my podcast is about highlighting immigrants’ stories. If my podcast won an award, then that further elevates their stories.
I saw that the Women In Podcasting Facebook Group would be giving awards this year. However, you had to sign up and pay a fee to have your podcast nominated.
There were 38 podcast categories and a few for expert guests. So, I nominated my podcast for the Society and Culture category. They added it to the list, and I honestly cannot remember how many other podcasts were in the category.
Now, the fun part began.
Getting People to Vote
Voting was from August 1st until October 1st, and the podcast with the most votes in its category won. Here is where my work began—getting people to vote. So, first, I texted everyone on my contact list—well, almost everyone. I sent was that my podcast was nominated for an award, including the steps needed to cast the vote. They only had to do this once, and I asked them to share it with their friends and families, too.
The next step was sharing on social media, including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn. Some of my friends shared on their pages to get their friends and followers to vote as well. I also shared it in all my newsletters (I currently have three, LOL). And then I shared it on my podcast. So, I recorded a clip sharing that the podcast was nominated and that I needed my listeners’ help to get the podcast to win! I shared the steps in the shownotes and included this clip in all the episodes published between August and September.
I also shared it with the internship I’m a part of and wrote the article for Medium. And even told my coworkers. They told family members to vote. Lastly, whenever I recorded a new episode, I asked my guests if they would like to vote. If they said yes then I emailed them the steps to vote.
Throughout the two months of voting, I would share on social media. Because we all know how the algorithm works, and many times, many eyes don’t see our posts.
But all of this effort worked because I won, and here’s how that went.
Finding out I Won
About two weeks after voting closed, I received an email saying I had made it to the top three of my category. I was officially invited to the Awards Ceremony to find out whether I won. My nerves were getting the best of me that day, but I was so excited to attend my first virtual awards ceremony!
The ceremony was attended by all the nominees who made it to the top 3 of their categories, the sponsors, and the host, Jennifer. We went through all 38 categories, and mine was towards the end, so as the categories were being called off, my heart was beginning to beat really fast. Finally, my category was called, and the name of my podcast was announced. I honestly was in shock! We had one minute to give an acceptance speech. I felt like I was rambling during the speech, but once I heard it back with my husband, he said it sounded fine.
Once the ceremony was over, I couldn’t believe what had happened. I was jumping up and down and screaming, and I probably looked like a crazy lady, but I didn’t care because I had just won a podcasting award!
Women In Podcasting sent an email to everyone who had voted, so I had a few people text me and email me to congratulate me, which was so cool.
What Does This Award Mean to Me?
As I said, this award is dedicated to the brave immigrant souls who have shared their stories. Without them, this podcast wouldn’t exist. The award wouldn’t have been granted without the support of my friends, family, listeners, guests, and all the amazing people who voted—those who also believe in the mission of my podcast.
With this podcast award, I hope to continue elevating the stories of immigrants and educating people about the American immigration process, world history, and different cultures. I hope to encourage anyone thinking about starting a podcast to do so because there is so much more to gain with podcasting than to lose.
Thank you once again to my supporters, followers, and everyone who believes in this mission I am on and voted. All glory to God always!
With Love, Heidy
Join the Substack community for The American Dream in the Eyes of Immigrants Podcast and receive the episodes in your inbox. You can also leave comments and interact with other listeners.
Check out my SEO Guide and Free Podcasting Resources at – https://stan.store/heidydelacruz
Other Posts You May Enjoy:
