We spend a lot of time creating effective content for our learners. That’s not only making sure they have all of the information needed to be successful, it’s also ensuring that content is in a format that best fits the context of need. We get so caught up in the creation that we often overlook the content delivery systems used to distribute that awesome content you just spent oodles of time creating.
A content delivery system is just as important as the content itself—if not more important—because the content is nothing when the users can’t find it.
Finding the right content delivery system
Most companies have tried a variety of systems to help distribute content most effectively. You might even be going through the evaluation process right now.
This could involve a number of different steps, including
- Looking into different system’s features and functionality
- Making a spreadsheet with all of the things each type of content delivery system does or does not do
- Prioritizing features and functionality so you know what systems to seriously consider
To help you with the evaluation process, here are four things your next (and hopefully final) content delivery system must do:
1. Make content available anytime, anywhere
Online, offline, mobile, desktop. Learners, admins, and customers are all over the place on all different devices. You need a system that can deliver content with ease in the basement of a hospital to your sales rep’s iPad or when they’re studying for a big meeting in the comfort of their home.
Allowing learners to access content when and where it’s convenient for them only ups the chances that they will spend the time to complete the necessary learning for their roles.
2. Handle anything
Because you’re a baller at creating content that fits the needs of your learner, content comes in all forms. You need a system that can handle PDFs, videos, Storyline courses, Word Documents, etc. Don’t let your delivery system dictate how you create content; find one that supports it all.
3. Fast access
It’s not a surprise that your learners need to access information as quickly as possible. The problem is that a big bucket full of great content with no organization isn’t going to get them there. They need to find the exact content they need in seconds.
When your learners are looking for a specific piece of content (and they can’t think of exactly how you decided to name it) search, sort, filter, and lists are their best friends. Your content delivery system should have a variety of ways that information can be found and organized.
4. Good experience
Think about how you and your learners want to feel when using your content delivery system. You don’t want them to be frustrated from the second they realize they need to jump into it. You want your learners to be speed demons on your system – quick to find material and quick to use the information they found, because the system that’s delivering your content is just as awesome as the content it’s delivering.
Creating a good experience for learners goes back to number one. If you are providing anytime and anywhere access to the content your learners needs, they’re going to have a much more positive experience.
Make your content delivery system a number one priority
Sometimes we can get caught up in the content we’re creating and forget to evaluate the system that delivers it. Or we get so excited about features in a particular system that we don’t really think about what staple things. Such as what our learners want or need in order to truly adopt the content delivery system.
Whether you’re evaluating your current system or looking into something new, keep these four things in mind.
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