Having A Sound Learning Marketing Strategy In Place Is Vital When Launching New Training
You might have invested in an innovative and engaging eLearning course, one that checks all the boxes, but relying on an “If we build it, they will come” philosophy will likely result in few completions and compromised compliance. Just like the external marketplace, you need a well-planned strategy to promote your training product with the goal to engage and connect learners before they even interact with the content. Proactively communicating the benefits of the training program and building a detailed marketing plan will help overcome these obstacles. In this article, PulseLearning shares 5 learning marketing strategy tips that will help you generate authentic interest in your training and boost sign-ups.
1. Promote The Benefits
At a primal level, we are all motivated by experiences that serve our needs in some way. Without appealing to learners on this level and answering the common question, “What’s in it for me?” it’s unlikely that you will be overrun by enthusiastic learners. Your key stakeholders want to know how the training will help them in their day-to-day job and improve efficiencies to save them time on the job. Whether you discuss training requirements in team meetings or through periodic emails, ensure you clearly present and promote the benefits the learner will experience from completion. You could make clear links to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) or discuss how completing training positively affects personal performance plans.
2. Build A Campaign
You’ve seen how movie posters work to capture attention and draw us into a story, so why not generate some buzz about your training? You could have a series of simple posters designed and displayed in the workplace using employees or thought-provoking questions or statements. You could also deliver these through email or post them on your intranet or social network to generate discussion.
3. Incorporate Healthy Competition
Imagine yourself as a child for a moment faced with two options, playtime or a lesson, which do you choose? In fact, as adults, most of us would still choose playtime! Gamification, which incorporates game mechanics into learning experiences, responds directly to this decision by fusing play and learning to enhance engagement. Gamified elements can be included in the actual learning materials themselves or as part of the Learning Marketing Strategy. For example, you could set up a trail of bar codes hidden around the office that employees scan with their smart devices to reveal clues they will require during the training with an incentive for the first person to find them all. You could also use training leaderboards to track completion results or run fun pre-testing office quizzes as a warm-up to the main training event.
4. Make Training Mobile
A typical response from employees when faced with training requirements is often, “I don\’t have time for this.” In today’s fast-paced business environment, you really need to offer ultimate flexibility. Making learning available on mobile devices is a great selling point and your Learning Marketing Strategy should include a plan for moving toward mobile learning. Mobile learning means that it no longer needs to disrupt a busy employee’s work day; instead, training can be completed on the commute home, over a lunchtime coffee, or between work tasks in a more relaxed location.
5. Encourage Discussion
Word of mouth is still the most valuable marketing and advertising tool, even more so with the rise of social media where people say exactly what is on their minds. Social media networks and forums can be a great place to begin an initial discussion about training topics to generate interest, thoughts, questions, and opinions. Generally, some facilitation is required to ensure the conversation remains positive and on topic.
Final Thoughts
Creating a Learning Marketing Strategy and developing a coherent plan will support the needs of your organization and its core team. Through determining the key goals and objectives, identifying your key stakeholders, articulating the training proposition, and choosing the right communication channels, you can greatly increase the value of your training and improve your return on investment (ROI).
Do you want to ensure the success of your training program? PulseLearning can assist you in developing a winning Learning Marketing Strategy to excite and engage your learners. PulseLearning is an award-winning global learning provider experienced in learning consultancy and developing engaging and innovative eLearning and blended training solutions.
