How to Plug Digital Credentials into Your Marketing Strategy

People argue that marketing isn’t just one aspect of business operations – it is the business.  When executed correctly, marketing can have a substantial, positive impact on revenue and brand awareness. This is why organizations spend so much time, focus, and money on marketing efforts to reach their target audience.

With the abundance of marketing channels, such as billboard ads, TV commercials, digital, social, and emails, it’s hard to set your brand apart from all of the noise. However, there is a way to break through the market and build brand awareness by incorporating digital credentials into your marketing essentials.

Digital credentials have surfaced as a useful marketing tool across a variety of industries such as corporate training, career development and certifications, and higher education.  If your organization utilizes digital credentials, there are multiple things you can do to build their marketing strength.

When the challenge is boosting your branding and standing out from the competition, there are four ways that incorporating digital badges can help.

Social

Social media has around 3.4 billion users.  Its value as a marketing powerhouse is beyond question. With digital credentials as part of your organization’s social media strategy, you can drive brand awareness, strengthen your company’s online reputation, and increase engagement among individuals who earn your badges by creating brand evangelists.

Engage with individuals who share your digital credentials online. Retweet, “Like,” or even personally congratulate them on their achievement.  This amplifies their voice and creates new engagement opportunities among your badge earners.

Encourage employees to share certifications on their social platforms.  Employees that serve as brand ambassadors cement relationships with existing audiences, and create opportunities to connect with new audiences as well.

Email

Despite the noise of 300 billion emails being sent each day, email marketing is still one of the most effective ways for businesses to interact with customers and make those connections meaningful.

Employees adding digital credentials to their email signatures will increase the authority of their communications and brand awareness from the moment the email is opened.  Displaying employees’ credentials along with the company logo can increase interest and engagement between the customer and the employee.

Likewise, encourage external badge earners to incorporate their digital credentials into their email signatures, as well.  Credentials are a way to establish credibility for your earners and enhance your brand reputation in a professional setting. 

Online

As a marketer, your core emphasis lies on ensuring your efforts drive quality traffic to your company’s website. And when digital credentials drive impressions, they also drive traffic.

Digital credentials are meant to be seen and shared. When earners share badges, they create opportunities for people to not only click to validate their credentials but also to learn more about what it takes to earn your credential. Create an impactful landing page for each of your digital credentials so potential earners see the badge and the underlying skills it represents. This landing page is a great place for new earners to start a trial period or purchase process. The more eyes you have on the page, the more recognition you’ll have for your mission.

Events

Events are an important marketing effort because they provide the opportunity to build relationships with customers and prospects. As events go virtual, don’t miss an opportunity to build tight messaging bonds among your organization, products, and credentials.

Events place such an emphasis on generating brand awareness, so it’s important to ensure your brand is at the forefront among attendees. Include digital badges in your graphics and sponsorship materials.  You’ll create conversations and stimulate questions regarding your organization’s products, programs, and missions to encourage employee development.

Today, having a great product or service is only half the battle.  Reinforcing engagement within your organization is a major aspect of brand success.  This process doesn’t happen overnight but, by utilizing modern tactics like digital credentials, you can uncover your unique space in the market and assist your brand in standing out.