I had the pleasure of talking with Amrit Ahluwalia of The EvoLLLution last week about whether the average adult is prepared to be an effective lifelong learner. (Short answer: no.) You can access the interview at the following links:
I mention this not just to be self-serving (though I won’t claim to be above that), but also to point out (a) The EvoLLLution as an organization, and (b) audio interviews and transcripts as a value-creation tactic. (Note: This is a very old post – 2012 – and the audio is no longer available on The Evolllution site.)
First, The EvoLLLution is a relatively new online newspaper dedicated to providing “detailed opinions, news, and research about the impact of non-traditional programs on the higher education industry and society-at-large.” The “non-traditional” market is huge and I think The EvoLLLution is yet another sign that recognition of the important role it plays in the global learning economy is growing. I encourage you to visit the site and subscribe for free. You will also get access to a free eBook in the process.
Second, in doing an audio interview with me and then creating a nicely formatted transcript of it, Amrit leveraged a tactic I have advocated (and practiced) on many occasions, and one that is certainly available to any organization that regularly works with or is in contact with subject matter experts. Conducting a brief interview, with targeted questions that will resonate with your audience is a great way to add some free content to your value continuum. Doing this helps you to:
- Develop and maintain your reputation and authority as a consistent knowledge resource for the market you serve;
- Continually gauge what is of most interest and value to your market, based on traffic, feedback, downloads, etc. These insights can be a huge help in making decisions about new offerings;
- Leverage experts as partners in promotion – after all, I am now blogging about Amrit’s interview;
- Point the way to higher value, paid products – both indirectly and by actually mentioning/linking to these products when relevant. (This is an important part of leveraging the “Value Ramp” concept.)
It’s getting harder and harder to simply publish a catalog of courses and expect people to flock to them, no matter how good they may be. You have to create a platform (and not merely in the technological sense) through which you continually engage and demonstrate value. A simple approach like audio interviews and transcripts can be a powerful part of this approach.
Jeff
Related: 10 Ways to Be a Better Learner
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