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Category Description
Classifications
Contest Rules
Entry Fees
CATEGORY DESCRIPTION AND REQUIREMENTS

Category 1 - Best Community Web site
Awarded to a website produced by a local media company that serves a specific community with news and information. Judges will consider overall design, local relevance of content, functionality and community engagement.
Note: For niche sites published by a local media company see category 12.

Category 2 - Best Layout & Design (desktop & mobile)
This award recognizes outstanding design, demonstrating consistent branding throughout mobile and desktop versions. Stunning design will be acknowledged only when it compliments intuitive navigation and ease of use. Expect judges to use a variety of browsers and devices to view your publication. Device compatibility will be factored into their final decision.

Category 3 - Best Use of Social Media
This award acknowledges specific campaigns or initiatives, not entire websites. Judges will consider your use of social media to increase readership, drive revenue or engage with your community. They will look for new and novel uses of Social Media, better than expected response rates or even praise from readers received via Social Media. The judges also want to know if you have grown your followers or likes dramatically – and how.

Category 4 - Best Site Vertical (Recruitment, Automotive, Real Estate, other)
This category recognizes the best vertical strategy in recruitment, automotive, real estate or ‘other’ categories employed by a local media website. It can include vertical sites that have been branded separately from the main site or a vertical that appears on the local community site. In your written overview, provide details about any custom creation or what vendors are used to help supplement the content. Also provide information on special features and tools you offer people who visit these sites such as, Applicant Tracking System (ATS), home finding maps, automotive reviews, featured listings, videos, etc. You should also detail any creative marketing campaigns used to drive traffic to this site.

Category 5 - Best Contest
This category recognizes audience engagement through online contests. Judges will consider contest theme and design, promotional material, social media participation, overall number of entries and post-contest use of collected data. This contest can be either a once a year initiative or an ongoing event.

Category 6 - Best Use of Multimedia – Advertising
This award recognizes those sites that do an outstanding job with advertising related multimedia initiatives on a regular basis. All portions of the website will be examined for effective use of video, audio, mobile, native content and more.

Category 7 - Best Local Community Initiative
Awarded to the website that shows innovative ways to connect with the community. This can include creative contests, use of multimedia or coverage of community events. In the entry's description include how the initiative reflects the importance to the community and the influence the project had in the community.

Category 8 - Best Digital Advertising Initiative
This category recognizes any digital advertising initiatives, campaigns or promotions that are inspired by local advertisers or campaigns designed to provide more information about advertisers to users. Examples include local shopping or directory strategies, special sections, content marketing, contests, apps and more. (Multiple entries are allowed to cover the wide variety of examples covered by this category.)

Category 9 – Best Use of Multimedia – Editorial Content
This award recognizes those sites that do an outstanding job with non-advertising multimedia content on a regular basis. All portions of the website will be examined for effective use of video, audio, podcasts, mobile, live chat and more. Submissions of special multimedia editorial packages and interactive info graphics are encouraged. If you have an e-mail alert program, please outline the details with your entry.

Category 10 - Best Overall Local News Site
This award recognizes the best providers of local news in the communities they serve. Treatment of local news, breaking news, breadth and depth of content and timeliness of information are among key factors when evaluating best overall local news site.

Category 11 – Best Use of Mobile / Tablets
All indicators point to a huge growth in mobile/tablet usage over the next several years. This award recognizes those companies that have had success with one or more mobile programs/products. In this case, judges will consider both audience development and advertising revenue when evaluating the success of your mobile strategy. Be sure to include a detailed account of mobile users, as well as the revenue directly related to this project. Your mobile solution entry can be an in-house project or developed in conjunction with a third-party partner.

Category 12 – Best Niche Site Produced by a Local Media Company
This award recognizes websites or microsites that focus on a particular audience such as moms, sports fans, youth, entertainment, food, etc. The judges will look for sites that truly connect with the niche audience. Robust user interactivity will be a key component in the judging along with the design, advertising and amount of information on the site.

Category 13 – Best Development of a Community Issue
This award recognizes outstanding online journalistic initiatives that create awareness about a situation or issue that affects a local community. Judges will consider the scope of reporting and the use of multimedia tools.

Category 14 - Best Blog Initiative
This award recognizes the media house that offers the best all-around combination of blog efforts by staff and/or community. Judges will look not only at the execution of the blog strategy but also the value of their material, multi-point distribution of the content among other outlets including social media and media partners, and the ease with which a community member can create a blog or add her or his own blog to the media house blog roll.

Category 15 – Best Video Initiative
This award will recognize outstanding use of video on a website. It could be a single video, a series of videos, an ongoing video strategy or advertising videos including the use of leading edge formats such as IAB Rising Star formats. It can be staff or user-generated. Examples include video used to support a breaking news story; enterprise reporting through the use of videos; an ongoing strategy that includes heavy use of videos; a successful strategy using user-generated videos or success in the area of advertising videos on the site. A written overview should provide ample detail to support your entry.

Category 16 – Best Multi Platform Combination
This category recognizes the best cross between legacy media and online product. The award will be given to the local media company that has proven the value of their products in terms of audience, individualization of content and advertising revenue. For this entry, you must submit the specific website address, a link to the related legacy product(s), a detailed description of the program and overall results.

Category 17 – Best Deals, Email or SMS Revenue Initiative (New)
This category recognizes those sites that have developed, or successfully partnered, with a deals, Email or SMS provider to offer a strong in-market promotional program for their advertisers. Judges will consider overall execution, revenue and profit impact to the advertiser both short and long term, ease of use, number of participating advertisers and overall financial success of the promotional program.

Category 18 – Best Platform Agnostic Revenue Initiative (New)
This category recognizes advertising initiatives that generate revenue on multiple digital platforms such as desktop, tablets and mobile devices. Judges will consider overall execution, creative content and revenue from each of the platforms.

Category 19 – Best Native Advertising Program (New)
This award recognizes the best new native advertising initiatives. Judges will focus on content relevance, advertiser participation, audience engagement, use of visuals (videos and/or slide presentations) and total revenue.

Category 20: Most Effective Digital Directory Initiative (New)
This award acknowledges media houses that have successfully implemented and continually maintain a useful and relevant business directory in their local market(s). Judges will consider overall look of the directory, ease of use, engagement with the business and the community, overall traffic to the directory, premium advertising opportunities and revenue.

Category 21 – Local Digital Innovator of the Year Individuals honored will have greatly improved their company’s digital value through innovation, risk taking, use of new technology, distribution methods and effective marketing. For this entry, the publisher, CEO or corporate executive must provide a letter detailing the nominee’s accomplishments. Provide web links for any supporting work that is not available on the current site.