5 Considerations to Weigh Before Starting a Certified Learning Program

When brands decide to launch a certified learning program, they mustn’t take it lightly. Brand certifications require substantial effort and resources — and when done right — can benefit both brands and employees alike.  

If you’ve decided to launch certified learning programs but you don’t know where to start, this article is going to help you. This article will show how you can make your investment worth it by weighing these five considerations.  

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1. Learn Why You Wish to Offer Certified Learning Programs 

The first thing to keep in mind before launching a certified learning program is knowing why you want to offer it.  

For instance, if you want to use the learning programs as a lead-generation tool, let your prospects take the quiz and gain recognition on social media. However, you must do it once you’re done reviewing the informational content. For a more fun experience, try incorporating games into the learning programs. 

2. Choose a Model That Suits Your Organization 

Make sure to choose a model by considering your business goals, budget and context. Instead of starting broad, you can focus on a few certifications first and then go deep.  

You can also use various deployment models, such as short courses on your website, micro-learning courses on Slack community or Coursera, before you set up a full-fledged learning platform. 

3. Attach Value to Certification 

Another crucial consideration before starting a certified learning program is being clear about the value you wish your certifications to hold. Robert Rose, founder of The Content Advisory and Chief Strategy Advisor of the Content Marketing Institute says, “the certification is only as good as what the brand puts into it.” 

4. Take Careful Decisions for Certification Pricing 

You must be careful while setting up the prices for your certification programs. Always remember that it should depend on your organizational goals.  

For instance, brands like Drift and HubSpot chose to offer free programs since their goal was brand building and offering a value-added experience. Similarly, you can either provide free, paid, or freemium pricing options based on your content exclusivity and demand. 

5. Take Ownership of Program Management 

Most brands that run certification programs do it under a different name. They usually add the word “Academy” to the name of their brand. For instance, SEM has SEM Academy, Hubspot has Hubspot Academy, etc. This approach separates the commercial and transactional part of the business from the learning and development ones.