L&D SHOULD STEAL FROM MARKETING
Do you listen to podcasts? They’re great for everything, from news to entertainment to… you guessed it: Learning! In this episode of The Future of Learning, host Lloyd Dean speaks with L&D speaker Mike Taylor about how marketing can (and should) change the way you develop learning experiences.
[2:01] “Why should people from learning & development steal ideas from marketing?”
They share common goals:
Both are trying to get people’s attention and
Both are trying to get people to think and act in new ways
Image from lloyddean.co.uk
[3:55] “There’s a reason you’ve never seen a billboard with bullet points”
You don’t get someone’s attention with facts and figures. Instead, you need to appeal to their emotions, persuade them subconsciously, and then provide those bullet points to drive the point home.
[6:45] “People aren’t sitting by waiting for new training materials”
Context is key. A clear call-to-action can set the tone instantly.
Once you have attention, get to the point.
Don’t waste time and space on “how to use this material”. Simplicity and intuitiveness will do that job for you.
[9:50] Objection: “That’s not in my job description”
If “doing your job well” is part of your description, you have to go outside of the traditional lanes set for your field of work.
[16:40] “Expecting everybody to come to the LMS is unreasonable”
Marketers don’t force people to come to their website. What’s the best way to reach your employees? An internal email campaign may get the job done.
You can then connect actions back to the LMS, either directly or using a newer platform with API capabilities.
[24:30] “Get to know your marketing department”
Marketing typically has the assets and talent that you may be able to borrow. If they can’t be tasked with items to help you, they may have already completed materials you can borrow elements from to reuse.
[37:20] “They lived”
A recent Subaru commercial tells a powerful story in 30 seconds with just two words.
The visuals and emotional components tell a comprehensive story about safety features without listing out a full spec sheet and technical reviews
[42:52] “It’s okay to have fun with a project”
Corporate training doesn’t mean a complete lack of personality.
This is a great episode to help you look at your job from a different viewpoint. Lots of great real world examples and takeaways!