Let’s start with a simple question: Does a L&D have an engagement problem? You probably hear about learning engagement all the time. In fact, you’re probably talking about learner engagement all the time… How do we get our Learners engaged? How do we get them on our learning platform? How do we get them to consume our learning and change their behaviour and their performance as a consequence?
Yes, in some cases, we do have an engagement problem. We do indeed have issues with legacy learning content and defunct learning platforms. But in many cases, I would suggest that there’s a deeper problem lurking and that is a distinct lack of awareness amongst your employees with regards to the learning that you offer.
And that is why we need marketing for learning. Nothing will ever be effective in learning without awareness. It doesn’t matter how much money you spend, how many new shiny things you introduce, or how much technology is involved in your proposition, if your learner’s don’t know it exists.
Fundamentally awareness should be your primary focus.
So, how do we raise awareness?
Well, I wouldn’t be doing this podcast, giving so much away on LinkedIn or working with our clients at MAAS Marketing, if I didn’t believe marketing is key to unlocking success in learning.
There is so much untapped potential within L&D, but you’re doing yourself such an injustice by not taking the time to raise awareness of your learning, continuously and consistently.
The reality of the situation is if we keep doing what we’re doing, nothing’s going to change, right? So, continuing to not put any energy into raising awareness of the learning that you’ve put so much energy into… well, it kind of boggles my mind a bit really.
We’re going to speak more about how to raise awareness in upcoming sessions of the podcast, including why thinking like a marketer is important, learning campaigns and much, But really, if we don’t believe we have an awareness problem, then what’s the point of doing marketing at all?
So, if you don’t want to be the tree in the forest falling that nobody hears… or more realistically, if you don’t want to waste your time and energy on learning, that’s never going to get seen, drive performance or deliver the business results that you want, then you need to focus on getting people to do the learning and that’s it’s firmly in the world of marketing.
So it’s time to challenge your own thinking challenge, your ways of working and doing. And hopefully, even just this little session today, has planted a seed and left you thinking is that really what my problem is? Is my problem really engagement? If your learners aren’t doing the learning or if they’re not accessing your platform, ask yourself “why?”
Why? It’s a pertinent question and we need to start asking it more.
Ashley Sinclair is the host of the Marketing for Learning podcast. Having been a marketer for nearly a decade, Ashley is committed to developing the marketing skills of L&D. She also owns her own marketing agency, MAAS Marketing.
