Marketers’ Tricks For L&D Success: No More Boring Learning

Why You Need A Marketer’s Tricks For Successful L&D

Ever wonder why people can’t look away from their phones when they see a good ad, but they’ll do anything to avoid your training session? It’s because marketers have figured out something that L&D is still missing. Think about it. When did you last see someone get excited about mandatory training? Now think about the last time you saw someone share a funny ad or talk about a brand they love. The difference is huge, but it doesn’t have to be…

Marketers know that attention isn’t something you just get because you ask for it. You have to earn it. They wouldn’t dream of launching a campaign with boring bullet points and expect people to care. Yet that’s exactly what happens in training rooms every day.

Why Your Training Feels Like Punishment (And Marketing Doesn’t)

Marketing and L&D are basically trying to do the same job. Both want to change how people think and act. Marketers want you to buy stuff or change your mind about something, and L&D wants you to learn new skills and use them at work. Same goal, different outcome.

But marketers are winning this game. They get people to pay attention, remember things, and take action. Meanwhile, L&D struggles with people who don’t finish courses, forget everything they learned, or never use it in the real world.

The good news? We can steal their playbook.

Consider how marketers approach content development:

1. Focus on the audience’s needs and pain points.
2. Create emotional connections through storytelling.
3. Package information in digestible, engaging formats.
4. Measure engagement and iterate based on data.

These same ideas can change how we do training completely.

The Secret Sauce For L&D: What Marketers Know That You Don’t

Marketers start with one simple question: “What does this person care about?” They don’t begin with what they want to sell. They start with what the customer wants to buy. L&D often does the opposite. They start with what the company wants people to know, not what people actually need or want to learn. That’s backwards thinking.

Good marketing also tells stories. Not boring case studies, but real stories that make you feel something. They know that people remember stories way better than facts. When someone tells you about their weekend, do they give you bullet points? No, they tell you what happened, how it felt, and why it mattered.

And here’s the biggest difference: marketers test everything. They try different headlines, different colors, different messages. They see what works and do more of that. They see what doesn’t work and stop doing it. Simple.

Turn Learning Into A Journey People Want To Take

Marketers map out every step someone takes from first hearing about something to actually buying it. They know exactly what happens at each stage and what people need to hear. L&D can do the same thing with learning. Instead of throwing everything at people at once, we can guide them through a journey that makes sense.

Start with something that grabs attention. Not “Today we’re going to learn about customer service.” Try “Have you ever had a customer make you want to quit your job?” That’s a hook people can relate to. Then, help them think about their own experience. Ask them to remember a time when they handled a difficult situation well. What did they do? Why did it work? This gets them engaged because it’s about them, not about theory.

Once they’re thinking and engaged, that’s when you bring in the concepts and frameworks. But you connect them to what they just discovered about themselves. Make it relevant and personal.

Finally, give them something specific to try. Not “Use these skills in your work,” but “Next time someone complains, try asking this one question first.” Make it concrete and doable.

Netflix Strategy: Give Them What They Want, When They Want It

Content marketers know they can’t sell someone an expensive product with one blog post. They warm people up slowly with different types of content.

1. First, they create awareness with easy-to-digest stuff. Short videos, simple infographics, quick tips. Nothing too heavy.
2. Then, for people who want more, they offer deeper content. Longer articles, detailed guides, webinars. More meat for people who are getting interested.
3. Finally, for people who are really engaged, they provide the complex stuff. Deep dives, consultations, and custom solutions.

Learning works the same way. You can’t expect someone to master a complex skill in one session. Start with the basics in a format that’s easy to consume. Videos work great for this. So, do simple exercises or quick reads.

For people who get it and want more, offer deeper experiences. Case studies they can work through. Problems they can solve. Chances to practice with feedback.

For your top performers who want to go further, give them the challenging stuff. Complex scenarios, project work, chances to teach others, or create their own solutions.

Make Them The Hero Of Their Own Story

Every great brand has a story. Not just “We make good products!” but a real story about change and growth. The customer is always the hero of that story. Learning should work the same way. The person learning is the hero of their own development story. They start in one place, face challenges, get help along the way, and end up somewhere better.

This isn’t about making training into entertainment. It’s about making it human. People connect with stories because that’s how we make sense of the world. When you frame learning as a journey of growth rather than a list of things to remember, people engage differently.

Your Action Plan: From Boring To Brilliant

So, how do you actually do this? Start by looking at your current training like a marketer would. If this were an ad campaign, would anyone pay attention? Would they care enough to act? Check if your content looks good and feels consistent. Does it clearly explain what’s in it for the learner? Does it start with something that matters to them? Can they easily access it on their phone?

Think about your learners like marketers think about customers. What are their real challenges? What do they care about? What would make their day better? Build your content around those things, not just around what you think they should know.

Make the experience smooth and easy. Marketers obsess over User Experience because they know friction kills engagement. If people have to jump through hoops to access your content, they won’t.

Measure what matters and pay attention to the data. Not just “Did they complete it?” but “Did they actually use it?” Track what works and double down on it. Stop doing what doesn’t work.

The Future Belongs To Learning That Doesn’t Feel Like Learning

Marketing and L&D are getting closer together every day. The tools marketers use—personalization, interactive content, social sharing—are becoming standard in L&D, too.

The L&D teams that nail this will have a huge advantage. They’ll create learning that people actually want to do, not just stuff they have to get through.

The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing. It feels helpful, relevant, and valuable. The best learning should feel the same. Not like something you have to endure, but like something that helps you become better at what you do. That’s the real opportunity here. Not just better training, but learning that people choose to engage with because they see how it helps them grow. When that happens, everyone wins.