Just like any other for-profit business sector, to stay competitive, organizations in the learning and development industry must differentiate themselves. But standing out in a crowded field isn’t as challenging as you might think. Read on to discover two impactful ways to outpace your competitors.
Harness the power of social media
Among the most far-reaching tools in your competitive toolbox, social media can help you gain a following — as long as you’re consistently sharing engaging content like available courses, noteworthy passing rates, and learner testimonials.
Like any smart growth tactic, gaining those followers begins with a plan.
- Create a social content calendar. Plan out your posts at least a month in advance. Think about how you can incorporate regional happenings, holidays, and of course, your own news and events.
- Choose where you’ll post. Using several social platforms? Consider the audience for and purpose of each. Some platforms are better suited to quick information bursts vs. campaign-style content.
- Decide how often you’ll post. Twice a week? Every Monday? Whenever you have news to share?
- Add relevant hashtags to your posts. Hashtags remain an effective way to engage your audience, particularly when used consistently. Consider how you can drive interest based on your expertise, location, and areas of specialty, for example: #minneapolistrainingcenter #ITtraining #ITcertifications
- Include your social handles in all marketing materials. Drive awareness of your social platforms by placing them prominently in email campaigns, throughout your website and on collateral.
- Comment on related content – especially from influencers. It may get their attention and help get your business noticed.
- Invite former learners and clients to follow your social accounts. You’ve already got a built-in audience. Leverage them to get your follower count off the ground.
Boost certification exam pass rates
Of course, nothing raises your profile more than proof of success, and that means showing strong certification exam passing rates.
One reliable way to increase passing rates is by providing learners with an array of effective training tools. Adding the newest technology to your program — hands-on, virtual training labs — can go a long way to helping you grow those pass rates.
Training labs help you go beyond slide decks and stale videos. By letting learners practice directly in the software environment, they get valuable IT learning content through simulated, real-world exercises.
To make your training packages even more attractive, consider pairing IT certification exam vouchers with your offerings, and encouraging learners to sit for those exams. You can even track certifications awarded to your students and personalize your outreach.
Elevate your competitive profile
A great addition to any learning program, Pearson CertPREP training labs can help set you and your learners up for success. They get valuable training content, while you get another way to differentiate your business – which you can highlight in your social media content and other marketing tactics.
