Online learning turned huge when COVID-19 took the world by storm in 2020. From language learning apps, remote tutoring, and online learning experience platforms to video conferencing tools, there has been a significant surge in usage since the pandemic. The e-learning market is expected to grow 20% CAGR from 2022-28 and is projected to reach $350 Billion by 2025.
And why not? Online learning allows people to learn from the comfort of their own homes. Online learning has helped people to gain new skills and explore new areas of learning. According to research, students, on average, retain 25-60% more of the course material through e-learning compared to only 8-10% in a classroom set-up. Online learning lets one learn at one’s own pace, go back and re-read, skip when required, or fast-tracking through the course material as one chooses.
Despite its popularity and relevance, the online learning industry comes with its own set of challenges. Among several other challenges, one of the most daunting ones is keeping the learners engaged and motivated. Because these are the people you will want to cross-sell to. And there are also the ones that will spread positive word of mouth about your platform. This leads us to the next big challenge the e-learning platforms need to resolve. How to attract more learners to the online courses?
We have curated a list of 5 essentials that are a must for attracting learners.
The Subtle Art of Attracting Learners
- Build incredible e-learning experiences
Have you heard the quote “Content is King”? This quote by Bill Gates is all the more applicable, esp. when it comes to online learning course material. Good content translates to more audience. To get more learners, amazing content is a must. Period.
So, how does one make good content? For starters, the course material must be completely up-to-date and on par with your competitors. Employing subject matter experts is a must to create credible, insightful learning modules. The next step is to make the course material engaging. For that, there needs to be a healthy dose of technology, innovation, and creativity. The use of presentations, assessments, and Q&A is imperative to enhance the course content. Once you have good course material in place, the next step is to give a platform for interaction among the learners and subject matter experts. Learners like to have confidence that all their doubts will be resolved while the learning process is underway. - Encourage learner engagement
People in this day and age tend to have a short attention span. Not every online learner is going to be fully dedicated to the online learning experience. The attention of your audiences comes at a premium, especially since people have access to more information they can consume. Hence, it becomes imperative for e-learning providers to employ tools like gamification and microlearning to make the courses interactive and immersive e-learning courses. The training courses need to align with the interests and goals of your learners and they should be able to see the value in your course.
The learning experience needs to be interactive and as there is no in-person learning that takes place, online courses need to have certain elements that foster interactivity, such as live Q&As or Do-It-Yourself activities. - Espouse a culture of referrals
Good course material cannot ensure a large audience. Outbound marketing is a quick and easy way to get people to know about you. As the word spreads through online channels, be it through ads, social media, cold emails, etc., learners tend to get attracted to your organization’s offerings. But it comes at a cost and even then acquiring a relevant audience with high LTV can’t be ensured. This is where creating a culture of referrals comes to the rescue. Incentives can be provided for your e-learners to recommend others. These incentives may be monetary for example, refer a person and get $10, or non-monetary like refer a person and get 20% off in the next course. - Recognition with badges and digital credentials
Certification and badges at the end of the course are an invaluable facet for attracting e-learners to your courses. Certifications not only give a sense of achievement to the learners but also give them a chance to showcase their achievements to their network. Digital credentials act as the digital equivalent of a physical or paper-based document. By issuing digital credentials to learners post their course completion, learners can share these credentials across social media platforms that will not only give them visibility but also spread a positive word about your online learning course. This in turn will drive the interest of people looking for enhancing similar skill sets, to your e-learning platform. One of the most trusted digital credentialing platforms ValidateMe.Online allows easy issuance of digital credentials and badges that are shareable across social media channels. - Encash the audiences of Popular Trainers
With the advent of YouTube and other similar platforms that allow individuals to upload their classes online, without the need for having any learning management system in place, there has been a rise in such trainers. A lot of them have gained popularity solely on the basis of the connection they could create with the audience owing to their teaching styles and their availability at no cost. Featuring such renowned coaches across learning domains will help you garner their existing audiences to your e-learning platform. These coaches will not only act as influencers but also bring expertise to the table.
Online training providers need to deliver quality and stay up to date with the latest technology to gain an edge over their competitors. For example, with ValidateMe.Online, you can incorporate digital credentialing and summon the power of blockchain innovation. There is no dearth of content providers and to stand out, you need to provide some additional value to the learners. Say, for example, the course material should be able to cater to different generations and design the course material such that it is more inclusive. We hope we have given the online training providers enough food for thought on growing the e-learning base. We would love to hear more from you about this post and the ways your organisation wishes to attract more learners! Get in touch with us right away!
