INTRODUCTION
“How to promote my Training Program? How to attract participants? How to build myself as a brand” are some questions that keep haunting the Corporate Trainers. You take every step to provide the best learning experience & still end up with unfilled seats. The key is to market your Training program effectively. Marketing the program starts with laying out the marketing strategy which involves analysing different problem areas & questions from the point of view of the learner.
After drafting the Marketing Strategy for the Company (Corporate Trainer in our case), the next step is to execute it. Execution involves using different platforms, mediums, tools, softwares etc. Here I have compiled some Ideas which can be used for marketing your Training Programs.
IDEAS TO MARKET TRAINING PROGRAM
- Connect to the Audience
First of all, you need to think from the point of view of your Target Audience. Find answers to some very basic questions which are important to your Target Audience. Like “Why should I care about taking this Training Program?” and “How is this training is going to help me do my job better? Would it help in Professional growth, Skill development, increase in productivity, Cost efficiency, etc.” Plan your promotional campaign based on this. Analyse different platforms & communication methods which can be used like Email, Social Media, podcasts, etc.
2. Email
In B2B world Email is still considered as one of the most effective channels for lead generation. Plan an Email Campaign that promotes an exclusive offer & put a sense of urgency around it like “First 50 registrations would get free access to an online course”. And customise the message according to the existing customer or a prospect.
3. Use Social Media Platforms
Use different Social Media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc. You can make attractive posts on these platforms. Different platforms can be used for different purposes like on FB we can target general learners; On LinkedIn we can target professional people. We can also classify on the basis of content we post on these platforms. FB can be used for uploading reviews, Videos, general info, Training Programs, Marketing based posts. LinkedIn can be used for Blogs, Learning sessions, Industry updates etc. Twitter can be used for event updates & Industry news..
4. Youtube Marketing
Youtube is really useful for Corporate Trainers. Through Youtube you can build your fan following. All the videos of different seminars or Training programs can be uploaded here. Or you can make exclusive educational content & educate the learners so that learners can have a feel of how you train. Use of better video & sound quality gives desired results.
5..Content Marketing
Content Marketing is the buzzword nowadays. Every other company is opting for Content Marketing because it allows you to connect directly with the audience. But you need to focus on Quality Content which should be original & relevant. Content should be designed according to different Groups & different platforms. Delivering quality is all the more important for Corporate Trainers because it would be a deciding factor for the learners to opt for their Training Programs or not. If they do not understand what is being conveyed through a blog, how would they be sure about the Training Program. It will also help your company to establish as an Industry expert. Use all the necessary tools required to make it presentable. You can also reach out to Industry influencers & ask them to write about your Training Program.
6. Share Buttons on Blogs
Don’t forget to embed a lot of share buttons on any Blog, Article, Tutorial, Training modules, so that it can easily be bookmarked, emailed, exported, printed or shared on various communication platforms.
7.Be organised in Digital marketing efforts
You need to keep a track on the Digital marketing efforts you are putting in because consistency really pays off well. Whether you are doing Social Media posts , blogging, SEO related activities, backlinking etc it needs to be documented so that you can control the frequency of these activities.
8.Case Studies
Let the results of your work speak for themselves by creating case studies to showcase your greatest successes. People should get the sense that you would be able to help them.
9.Use Webinars
Run a webinar where you can invite as guest-speakers some of the clients that have already gone through the program. Focus on how did they benefit & increased their outcome. Eg “We saved Rs 20,000 as now I can create the campaigns myself & don’t need the consultant anymore.” Prospective learners can relate to this as they are already looking for increasing their productivity, skillset, or save money.
10.Social Proof
From Amazon reviews to case studies, the easiest way to convince someone that something is valuable is to show them that other people also think so. This is called ‘social proof’, and you can turn this powerful marketing technique to your advantage. It can be anything from a brief quote to a testimonial, video. It can be shared on multiple places like website, social media pages, etc.