You Won! Now What? How to Share Your Award News on LinkedIn (Without the Humble Brag)

First things first: congratulations!

You were just named a 40 Under 40 honoree (or picked up another award you worked hard for). That's a big deal. Take a moment and enjoy it.

Now here's the part where a lot of smart, accomplished people freeze up: sharing it on LinkedIn.

I hear it all the time. "I don't want to brag." "It feels self-promotional." "Nobody wants to read about me."

I get it. But let me reframe this for you.

Sharing your award isn't bragging. It's Visibility for you, for your company, and for the people who helped you get there. Your employer gets to show off its talent. Your nominator gets a public thank-you. The organization that honored you gets proof that its program matters. And your network gets a reason to cheer you on.

When you stay quiet, all of that disappears.

So the question isn't whether to share it. It's how to share it so it lands as gratitude, not a humble brag.

Humble brag vs. appreciation post

A humble brag is about you. An appreciation post is about them. That one shift changes everything.

Here's my simple test: if you removed your name from the post, would it still make someone else feel good? If yes, you've written an appreciation post. Hit publish.

Your fill-in-the-blank appreciation post

Copy this, swap in your details, and make it yours. The bracketed lines are where the magic happens, so get specific.

I'm honored to be named one of the @Macomb-County-Chamber's 2026 40 Under 40 honorees. 🏆

Here's the thing, though: nobody gets here alone. So this post isn't about me. It's about the people who helped me get here.

Thank you to:

👉 [@Nominator's name], for nominating me (and for believing in me before I did).
👉 [@Employer or team], for [one specific thing they did, like "giving me room to grow"].
👉 [@Guests' names], for celebrating with me and cheering louder than anyone in the room.
👉 The @Macomb-County-Chamber, for championing young leaders in our community.

And to my fellow 39 honorees: I'm inspired by every one of you. Let's keep cheering each other on long after tonight.

[One sentence about what this honor means for your work or what you're building next.]

📸 A few favorite moments from the night are below.

Why it works: the thank-you list does the heavy lifting. It turns "look at me" into "look at them," and every person you tag is a person likely to comment and reshare. That's how your post reaches far beyond your own network.

Tips to make your post (and your profile) work harder

1. Post while the glow is fresh. Aim for within a week of the event. Life got busy? Anytime in December still works, but aim for the first two weeks. Thanksgiving week is quiet on LinkedIn, so early December is actually prime time.
2. Upload 3 to 6 photos (or more!), and tag the people in them. Photos of real people at a real event stop the scroll. Not sure how to tag? Here's how to tag people in a LinkedIn post: watch the video.
3. Swap the bracketed lines for specifics. Specific thanks reads as gratitude. Generic thanks reads as a humble brag.
4. Feature it. Add your post to the Featured section of your LinkedIn profile, and keep it there through the end of 2027. You've earned it! Here's how to use the Featured section: watch the video.
5. Make it official. Add the award to the Honors and Awards section of your profile. (Can't find it? Click "Add section" at the top of your profile and then select "Honors & awards" to enable the section to appear.) Bonus: you can upload a photo there too, using +Add media.
6. Get over the awkward. You might feel a little silly hitting publish. Do it anyway. Your company, your nominator and your community will be glad you did.
   
   

Beyond the post: build your class

Here's the move most honorees miss: connect with the other 39 on LinkedIn. You're all rock stars, and you just joined a class of people who will be building businesses, leading teams and making things happen in this community for years to come. Send each one a personal invitation. Mention the event. Support each other long after the dinner plates are cleared. Comment on their award announcement posts, too! 

And if you want someone in your corner for the next step, I'd love to connect. I'm Brenda Meller, Chief Engagement Officer at Meller Marketing, and I help professionals and their teams get more visibility on LinkedIn.

• Connect with me on LinkedIn and tell me you read this. I'd love to celebrate your win with you. 
• Want ongoing help? Join my membership community, Marketing with Meller or check out my LinkedIn Services Here.

Congratulations again. Now go hit publish. 🏆