Talk to me about digital credentialing

I searched the forum and this topic does not exist. Therefore I will create the discussion surrounding it. I want to talk about digital badges and credentials used for marketing. What do you know about them? How do they work for you? How can they be applied? How do you show them off? I have an example but it is of my own and I don't want to be flagged for self-promotion - so I won't share my own. But I think you guys know of these things called digital credentials and/or digital badges. They look good and are nifty but what do you think about them for real? Let me know (fyi everyone) I am no expert on the matter.

 

Yes, badge authority would be something that needs to be considered in order to determine the value of having one on your site. Ones that you get just by signing up are just like getting digital stickers. This would have to rely on the institutions' issuing the badges reputation and niche credibility. Hospitals are using internal badge systems for employee engagement and development.

 

I think that some companies here in the U.S., find value in being certified by the Better Business Bureau (BBB). I have never bothered with it, however, as I see it more as a B2C thing. There is still a fair amount of credentialing in the IT space. E.g., many businesses would rather buy a Cisco switch from a Cisco Certified Partner.

About five years ago, when I was in the telecom reseller space, we used to lead with the fact that were at the highest Avaya Partner level and led the homepage with that "badge." It told our savvy prospects that we got the best discounts on product and also had the most training/expertise amongst the other vendors. It was a big deal to a lot of businesses.

 

Thank you for providing such a great example of digital credentials being used for marketing. I would trust a company more if it were certified by the better business bureau for sure and showed me proof via valid credentials.

Now this application of digital credentialing is interesting because it comes from the vendor of a specific product. These are intended for people who work with the products directly - not necessarily the end-users of the product. I hadn't thought about these but, IT skills are definitely promotable with those digital badges. These express familiarity and knowledge with specific technical products.

Thanks for sharing this story of actively putting digital badges on homepage in order for customers/prospects to see. It is a great thing to run and lead with. You gave serious examples of what I was wanting to explore - I don't find the notion of digital badges as comical anymore. I see now they have multiple, valid applications in marketing. It can still be a big deal to both clients & companies.