Welcome to the final article: How to promote your ISO certification – part 3. You’ll remember that we focussed on how to inform your colleagues in Part 1. And sharing your news using everyday activities in Part 2. Here, we’re going to look at how you can use your success to promote your business beyond your staff and existing clients. That is, to a far wider audience of potential customers. We hope you find these pointers useful.
Congratulations – you’ve successfully gained ISO certification or recertification! Naturally, this is big news for your business and definitely something worth shouting about. But how do you spread the word? And what channels can you use to reach a new audience of potential customers?
External communication
You can make people sit up and take notice of your news in a number of ways. Perhaps make your announcement fun and quirky. Or, leave the audience in no doubt that they will gain directly from your company’s ISO certification. Now, more than in either Part 1 or Part 2, the importance of showcasing the benefits of ISO certification come into play. So give careful consideration to its value for your customers, prospects and suppliers.
How to promote your ISO certification using your website
It’s likely that you’re already using your website as a way of telling your clients your news. Here are a few ways that you can make the announcement of your ISO certification on your site:
- Display the ISO logo(s) as provided by your ISO certification body. Ideally in the footer, so that it appears on every page.
- Create a press release and photo. Then add these to your News section.
- Write a blog post about any improvements your customers can expect as a result of your ISO certification. Again, a photo will make the content more user-friendly.
How to promote your ISO certification using social media
Social media is a great way to connect with existing and potential customers, promote your brand and generate leads. Whatever flavour of social media you prefer – Facebook, LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram – the basics are the same:
- Firstly, update your bio or profile content to include that your business is ISO certified.
- Then, create posts to announce that your business has become ISO certified. Include an eye-catching photo: Perhaps of your team holding the certificate. Or an image with the name of your standard surrounded by confetti or balloons. Maybe quotes from your staff about the positive impact for customers.
- Remember to use hashtags in your posts. This is a quick way for people to find content they’re interested in. If you include relevant hashtags, such as ‘#ISO9001’, ‘#ISOCertification’ or ‘#QualityManagementSystem’ then your company’s posts will appear when someone types that phrase on social media. By using hashtags, you can appear in front of significantly more pairs of eyes than your existing number of followers or connections, instantly raising the profile and reach of your brand for all the right reasons.
- Alternatively, you can use paid advertising to increase the reach of your posts. The benefit of paid ads on social media is that you can target your message to specific audiences which closely match the profile of your customer-type. These are more likely to be interested in your posts. Take a look at Facebook Ads, LinkedIn Ads, X Ads (formerly Twitter Ads) and Instagram Ads and see what works for you.
- Another way to broaden the reach of your posts is for your staff to share them to their own connections. Instant amplification of your message!
- By including a link to your company website in your posts, you will drive traffic back to your site. This enables people to learn more about you and offers additional ways for them to get in touch with you, which may generate new business.
How to promote your ISO certification via traditional media
You don’t have to have in-house public relations expertise to get your name out there if you follow these tips:
Local newspapers/online news websites
Although local papers are still very popular, many have moved from being printed to distributing their news online. Either way, you can find contact details online and then send over a press release about your ISO certification with a photo. Be warned! Journalists are inundated with press releases. So, use a strong story or interesting photo to catch their attention. This is likely to increase the chance of the media publishing your announcement.
You could also call the business editor and have a chat about how you can make your news more newsworthy. Suggest an interview with your CEO or offer a ‘day in the life of your business’ feature.
Finally, you can buy advertising space and work with the publication to create an advertorial feature. This is an alternative to running a ‘traditional’ advertisement as the content will appear in a similar format to an article. But this still offers the opportunity for you to inform readers that your business is celebrating its ISO certification success.
Trade press
Depending on your industry or sector, the trade press can offer a really effective way to let your peers know about your ISO certification success and raise your business’s profile. Again, share your press release, offer to give an interview or suggest a subject for a feature.
And there you have it! Plenty of ideas for promoting your ISO certification achievement, within your business and to the outside world. Are you pressed for time? Or do some of these pointers appear ambitious? Well, don’t worry; simply cherry pick the ones which offer a quick solution for getting the message out. Then sit back as your business’ profile and reputation enjoys an upswing.
We hope you’ve found this series on how to promote your ISO certification useful and would love to hear your feedback. Don’t forget to head to our Insights page regularly for our latest tips and advice as well as Parts 1 and 2 of this series for more practical pointers for promoting your ISO certification achievement!
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