Industry Survey finds Certifying Agencies Missing Marketing Opportunities

In May 2009, Seacrest Company distributed an industry survey that was completed by 124 representatives from certifying agencies. The goals of the survey were to gather information, set benchmarks and identify strategic questions to assist in planning. The survey found that while more than 70% of certifying agencies have developed a marketing plan, only nearly 60% use it. The survey also found that 37% of certifying agencies do not have staff members who are dedicated to marketing, and that 42% said their marketing budget has decreased because of the economy.

While it seems as though social networking tools are everywhere we look these days, 83% of agencies said they do not currently have a blog, while 60% said they don’t use any social networking tools at all. The survey found that the top goals of certifying agencies are to increase the number of certificates and raise awareness of the certification, however they are facing the challenge of not having enough money and staff when it comes to meeting these goals. Lastly, the survey found that the tactics that get the best results are; word of mouth, website and email, but that 80% of agencies surveyed said their organization is missing marketing opportunities. The results of this survey are important to the industry because they identify common challenges and share successful strategies.