After months of anticipation, the moment to reveal the winners of the West Oxfordshire Business Awards 2014 arrived on Friday 14th March. A few excited mark-makers headed down to Heythrop Park to see the culmination of a lot of great work from local businesses.

The mark-making* contribution to the awards has changed since last year, from entrant, finalist and winner to sponsor of the Social Media Award. Our very own Kasia Piekut and Nicola Edginton were among the three judges who were tasked with comparing the social media efforts of entrants from all sorts of industries, right across west Oxfordshire.

There were lots of criteria in the Social Media Award, assessing things like strategy, measuring, case studies and innovation. At this point we would like to congratulate all the finalists, and indeed all the entrants, and wish everyone well for next year’s competition!

The three finalists all made the most of social media in different ways.

Just Fabrics achieved a great following, really taking advantage of the image-led platform Pinterest, and keeping in touch with customers and fellow fabric-lovers via Facebook.

The Feathered Nest Inn took a leap on their Twitter feed, letting their chef loose to document the creation of sumptuous dishes in the kitchen, to the delight of users also taking pictures of their meals in the restaurant. They also used Twitter to cross-promote other businesses in the area, which is a great way to build networks and raise a profile.

Winners Special Effect have built a platform through social media to inspire those who can benefit from their services to communicate and share experiences. They promptly respond to conversations across all social channels, from Facebook and Twitter, to Reddit and forums. You can easily track their campaigns as they always find time to update their feeds with new stories and the latest updates of what their team and supporters are up to. They also use a branded hashtag to drive further attention of their cause. Special Effect use social media to educate and raise awareness of technological advances and how they can improve the lives of those with disabilities.

Having won the social media award in 2013, we were keen to see what we could achieve in the year ahead. Sponsoring the 2014 award was a great opportunity for us to expand our expertise and run a campaign that had the potential to really raise the profile of WOBA. The creation of the hashtag #WOBAopensdoors was a step towards prosperity.

It is a consistent touchstone that can be used year on year, and references the benefits and opportunities that arise for WOBA entrants. WOBA entrants don’t just gain exposure: they gain a reason to celebrate their businesses and their teams. Kasia, with support from our art director Russ Henderson, worked with WOBA to bring their social media channels a feeling of anticipation and excitement in the run up to and during the event.

With fun vintage images of parties and people looking their best, the atmosphere was buzzing! The live tweeting that went on throughout included those who couldn’t be present, bringing the excitement of the WOBA celebrations to them. WOBA continues now to connect and encourage local businesses through social media, and this year has proven the value of reaching out to get people involved and enthused about a great cause.