The growth of the online training market is evident. In 2022, it reached $67.9 million in Europe (Source: Imarc). By 2028, it is expected to be much higher: $137 billion. And for a good reason, learners appreciate the efficiency, speed, and accessibility of this form of training.
Moreover, companies find it advantageous to develop the skills of their employees, especially since 30% of activities will be automated by 2030. Until then, human resources will need training.
What opportunities for training organizations! However, despite the interest from learners, knowing how to launch your training is key. The competition is fierce!
Discover all the strategies and steps to successfully launch an online professional training program.
Analyze the market
Before offering any training, you must understand the needs and expectations of future learners. The secret? Identify the most sought-after skills in the professional field. This way, the training promises a viable and quick career path.
To achieve this, you need to conduct a survey. It’s the only way to gather reliable and usable data. You should question active citizens and those who are unemployed. You should also speak with employers to identify the talents they are seeking.
Additionally, you need to know your target audience, which must first be defined. All subsequent steps depend on the type of learners being targeted. Indeed, the training organization will adapt its content and communication strategies accordingly.
Finally, analyze the competition. What training do they offer? What methods do they use? Be careful not to blindly copy their training program. The goal is to identify what competitors are already doing, what works and what doesn’t, what they excel at, and what could be improved. This way, you can innovate and offer better training solutions.
Define training objectives
To offer consistent training, you must first know your own objectives:
- Pedagogical objectives
- Operational objectives
Never forget: a good objective is always SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound. It’s highly recommended to think big, but you need to stay realistic. Each objective should align with the needs of the learners and current trends to ensure the success of the training.
Design rich and up-to-date content
Learners have access to various resources on the internet. So, when they pay for professional training, they expect to get value for their money. The content offered must be rich and well-documented. It must also be adapted to the current context. This is about the substance. In terms of form, the training program must meet two criteria:
- Immersive learning
Learners are tired of lectures and theoretical courses. They prefer to jump straight into practice. This way, they immediately link the course content to real-life cases. You could offer:- Quizzes
- Case studies
- Simulation exercises
- Virtual Reality
- Augmented Reality
- Serious games, etc.
- Personalized training
With classroom courses disappearing, trainers can now provide individualized training. They can even use algorithms to adapt the learning path based on each individual’s performance. The same applies to the teaching methods and materials. You need to know what makes the learner comfortable: videos, infographics, podcasts, etc. Learners are more likely to engage when the training is tailored to their needs.
Launch strategies
The goals are to attract learners’ attention and spark their interest. Moreover, strategies are only effective when all elements are well thought out.
- Pre-launch communication
Launching a training program takes months of preparation. Teasers of the content should be prepared so that learners get an idea of the skills they will acquire and want to know more. Additionally, anticipation makes the training more attractive. If this tactic works for movies, it will certainly be effective for training programs too.Tip:
Use a reverse planning method to stay organized. List the activities and steps to follow, clearly specifying deadlines. - Different communication channels
To launch a training program, you need to reach as many people as possible. All means are good, although some channels will be more effective than others.
Must-have: the training organization must have a dedicated webpage for its training solutions. Prospective learners will find all the necessary information there and will be able to contact the organization. Presence on social media is also crucial. Initially, you don’t have to be everywhere. Facebook and LinkedIn are the most relevant platforms for launching a training program. Additionally, it’s important to send newsletters regularly. This is the main way to reach VIP clients. - Build a learner community
In truth, this is the ultimate step to launching a training program. Prospective learners need to familiarize themselves with the training organization before they decide to buy anything. It’s essential to establish contact and interact regularly. A community already demonstrates a certain level of engagement on social networks. When the training is launched, there is a higher chance of interest from the community.
The importance of SEO
SEO is inseparable from a good communication strategy. It ensures the visibility of all actions, whether on the web or social networks. Therefore, you need to produce as much content as possible for the website. Blog articles and brief educational resources should be prepared to demonstrate the organization’s expertise.
At the same time, readers satisfy their curiosity. For SEO, don’t forget relevant keywords, internal linking, and backlinks.
