You already know that the people who buy and use your product love what you offer, how you bring it to market and how it makes them feel. And while that on its own is great, wouldn’t it be nice if your brand loyalists had a way to show the world how much they love your brand?
This is where digital badging programs come in.
People love to have their skills and passions validated. As a brand you have the power to make that happen for your biggest fans. After all, you know your brand like the back of your hand and are in the best place to educate loyal customers on what being a true fan means.
On top of that, embracing digital badges can help improve engagement, extend brand reach and maybe even drive new revenue. If you aren’t convinced yet, here are three more reasons you should think about offering digital badges.
1. Educate the influencers
You likely already have countless advocates spreading the word about your brand on social, but how do you know that they have the latest information on your products and services? The answer is simple: You don’t. Despite the best intentions it’s possible that your biggest fans are misquoting features, stats and maybe even pricing.
You want influencers to share their enthusiasm for your brand with their social sphere but it’s critical that you arm them with accurate information. Not doing so can cause confusion among potential and current customers and dilute your value proposition.
Posting blogs and podcasts along with your Instagram Stories can get you part of the way there, but it isn’t enough to climb above the noise anymore.
2. Drive value with scarcity
Short courses built from content you’re already generating creates opportunities to inform, assess and certify your brand’s biggest fans.
For example, if you’re thinking about using shiplap in your next home renovation project wouldn’t you consider a Magnolia-certified designer over others? Or if you want to master Wall Street and stock investing, then Mad Money’s Jim Cramer is your go-to guy, which is why TheStreet, which Cramer cofounded, offers badged courses on investing. Bottom line: If prospective customers are looking for insider knowledge, you want them to have the resources to find the best in the business.
3. The bling is the thing
If you’ve ever used Twitter, then you know the blue checkmark of a verified account. Everyone covets that type of recognition and as a brand, you are uniquely positioned to offer the equivalent of a blue check.
In other words, your brand’s badge can connote status. Selectivity and scarcity make them valuable. And that value gives them prestige in the community of your fans.
A badge can even go one step further by traveling across social channels and providing a measure of real tangible skills. As a brand, you can help your most loyal customers achieve their goals while also helping you spread the word on your brand.
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Vineet Madan is the founder and CEO of Junction Education, a learning platform-as-a-service company that is at the forefront of helping content companies from publishers to online media firms grow their revenues from courses, digital badging and credentials.
