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“If you can always put yourself in the shoes of the consumer by way of empathy, then naturally whatever you put out there has a higher likelihood to be authentic and come across with credibility and impact.”
— Kimberly Paige, EVP & CMO at BET Networks
Guess what? The big day is almost here! Next week at the ATD conference, "Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro" hits the real world – and if you're there, you can be among the first to grab a copy!
To celebrate, this week's newsletter is a marketing mindset party. I've packed it with tips and tricks that will make your learning programs sparkle with that special marketing magic.
🎁 Special Treat Just for You
Because you're awesome (and read this newsletter), I've got a couple of goodies for you:
What's one marketing trick you've seen that made you think, "Wow, I wish our training could do THAT!"? Hit reply and tell me – I might feature your idea in an upcoming newsletter!
Thanks for reading!
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sponsored
iSpring Days 2025 — free online conference for L&D, HR, and ID professionals
Most companies claim they’re investing in learning, but how many can actually prove its business impact? Join Tom McDowall, James Gilchrist, Susi Miller, and 10+ more speakers to learn how to earn executive buy-in, break down silos between teams, and shift from top-down training to peer-driven growth.
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📰 News & Notes
5 Things Every L&D Pro Should Steal From Marketing
The Rundown:
Learning & Development (L&D) teams are grappling with disengaged learners and ineffective training programs. To address this, adopting marketing strategies can revitalize training efforts, making them more engaging and impactful.
The Context:
- Engage the Intuitive Brain: Use storytelling and emotional triggers to capture attention, similar to marketing campaigns.
- Develop Learner Personas: Understand your audience deeply to tailor content that resonates.
- Design Learner-Centric Journeys: Map out training paths that align with learners' needs and motivations.
- Craft Compelling Content: Use clear, concise, and emotionally resonant messaging to maintain interest.
- Implement Clear Calls to Action: Guide learners on the next steps, encouraging active participation.
Why it Matters:
By integrating these marketing principles, L&D professionals can transform training programs into engaging experiences that not only capture attention but also drive meaningful learning outcomes.
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L&D Teaches. Marketing Persuades.
L&D often emphasizes delivering knowledge through objectives and assessments. But, this approach may fall short in driving actual behavior change. In contrast, marketers operate under the assumption that audiences are indifferent and distracted, prompting them to craft messages that captivate and persuade.
The Context:
Marketers focus on:
- Capturing attention swiftly.
- Evoking emotions to drive action.
- Creating campaigns that resonate.
Meanwhile, L&D professionals often:
- Assume learner engagement.
- Rely on mandatory training modules.
- Equate completion with comprehension.
This divergence highlights a gap between knowledge dissemination and behavior change.
Why it Matters:
To enhance the effectiveness of training programs, L&D can adopt marketing strategies:
- Campaign Mindset:Treat training as an ongoing journey with teasers, launches, and follow-ups.
- Compelling Messaging: Use engaging headlines and narratives that speak to the learner's emotions.
- Design for Intuition: Create content that appeals to the intuitive brain, making learning feel immediate and relevant.
By integrating these marketing principles, L&D can move beyond merely informing to truly transforming learner behavior.
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Crack the Code: How to Actually Engage Learners
The Rundown: Most workplace training doesn’t stick — because it’s not brain-friendly. A new approach shows how to change that by focusing on how adults actually learn.
The Context:
- Modern learners are overloaded and distracted.
- Training must be digestible, relevant, and tied to real-world scenarios.
- There are six attention triggers anyone can use to boost engagement and enhance retention.
- Brain science backs this: learning sticks when sessions are active, social, and connected to what people care about.
Why it Matters:
If everyone forgets everything after training, what's the point? Understanding how the brain works can transform dull compliance courses into dynamic, memorable experiences.
👉 Bottom line: Great training isn’t about the flash — it’s about the fit. Make it matter, and the learning lasts.
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sponsored
Last chance to join—Leadership in L&D webinar is May 21
Discover how coaching can be your most powerful tool for creating an engaged, empowered culture of continuous learning.
Coaching-driven leadership doesn’t just support learning—it accelerates, scales, and makes it stick.
Join us for a dynamic webinar, “Leadership in L&D: Coaching for Learning Excellence.”
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🧰 Tech Tools & Tips
If tools are your jam, check out my Work Smarter newsletter.
Marketing Mindset for L&D GPT
A specialized GPT tool designed to assist L&D professionals with integrating marketing strategies into their projects
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MailerLite
A full-featured email tool for creating dynamic, engaging email campaigns.
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🎧 Podcast of the Week
This is the conversation that caught my ear this week. Check out previous episodes in the Friday Finds podcast playlist.
Think Like a Marketer
Bianca & I talk about some of the actionable marketing strategies for L&D professionals from our book with Robin Petterd from the Learning While Working podcast.
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🧳 Where’s Mike?
- ATD 25 May 18-21, Washington, DC
- The SURE Formula: How Marketing Principles Impact Learning Engagement (iSpring Days), May 29-30, Online
- Think Like a Marketer: Steal These Strategies for L&D Success June 4, Online
- AI Creation for Human Impact: L + D Must Knows Jun 5, 2025 11:00 AM Eastern, Online
- Canadian eLearning Conference, June 12-13, Toronto, Canada
- ATD Fireside Chat, June 27, 2 pm Eastern Online
- ATD Core 4, Sept 29-Oct 1, Orlando, FL
- DevLearn, Nov 12-14 Las Vegas, NV
If you or your event needs a speaker or workshop that is highly interactive and super practical, we should talk.
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Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or buying me a coffee.
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