7 Content Marketing Lessons for Elearning Professionals

Content Marketing is an approach applied to promote products and services through content (in various forms) on different platforms of the Internet. There are certain factors involved in devising and implementing the content marketing strategies. These factors are derived after thorough analysis of the activities that are being performed online, needs and feedback of the customers, right time and right medium to reach out to the targeted customers and, so on. Though elearning and content marking sit in two different buckets and seemingly hold no association, there are many similarities in both of these with very little differences. Most of the times, the differences can be seen in the intended objectives, targeted audience, and the impacts that both of these create for businesses and consumers.

This article is a guide that will help you understand how the features of content marketing can be applied in the different stages of a course development. This article presents seven lessons of content marketing that according to me are already being applied in elearning perhaps without realizing it.

1. Create customers' personas: Create learners' personas

In content marketing, the first thing that we hear, is about the buyer's funnel. The customers personas are created on the grounds of their demographics, geographical locations, needs and their level of association with a business. And, later the personas are segregated in the different stages of the funnel. These stages are: Awareness, Consideration, Decision, Conversion, and Promotion. Now that you have a fair idea about the buyers personas, it becomes easier to resonate the concept with the learners personas.

When you plan to conduct any training, it is important to think before and beyond the actual training hours. One must  perform a thorough need analysis of the intended learners by knowing about the learners' needs, training objectives, their cognitive ability, demographics and so on. Before setting a plan for the training, it is equally, in fact even more important to set a plan to gather the above details correctly, create learners personas, and then segregate them after analyzing the collected details.

2. Document Content Strategy: Devise a training plan

Once you are handy with your learners' personas, you step up to do the second level of job which requires a bit more of brainstorming. As in content marketing, the strategy  revolves around the ad campaigns, timing, location, and medium of contact; similarly, in elearning the strategies contain type of training, medium of conduction, resources needed, length of the training, the approach for assessment among various others. Here, you will certainly appreciate all your hard work that you did in creating the personas.

3. Consistent Content Publishing : Consistency in the execution of the training

Who doesn't want their customers to come back? I don't think, anyone will raise their hand in response to this question. In order to keep your customers visiting you often, first you need to visit them wherever they go on the internet without being a intruder. In content marketing, it is not a good practice to abandon your customers after offering them a bite of a really tasty dish. Keep coming back with the more tasty and avant-grade recipes.
This concept of consistency is applicable in elearning as well, but in a different way. In elearning courses, consistency is significantly followed in the training content, images, length of the course, and style. Make sure you keep the training consistent without making it monotonous.  

4. Storytelling: Storytelling

Stories are one of the most impactful ways of teaching. Whether it is content marketing or elearning, if you want to leave a lasting impression or learning in your customers or learners head, include stories in your marketing and training processes. Believe me, stories are difficult to forget.

5. Analytics and Reporting: Track learning and record post-training feedback

 

In the digital world, you cannot rely on the assumptions or intuitions. Identify what data you have,  what are the sources of data, and how to organize and further use the data to analyze the performance of your marketing and yes, elearning. Incorporate assessments in your training and never miss to solicit training feedback from your learners. It will help you analyze the impact of your training and make amendments in the training material or the process if required.

6. Converting a Visitor to an Influencer: Transform a learning into an experience

"Through your marketing strategy, if you've successfully generated a lead for the business, don't think that it is the end of your job. The actual work starts after you get a customer: delight the customer with your offerings and let him do the rest of the marketing for your business." That's what the content marketing lesson  teaches to the marketers. In elearning, build a strategy to delight your learners. How? Involve them completely in the teaching learning process. As I mentioned earlier, stories are difficult to forget, use stories and scenarios, conduct activities that entail their complete involvement, and make your training itself a story that they can remember for eternity.

7.  Be There Where your Customers are: Be There Where Your Learners are

 

We do live in this world but also we exist and survive more in  the digital world. Make sure you be everywhere for your learners.

I will be pleased to see your views on  this article in the comment section. Do share your knowledge. Let us all E-learn together.

Image sources: Vecteezy, Flaticon, Freepik