Long gone are the days of rudimentary tools like fax machines and file cabinets. Now, the software available on the market allows you to manage, administer and report on client data at the touch of a button. Finances and marketing activity can also be easily automated.

Effective course management software serves not only to alleviate the existing administrative headaches that the learning world faces, but also to nurture new business leads.

Training companies looking to build new business leads will find it becomes a much easier and more efficient process when using technology to support the marketing effort. The role that technology plays in marketing  training and development businesses is a significant one, and the following functions are some of the most effective available:

 

1. Email Marketing

Email marketing is an important part of an effective marketing strategy as it allows organisations to share content and engage with potential clients. This software can build the foundation for engagement and open the path for communication. It is crucial that the emails you are sending provide value to the recipients as well as high quality, concise content to drive engagement. In order to maximise the potential of your email marketing strategy, emails should be personalised with identifiable mail merge fields as well as providing an opt-out function to comply with spam regulations. Using email database software, as supplied with our Course Manager software, training companies can filter and target emails to decision makers. Further, they can track open rates and links clicked which helps to identify which content is attracting the most attention.

 

2. Surveys and Feedback

Surveying and collecting feedback is an important stage of marketing for any training company looking to nurture leads – this is a way of reciprocating communication and interaction. Imagine creating a whitepaper report for prospects to read and engage with and you actually have a list of topics that your target market have said they would be interested in hearing about! Make sure your surveys are branded and that a bank of check boxes and text options are ready and available to accommodate the differing range of opinions. Consider giving recipients something back, ie Fill out this survey and be in with the chance of winning a bottle of Champagne. 

3. SMS

The popularity of technology like smartphones has meant that more often than not the most effective way of communicating with anyone is through their mobile. Depending on the data available within your customer relationship management (CRM) software, marketing can be so effective when using SMS. Why? Well, it allows organisations to filter and target their customers in a way that is personal but not intrusive. Far better than daily calls with: “Are you ready to buy from me yet?”

4. Promo Codes and Discounts

We live in the age of deals and offers, so managing your new business campaigns so that promotional codes and discounts can be allocated and personalised is essential.  Promotions such as early bird and volume discounts can encourage registration to your training programme and help attain the return on your investment you require. Discounts can be automated to offer a reduction of a fixed percentage.

Marketing remains an essential part of the business mix in the learning and development world. For training businesses to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive world, automation is crucial. Once companies could fax or send letters to prospects, today email, social media and email marketing have become incredibly important.

Dave Evans
accessplanit: Specialist in Learning Management System software