How to Syndicate Learning Content: Customer Ed Nugget 19

The concept of content syndication is rapidly gaining traction across the training industry — especially in customer education. Why is this becoming so popular? And what are the best ways to syndicate learning content? Let’s take a closer look…

Content syndication has become a core strategy for many customer education organizations. These programs must continuously reach new audiences while continuing to serve existing customers. So, for multiple reasons, it’s important to distribute instructional content more broadly, monetize it and extend its useful life.

For example, content syndication can increase market visibility and accelerate global growth. Also, in business-to-business contexts, customer organizations typically have their own employee-focused LMS. These companies often prefer to serve educational content from their LMS, rather than sending staff to external learning portals for product training or other instructional content.

There are multiple ways to syndicate learning content. Some are easier, less technically complex and more cost effective than others. Regardless, customer education organizations usually turn to content syndication with three objectives in mind. They want to:

• Streamline content updates and maintenance
• Accurately track usage
• Easily and inexpensively manage the process

That’s a tall order! So, what are the most popular content syndication methods? And what are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Find out in less than 10 minutes on this Customer Ed Nuggets mini podcast episode…

Buying or selling a customer-focused learning system? Get independent insights you can trust, with our in-depth analysis of 20 top solutions. Learn about our 2024 Customer LMS Capabilities Report

Today’s Guest Expert

We’re fortunate to welcome back Tamer Ali for a second episode on content syndication. As Co-Founder and Director of Authentic Learning Labs, Tamer has extensive experience in helping learning organizations of all types design and deploy successful content syndication strategies. In fact, his team is breaking new ground in the rapidly evolving field of API-centric content syndication.

What Is Learning Content Syndication?

Content syndication is the process of repurposing and republishing various types of digital content across multiple platforms, websites or learning systems. This enables organizations to reach a larger audience, elevate brand visibility and drive new revenues by sharing valuable, relevant content with audiences they would otherwise miss.

The goal is to create more business value from every piece of content you create. This can include any combination of podcasts, news articles, blog posts, videos, learning materials, courses, certifications, or other types of content you distribute through syndication channels.

5 Ways to Syndicate Learning Content

Historically, syndicating learning content hasn’t been simple. That’s because most LMSs were designed for internal employee use, where syndication isn’t needed. For many years, customer education teams had to figure it out on their own by trial and error. And if content syndication is still a struggle, there is a good chance your learning system isn’t designed for customer education.

Here are the most common ways customer-focused organizations syndicate learning content:

1. Give It Away — It is better to give business customers free access to instructional content they can deliver from their own LMS, rather than not letting their employees have access to it at all. Although content distributed this way is hard to track and maintain, it can help move your agenda forward until you figure out one of the following alternatives.

2. Use Packages/Stubs — Most customer LMS solutions make it possible to generate “a package” or “stub” for one or more content items. This is essentially an empty SCORM zip file that uploads into a customer LMS and “points” back to the content. All of this is invisible to the learner, but when the content is launched in the original LMS, the package/stub facilitates tracking and maintenance. If your LMS doesn’t have this capability, you can integrate a third-party solution like Course Container or Rustici.

3. Leverage APIs — With the right APIs, you don’t have to rely on your own LMS to deliver content. Instead, you can deliver instructional content literally everywhere your customers are. Although this is the most technically advanced option, you can use it to embed trackable content directly in other LMSs, digital systems, web browsers, and mobile apps.

4. Tap Into Content Aggregators or Hubs — You can also reach potential and existing customers where they’re already learning through sites like LinkedIn Learning or Udemy. Similarly, you can broaden your reach by publishing content through aggregator sites OpenSesame or Go1.

5. Partner With Academia — Smart software companies play the long game by donating content to high schools, universities or other educational institutions. The idea is to introduce students to their products while they’re preparing to enter the workforce. This helps students develop expertise while the brand builds global mindshare.

Watch This Episode of Customer Ed Nuggets

Want to join a quick session with us right now? In less than 10 minutes, Tamer and I will walk through the most common learning content syndication methods. Join us for this YouTube video…

Or, if you’d prefer to listen, tune in to the audio podcast right here at TalentedLearning.com.

The Bottom Line on How to Syndicate Learning Content

To compete effectively in today’s market, it pays to learn how you can syndicate content. By delivering learning experiences on customers’ terms, you can reduce friction, boost engagement, drive adoption and increase business impact.

Syndication may seem challenging. However, extending your reach and building more value can be easier than you think. That’s because numerous options are available to help you embrace this methodology.

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Learn More from Tamer Ali and Authentic Learning Labs:

Want more helpful guidance from Tamer? He’s a frequent guest expert on the Customer Ed Nuggets podcast for a reason! Check out these previous episodes:

• EPISODE 13:  Benefits of Training Content Syndication
• EPISODE 3:  Top Customer Education Analytics Challenges

Also, you can find Tamer as a featured guest on these episode of our flagship podcast series, The Talented Learning Show:

• EPISODE 67:  API-Centric Learning Solutions
• EPISODE 44:  Online Learning Innovation
• EPISODE 35:  How Advanced Reporting Transforms Training
• EPISODE 17:  Next-Level Learning Analytics
• EPISODE 11:  Top Association Technology Trends

Find out more about Authentic Learning Labs check out the vendor profile in our Learning Systems Directory or visit their website at Authentic Learning Labs.

About Talented Learning Customer Ed Nuggets

Hosted by Talented Learning CEO John Leh, the Customer Ed Nuggets podcast is a trusted source of advice, guidance and best practices for customer education professionals of all types. In this series of brief video and audio “nuggets” (each 10 minutes or less), we explore key topics with numerous guest experts.

Join us anytime here or on our YouTube channel to explore all facets of customer education, from how to build a persuasive business case, to effective strategies, technologies and content that help professionals create, deploy and grow successful customer-centered programs.

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Need Learning Content Syndication Help?

Need help thinking through your syndication options? Submit the form below to request a free consultation with me, Talented Learning Founder and Lead Analyst, John Leh: