Evolution is at an all-time high in businesses, so companies must continuously upskill their employees to remain competitive. The Future of Jobs Report estimates that 35% of the primary skills needed by workers have changed over the past five years.
With remote work the norm, there is a need to adapt quickly to new trends and tools. Traditional learning methods can’t keep up with the pace of advancement for the modern marketing workforce. Thus, a new strategy has unfolded — microlearning.
This article will highlight the microlearning solutions used to upskill the modern marketing workforce for continuous professional development.
Understanding what microlearning means
Microlearning is an educational strategy that provides learners with short, clear, and targeted content that can be easily understood and applied.
According to Newswires, learners forget nearly 70% of new information within 24 hours. That’s a big bombshell waiting to explode if you ask me. However, microlearning bridges this gap by breaking down complex facts into easy-to-understand information, which improves retention.
Microlearning is slowly gaining a foothold in the modern marketing workforce because of its efficiency and convenience. Yahoo Finance predicts the microlearning market will increase to $5.5 billion by 2032.
The emergence of digital tools, data analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) has necessitated upskilling for the modern marketing force. Microlearning is the best bet for the modern marketing workforce to upskill and effectively attain continuous professional development.
4 microlearning solutions for the modern marketing workforce
Microlearning provides different solutions to help with upskilling for the modern marketing workforce. They include:
1. Explainer video tutorials
Videos are arguably the most engaging content type due to their audio and visual characteristics. Marketers can easily access them and use some features like playback and subtitles. It’s just like watching your favourite movie, only that this time it is educational.
2. Infographics
With infographics, marketers can easily grasp and remember complex data through texts, charts, and graphics. Let’s face it, we won’t typically enjoy poring over long data that can just be summarised by an image, right? R-I-G-H-T???
3. Quizzes and assessments
Quizzes are interactive ways to measure your knowledge in real time. They paint a fair assessment of where you stand and how you can get better (as long as you don’t cheat). Plus, it helps to support learning through repetition.
4. Mobile learning applications
Mobile learning apps can provide on-the-go access to educational materials, allowing you to learn conveniently. They also come with reminders and push notifications that reinforce a routine. You’re welcome!
Implementing microlearning solutions for the modern marketing workforce
Now that we know the microlearning solutions used in upskilling the modern marketing workforce let us consider how to implement them:
Identify the skills gap
Assess the areas that need improvement or are lacking within the team and focus on them. This can be achieved through surveys, interviews, or performance evaluation. Here, you have to be honest, and rightfully so.
Choose the best solution
Select the most appropriate microlearning solution based on accessibility and integration with existing platforms that align with your team’s objectives. Then, encourage team members to use it continuously. Fingers crossed.
Develop customised courses
Design, develop, and deploy microlearning courses curated to address the identified skills gap. You can also integrate interactive elements to improve engagement from your marketing workforce. The last thing you want them to be is bored.
Evaluate the performance
Set up a system for tracking, measuring, and analyzing the efficacy of microlearning solutions and act accordingly. This can be done through feedback, training assessments, and performance reviews. Good luck getting them to be honest, again.
4 benefits of microlearning for the modern marketing workforce
Microlearning provides various benefits that make it a perfect upskilling solution for the modern marketing workforce. Here are the top four:
1. Flexibility and personalised learning
Microlearning enables marketers to learn flexibly and conveniently on their schedules—and convenient pace. Also, the solutions are highly customizable to your personalised needs. Imagine watching a video tutorial on how to use an AI tool while taking your morning coffee as a product marketer. That’s bliss.
2. Increased retention
Short and targeted content is more accessible to consume, recall, and apply. This enables increased knowledge retention and employee loyalty due to job satisfaction. Why rush your learning when you can pace your courses, and take periodic quizzes to assess your knowledge?
3. Reduces operational cost
Businesses that produce their microlearning content can easily repurpose it and save up extra costs, compared to traditional training methods like training sessions or overseas conferences. This is like killing two birds with one stone.
4. Builds a culture of growth
Companies that foster microlearning encourage a culture of continuous professional development, skill acquisition, productivity, and familiarity with emerging technologies. That is a dream workplace for the modern marketer.
Challenges to microlearning for the modern marketing workforce
There are a million and one factors that can make microlearning difficult, even if you work remotely. Or dare I say, especially if you do. I summarised it into two. See for yourself:
Technological barriers
Remote employees may have difficulties accessing essential tech tools and platforms. Imagine having a storm that causes a blackout and network problems. Or for some reason, your laptop can’t install a tool. There is no way you can actively participate in microlearning.
Learning inconsistencies
Marketers may find it challenging to dedicate time to microlearning due to their tight schedules. Moreover, short attention spans, self-learning issues, and content overload can hamper their progress.
The better way to develop professionally
I don’t know many people who actively engage and understand information at business conferences or training sessions. It never feels personalised to my needs or accessible after that moment. Frankly, it doesn’t benefit me.
Several companies use platforms like Coursera or Udemy for microlearning. Their targeted videos help employees learn the latest social media and SEO trends at their own pace. Others offer short, weekend-long boot camps. Now, that’s how to make an impact!
Microlearning provides an effective solution for the modern marketing workforce to upskill today. Despite its challenges, it remains a flexible, engaging, and cost-effective strategy to derive continuous professional development.
Every day the mantra of “evolve or die” is drummed into our consciousness. As marketers, we get this better than anyone else. Hello, AI says “hi.” And a bunch of other emerging technologies too. With microlearning, we get a great opportunity to upskill conveniently without losing productivity.
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