Event Marketing on LinkedIn for Sharp’s 2026 Awards
For Sharp Consultancy’s Young Accountant of the Year Awards 2026, we used event marketing on LinkedIn to build a campaign that increased awareness, encouraged nominations and generated consistent engagement from the finance and accountancy community in Yorkshire.
Through a structured multi-phase strategy focused on storytelling, community engagement and strategic content planning, we used LinkedIn to position the awards as a prestigious celebration of new finance talent while also strengthening Sharp Consultancy’s visibility within the sector.
What is the Young Accountant of the Year Awards?
The Young Accountant of the Year Awards is organised by Sharp Consultancy, one of the leading independent recruitment agencies in Yorkshire, specialising exclusively in the accountancy and finance sectors.
The awards celebrate rising talent in finance and accountancy across West and North Yorkshire, recognising individuals who are currently studying towards, or who have qualified with ICAEW or ICAS within three years post-qualification.
Objectives of the LinkedIn campaign
- The LinkedIn campaign aimed to:
- Raise awareness of the Young Accountant of the Year 2026 awards
- Encourage nominations of early-career accountants
- Showcase credibility through judges and past winners
- Engage stakeholders, including finance and accountancy employers and institutions, such as the Leeds Chartered Accountants Student Society (LCASS)
- Maintain consistent engagement before (including the day before) and after the event
Results & Impact
- Growth in LinkedIn engagement, particularly:
- Average engagement rate of the posts was 67.9%, with the highest engagement rate reaching 162.9%
- Average click-through rate of the posts was 66.4%, with the highest click-through rate reaching 121.4%
- High LinkedIn impressions and reach
- Increased nominations from eligible candidates
- Strengthened visibility and attendance for the Young Accountant of the Year event
Our Strategy and Approach
At The Marketing Optimist, we understand that strategy is key to successful event marketing on LinkedIn, and approached the campaign in three phases:
1. Pre-Event Build-Up:
- Announcing the awards and sharing nomination criteria and link to nominate
- Introducing the judging panel, with interviews about what they look for in winners
- Highlighting past winners and their career progression
- Spotlighting finalists ahead of their interviews
2. Event Build-Up
- Final pre-event engagement content
- Countdown: “1 day to go…” post
3. Post-Event Reflection
- Announcing all winners and category achievements
- Highlighting community and networking by sharing photos of those who attended the evening
- Sharing quotes from the 2026 winners
Content Pillars
Effective event marketing on LinkedIn requires great content. Our campaign content was structured around six pillars:
- Judges & Credibility: Interviews with judges and insights into selection criteria
- Finalists Spotlight: Introductions and anticipation-building posts
- Legacy of Past Winners: “Where are they now?” content highlighting past winners
- Event Countdown: Urgency-driven posts creating excitement
- Winner Announcements: Sharing of results from the awards the next working day after the event
- Post-Event Reflection: Quotes from winners, photos and community celebration by sharing photos of guests who attended the event
This approach allowed us to tell a continuous story that engaged audiences before and after the event.
Creative Execution
We maintained a consistent posting schedule throughout the campaign using a mix of video, carousel storytelling, static graphics, and photography, all aligned with Sharp Consultancy’s existing branding. While ensuring visual consistency, we also introduced subtle differentiation from their day-to-day content to elevate the campaign’s presence.
We understood that when it comes to event marketing on LinkedIn, visuals play a huge part in the event’s online engagement, which is why we enhanced the creative by incorporating more gold accents. This approach provided a distinct, premium feel while still remaining true to Sharp’s overall brand identity.
For Sharp’s Young Accountant of the Year Awards, we introduced a refined use of gold accents across visual assets, giving the awards a more premium, luxury event feel and helping distinguish the campaign as a flagship moment within their day-to-day LinkedIn posting.
Content execution included a strong focus on:
- Video-led content to launch the campaign with impact and drive early engagement
- Carousel and static graphics to tell finalist stories and communicate key updates in a clear, engaging format
- Community tagging of employers, judges, and institutions to extend reach and encourage organic amplification across LinkedIn
Conclusion
Our event marketing on LinkedIn for the Young Accountant of the Year awards 2026 shows how structured storytelling, consistent posting, and strategic engagement can build visibility and community in a niche professional sector. By combining judge interviews, finalist spotlights, heritage content, and post-event reflections, we successfully:
- Highlighted emerging finance talent
- Strengthened Sharp Consultancy’s position as a leading voice in early-career accountancy
- Maintained engagement throughout pre-event, live event, and post-event phases
Get in touch with us today to find out how we can support your event marketing on LinkedIn, and much more.
Beyond Event Marketing on LinkedIn
Want to see more of our work with Sharp Consultancy?
If you’d like to read further on how we’ve helped Sharp Consultancy build visibility and engagement on LinkedIn, and with their wider marketing strategy, click here.
Looking for support with your LinkedIn marketing strategy?
Struggling to know what to post on LinkedIn? You’re not alone, many businesses find it challenging to consistently create content that builds engagement, reaches the right audience, and supports wider marketing goals.
We can help you move forward with a clearer, more effective LinkedIn strategy that delivers real results.
