Create an elearning campaign in three simple steps

You’ve spent weeks developing the perfect content, not to mention investing money on animations, interactive video and scenario building.

You have an amazing elearning course for your staff and yet, no one seems to know about it. Only a small percentage of your workforce have actually logged on and completed it, despite the fact that they would benefit hugely from what’s on offer.

How do you fix this? How do you make sure everyone is aware and taking advantage of the elearning you worked so hard to deliver?

Think of your elearning course as just one part of an overall campaign. The training might be the most major element but there are other communication activities that need to take place to support and enhance it.

Step 1

Firstly you need to communicate what is going to happen. Make your staff aware of the upcoming training; what it is designed to achieve, how it will work, when it will be available and how long it will take them.

Think about what channels you already have to achieve this. Maybe you have an internal newsletter, a company noticeboard or intranet where you could post information. Or perhaps developing a screensaver or putting up posters would be more effective for your particular organisation.

Step 2

The next part of the campaign is to notify staff as soon as the elearning is available for them to complete. Branded emails with a clear call to action encourage employees to login, telling them how to access the content and why it will benefit them. You can also follow up with reminder emails and messages via a newsletter or intranet.

Introducing an element of competition encourages learners to complete the course quickly, for example an online leaderboard can show which departments within the organisation have fully completed and which are yet to. Mandatory training should also have deadline dates to instil a sense of urgency.

Step 3

Communication doesn’t end once the course is completed either. In order to ensure that the learning has been effective and that staff have absorbed the key messages, it’s a good idea to provide follow-up questions or refreshers based on the course content. These can be sent at regular intervals to monitor knowledge retention and provide additional support where needed.

Keeping a consistent look and feel across all these elements links everything together. Creating a single brand identity for an elearning campaign helps reinforce the messages and engage with learners.

Author: Emma Clark, Marketing Manager at Sponge