eLearning can be a good way to generate revenue for your business. Some companies focus entirely on producing educational content to sell while others try to monetize their internal training material. In either situation, it can be very profitable to have a plan in place to engage learners after they finish a course. You want them to return to you for all their training needs, after all. That’s why it’s important not to overlook the benefits of using your LMS while marketing your products to repeat customers.
Learner Engagement Tip 1: Build Learning Paths & Group Related Courses
Retail stores will often suggest similar products when a customer is looking at a product page. It works the same in the physical store, where impulse buy items may be displayed next to related merchandise. For example, packages of tissues next to the cold medicine or batteries next to toys that need them.
You can do the same thing with your LMS. Group related courses together to grab learners’ attention. Someone working through a course on customer service might also be interested in one on email etiquette or communication. A user studying web development might also be interested in a course on becoming an expert Chrome developer.
Use your LMS’s course catalogs to help you create a list of available content that will appeal to the learner. Many platforms also include learning paths, which are very helpful when selling certification courses. Show learners the exact set of courses they must complete to meet their educational goals. They will be much more likely to buy the content from you if they don’t have to spend a lot of time looking for it.
Learner Engagement Tip 1: Attract a Community with Social Media
Social media is another powerful tool used to market products and services. Many LMS products will connect to popular social media platforms or provide built-in communities. Make full use of these by engaging people and sharing content related to your products.
Do you have a new set of courses that will be released soon? Post it to your community. Make announcements about improvements, special offers, and available content to get people interested. It’s also a good way to remind past customers that you are available for all of their educational needs.
When marketing to social media audiences, it can be helpful to offer single sign-on. You can provide access to accounts by letting the user enter an existing password and username for a site they already frequent, like Facebook, which currently sees activity from over 1.79 billion users monthly. It’s more convenient and will make your service more attractive to those who use a third-party platform like Facebook or Google.
Learner Engagement Tip 1: Expand Your Learning Content with Authoring Tools
Authoring tools are a common find on LMS features’ lists. While each collection of tools will vary, they are generally designed to allow the user to create unique content. This can usually be done without the help of a developer or designer. Use this to your advantage by creating high-quality content that your audience will be interested in buying. If you have courses available already, consider how you could diversify your catalog or add more detail to it. Delve deeper into advanced topics, create refresher courses, or consider adding beginner level content to give timid learners a taste of what you offer.
There are many directions you can go when creating content. The key thing to remember is to look at your course catalog from your customers’ point of view. Are there any gaps in topics or skill levels? If so, fill them in to start generating more revenue. This is a good way to become your audience’s go-to resource for training material and will help establish your organization as an authority in your industry.
Learner Engagement Tip 1: Automate Follow-Up Emails & Announcements
Automation can save you a lot of time, especially when managing courses for hundreds or thousands of learners. Some LMS platforms include automated reminders and announcements. This gives you an easy way to communicate with your audience without sending individual messages. Setup auto-notifications to announce the release of new content or improvements to your product or service.
Depending on how advanced your LMS features are, you may be able to create different groups for auto emails. This can be beneficial when trying to target your email blasts. For example, create a group of users who are working towards a certain certification. Then you can email them when a special offer on a course they need is available. You can create more general messages for a bigger audience or narrow down the focus to increase clicks and buys or subscriptions.
Learner Engagement Tip 1: Host Live Events That Are Accessible Through Your LMS
Doing things in-person is a really good way to connect with your users and potential customers. Small businesses who serve local clientele may be able to do this frequently, but for those who serve a larger geographic area, it’s just not feasible. Your LMS may provide a way to host live events and make them accessible to those who are not close enough to be there in person.
Some platforms include built-in tools that allow you to host presentations and webinars. As long as you have the audio and video equipment, you can transmit the entire event live through the LMS. Users can login and watch. Chat and social media can add another dimension by allowing those long distance participants to speak to you or your staff. Have someone assigned to responding to social media and chat during the event to make sure it’s engaging to everyone. This will also encourage people to come back and participate in the next live event.
Other platforms may not offer built-in tools but may integrate with third-party apps that allow you to do the same thing. Services like GoToWebinar or YouTube are available and may already be integrated with the system you use.
If you are concerned about the cost of putting together an in-person live event, you could start by hosting online-only events. Setup in your office or facility and engage participants online the same way (only without the physical meet-and-green aspect). You won’t have to rent space or buy supplies, and you can still increase engagement with your audience.
Success Goes Beyond Just One Class
Your success and the success of your learners goes beyond just one class. Take steps to introduce your audience to your newest content or encourage them to check out your existing catalog and further their knowledge. You can earn more revenue, and your learners can enrich their minds and hone their skills.
