At the risk of divulging some of our favorite apps, we will admit that there’s something gratifying about being able to demonstrate rejection with a single swipe. In a social scene where you have about five seconds to make a good impression, creating an immediate connection with your audience can do more than get you a date. But how do you get engaging content?
In the world of training and development, you either have engaging content, or you don’t; there’s little in the way of middle ground.
If you’re looking for ways to make your content more engaging, contact us here
With only a few seconds to get your learners to sit up and take notice, old-school tactics could have them swiping left before you ever get to the point. By pumping up the levels of engagement and grabbing your learners’ attention from the first seconds, you have a better chance at a swipe right and a match made in L&D heaven. Here are the four steps you can take to achieve engaging content:
1. Tell a Story
We don’t mean that you should embellish on the truth but rather tell a story because it creates an instant connection between user and content. Since most learners are used to feeling something—humor, interest, sadness, empathy—with the content they experience, they ultimately want the same from their digital learning and training content.
To achieve this, use multimedia as a delivery tool for a movie-like digital learning experience. Remember that top talent is made up of individuals who are actively looking for ways to grow and learn. By making it known that you not only invest in your employees but connect with them on a personal level, you’re more likely to nab the type of talent that makes a difference.
2. Use the Formula
There might be a golden formula for getting more right-swipes on Tinder but there’s definitely a tried-and-tested method for giving learners the engaging content experience they crave. Make sure your training offers:
- 50 percent learning based on the skills they need specifically for their role.
- 25 percent content based on learning gaps, personal feedback, and honing vital skills.
- 25 percent whatever the learner wants to learn, be it photography, French, cooking, or some other pet project. Google actually requires its employees to spend 20 percent of their time on personal projects, with the understanding that this mindset will actually benefit the company with fresh ideas and satisfied employees (the policy is responsible for innovations like AdSense and Gmail).
3. Make it Public
From filters to FOMO, it’s all about putting your best selfie out there to connect on social media. The same goes for attracting top talent and keeping your employees invested. When you can advertise about your positive company culture, it proves that employees are important to your organization and it’s great place to work and grow.
Social media is an underrated power play for cultivating a positive public persona. Get personal on Instagram: share pics of your employees working together; snap a few shots of your holiday party; give a little extra kudos for a job well done in a public forum. It’s a great way to keep employees (and prospective employees) zoned in on your content.
4. Stay On Brand
It’s the corporate equivalent of updating your profile to say that you’re into base jumping when in reality, you’re scared of heights: When you send out internal communications that don’t align with your mission, brand, and culture, you send a confusing message to employees. It’s a surefire way to block a real connection between content and user.
Whether it’s a company slogan or your team mission statement, remember that internal communication should speak to the hearts and minds of those you work with. Leadership should spend time with employees to find out what motivates them, speaks to them, and makes them tick. That intel can be used to create internal communication pieces that engage users while still sticking to the brand tone and overall mission of the organization. No bait-and-switches here.
Whether you’re trying to find a date for Friday night or you’re hoping to motivate your sales team, your engaging content has the biggest influence on the way users react to you. By creating training materials, communications, and social content that really speaks to employees while allowing your organization to stay true to itself, you’re bound to connect and engage for that right-swipe reaction you’re looking for.
