Adopting a marketing mindset in L&D
What can L&D teams learn from marketing? As it turns out – quite a lot. In this podcast episode, we’re joined by Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor, two learning experts passionate about applying marketing principles to learning design. From learner personas to engagement strategies, they explain how a marketing mindset can help L&D teams better connect with audiences, drive meaningful impact, and prove value to stakeholders.
Watch the full podcast video
Top tips for adopting a marketing mindset in L&D
Don’t have time to listen now? Here’s a quick summary of what you’ll learn in this episode:
- Know your learners before you build – Effective learning starts with understanding who you’re designing for, just like in marketing.
- Design learning as a journey, not a one-off – Replace one-and-done courses with multi-touch learning campaigns.
- Keep it simple, relevant, and emotional – Use the power of storytelling and emotional resonance to engage learners and make content stick.
- Market your learning – Great content is wasted if no one sees it – so promote your learning like a product.
- Let data drive design decisions – Marketing teams live by their metrics. L&D teams should too.
1. Know your learners before you build
Before marketing teams create a campaign, they start with deep audience research – often crafting detailed personas. L&D can borrow this tactic to better understand learners’ needs, motivations, and challenges. By interviewing employees and analyzing available data, you can build learner personas that shape more targeted, relevant, and empathetic experiences.
“You really want to talk to your learners, your end users, because they will tell you exactly what they need and what they’re looking for.”
2. Design learning as a journey, not a one-off
Effective marketing campaigns are never just one email or one ad – they’re strategically sequenced experiences. The same goes for learning. Bianca and Mike advocate for learner journeys that unfold over time and build real capabilities. This approach shifts L&D away from disconnected courses and toward cohesive, supportive campaigns.
“It’s a campaign mindset versus the one-and-done thinking. Marketers understand you’ve got to talk to people, go where they are. And it’s about those multiple touches over time – something they can revisit when they need it.”
3. Keep it simple, relevant, and emotional
Information alone doesn’t drive action – emotion does. Marketing teams know how to use stories, visuals, and emotional triggers to connect with people and change behavior. L&D teams can use the same tools to make content resonate and stay with learners long after the module ends.
“If you just give people information, they’re going to forget it. But if you create situations where learners can see themselves in it, and they relate to it, that’s the sort of stuff that will stick with you.”
4. Market your learning
Even the best learning content won’t make an impact if learners don’t know about it – or don’t care. L&D teams must promote their programs, tapping into the same channels and strategies marketers use. Think campaign teasers, targeted messaging, and building anticipation around launch moments.
“Learning is the most valuable product that your company has… and we have to sell it so that people understand the value.”
5. Let data drive design decisions
Marketing teams don’t just guess – they test, iterate, and refine based on real metrics. L&D teams can build similar feedback loops by tracking engagement, evaluating leading indicators, and tying learning objectives to business goals. The result? More effective learning and better conversations with stakeholders.
“It’s really important to start with data to understand what’s going on. And then based on that, figure out what you need to change, what needs to be updated, and how to improve it.”
About Bianca & Mike
Bianca is VP of Learning Solutions and Innovation at Ardent and a thought leader in combining marketing principles with instructional design. Mike is a learning consultant at Nationwide with a background in digital marketing. Together, they co-authored the upcoming book Think Like a Marketer and Train Like an L&D Pro – a practical guide to transforming learning with a marketing mindset. You can order your copy of the book here.
Connect with Bianca on LinkedIn.
Connect with Mike on LinkedIn.
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