4 Ways to make a mark with your certificate

Congratulations on earning your certification! This achievement not only reflects your compliance with quality standards but also presents an opportunity to enhance your marketing efforts. Here are four ways to help you make the most of your certification.

Certification indicates that your business's products, services, processes, or systems meet certain standards. This not only improves the quality of your operations but also strengthens your relationships with customers, investors, and other stakeholders. Third-party certification provides a competitive edge. Are you fully utilizing this advantage?

Certificates are more than just framed documents; they come with recognizable icons you can display on your website, products, and even transport vehicles. These icons have proven valuable for many companies, giving your business an extra boost.

Here are some effective ways to highlight your certification and the quality it represents through marketing.

1. Clarify Your Message

What does your certification say, and what can you say about it? You’ve put a lot of work into making sure your product, service, system or process meets the required standards to earn the certificate, so it’s a good idea to make sure you clarify your message before you start promoting it.

Differentiate between a certificate and a mark. For instance, while the CE mark is beneficial for products traded in Europe, it doesn’t necessarily highlight the quality of your business. Conversely, an ISO 14001 certificate demonstrates environmental responsibility, setting you apart from competitors.

2. Leverage Third-Party Validation

Research has shown that marketing is most effective when it includes positive messages from others, such as word-of-mouth recommendations. People trust friends, peers, and independent third parties more than unfamiliar companies.

Being awarded a certificate by a certification body puts you in a great position – after all, it is effectively an independent third party saying something positive about your company. Independent certification bodies act as a third party between producer (you) and consumer (your customer). And since someone’s already done the talking, you can share their message rather than shaping your own.

3. Spread the word

When you receive the certification, you could announce it with a press release, newsletter article, email announcement, news article on your website and social media posts. Think about all the communication channels at your disposal. You could add the certification mark to traditional printed materials, such as flyers and business cards, and in any advertisements you place. As well as a dedicated webpage with an electronic copy of the certificate, you could also add a note to the footer of every web page, with a link to the certification body. 

Don't forget internal communication. Share the news on your intranet, via email, and encourage employees to post on their social media, providing them with sharable content like website articles and photos. Consider hosting a celebratory event to acknowledge the achievement and thank those involved.

4. Engage your stakeholders

Effective communication with stakeholders involves more than just sending out a message. Gather feedback to refine your approach and ensure you’re reaching the right audience through the right channels. Track the effectiveness of your efforts by monitoring website traffic, advertising conversion rates, and social media engagement.

Ask stakeholders if they noticed your certification and their thoughts through a brief online survey. Their input will help you develop a more effective outreach plan for future certifications, making customers feel more connected and involved.