When customers come to us looking for support in creating a cool new project, we have a number of different approaches they can go with, from building bespoke eLearning to content development. Believe it or not it’s the latter which helps us stand out from other agencies – and that’s what we’re focusing on here.
In its simplest term, content development is a name we give to the process of collating information from clients, which we then use to create a great project for them. In most cases, clients have a good idea of what content they want to deliver to their audience but require support in the development and delivery. However, it’s not unheard of for a business to approach us with a confused idea of what they want – they recognise the need to deliver but don’t know how to. That’s where we come in.
Our in-house content creators will work with your people to extract knowledge and become a subject matter expert (SME), which we know is needed to create the best projects. From there, we use this information to build detailed storyboards which formulate how we plan to deliver content that meets your objectives.
This is a two-way channel, with various stages of planned review to ensure we are meeting our client’s needs. It allows businesses to maintain a particular level of control throughout the entire process too. If at any point clients want to consider a different approach, we work with them to reach a solution which works for everybody.
While we offer bespoke eLearning, classroom/virtual training material and explainer videos, content development is almost like a blended approach which often includes elements from each. But whatever content we choose, our process remains the same.
Who would content development work for?
So, who would the content development approach work for? In a word, anyone! As mentioned earlier, it offers a hybrid option to allow businesses to use a range of content including animation, short chunks of eLearning, slide decks or printed material. It covers every form of content so is sure to fit your needs!
It also works well for those who know what they want to deliver or who are true experts in their sectors. Why? Because it’s easier for our team to extract knowledge from SMEs when they have a wealth of experience in their area. It makes for better quality content, allowing us to do our job – making it look awesome! So, if you’re somebody who knows your area well, content development may be the way to go.
What are the benefits of content development?
As previously mentioned, a major benefit of this approach is the level of control a client has throughout the project. There are multiple review stages in the process, which gives clients the opportunity to raise any concerns or work with us to consider an alternate approach. This differs from the traditional norm across many design agencies, where entire control sits with the designers.
Another benefit is that this offers a blended approach for clients, allowing them to utilise different selections of content in smaller chunks. This is particularly effective for large programmes or when delivering to a mixed audience who may be receptive to different forms of content.
Content development is beneficial to clients who may be developing a learning and development programme for the first time too. Those in this situation may not be aware of which content works effectively for their audience or have knowledge of how to deliver it. In this case, content development gives them the opportunity to create smaller chunks of alternating content and measure which performs best for their learners. They can then use that to guide any material they develop in the future.
So, that’s the end of your whistlestop tour of content development. We hope you feel more knowledgeable about this offering now and understand whether it would be useful for your learners or not. If you don’t think it’s for you and would prefer an alternative approach, make sure you read our blogs on bespoke eLearning, classroom/virtual training or explainer videos.
Whichever approach you feel is appropriate for your business, Olano is more than happy to support you. Get in touch with us for an informal conversation on how we can work together to deliver your next great project!
