Every year you hear “check out this place, it’s amazing” and “I just had the best food at…” and now it’s your chance to vote on who is the best in our 2020 Best of Milwaukee campaign!
(With our two-stage voting system that has drawn a record number of voters over the past couple years, we want to make sure you have all the tools you need to give your business (or your favorite locals!) the edge.
In the first stage, we give readers complete power with an open-ended ballot form that includes 319 categories from Best Burger to Best Local Character and Best Doggy Day Care.
In the final stage, just the top nominees make it in and voting shifts to a multiple choice form. The top votegetter in each subcategory is named the Best of Milwaukee!
This is a completely reader-driven vote. Our editors have no say in the winners.
Feel free to use anything you want from this page to help get you over the top! The ballot's 319 awards are divided up into 15 categories. Check which category you're in and start promoting!
First, the essential info:
When: Nominations: Sept. 17-Oct. 15 Final Voting: Nov. 5–Dec. 3 Rules: - One vote per person per category for each round - You must vote in at least 5 categories to make your ballot valid - Voters must provide a valid email address to be entered - You are not permitted to fill out or submit ballots on behalf of another individual Full Ballot: ShepherdExpress.com/BOM20 Direct Link to Your Section: Arts & Entertainment Body, Mind & Spirit Bought and Sold City Confidential Dining Out Home Improvement LGBTQ Locally-Owned Retail Food and Drink Medical Milwaukee Food & Beverages Milwaukee Music Out and About Real Estate Services Rendered Sports and Recreation
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What We're Doing
Shepherd Express markets Best of Milwaukee to residents and frequent visitors through as many channels as humanly possible, including:
- Print advertisements in Shepherd Express during the nomination round, finals round and once the winners are announced
- Online and mobile advertising across the Shepherd website and our Facebook page
- Email marketing to Shepherd Express network
- Posters at interested venues
What You Can Do: 9 Ideas
- Share the appropriate ballot link on your Facebook page during the voting period. After all, you'll need to get some love from your customers in order to make it into the finals round. Use the hashtag #BestofMilwaukee. You can link directly to any subcategory, just click the subcategory in the navigation to discovery the full link.
- Download the image at the top of this article and share it on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with links to vote.
- Tell your employees to vote for you and direct them to ShepherdExpress.com/BOM20.
- Purchase an online ballot ad. There's still space in many categories. Contact your sales representative today to talk about available opportunities.
- Snap and post a behind the scenes pic of some of your employees voting on their phone with a link to the ballot.
- Snap and post a pic of the exterior of your business with a link to the ballot.
- Display provided marketing materials for Best of Milwaukee in prominent places.
- Promote your participation in Best of Milwaukee on your website.
- Prompt employees to talk with customers about voting in Best of Milwaukee.
So get out there and make sure your customers know about your campaign to win your business' Best of Milwaukee category!
