Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro
Strategies to Ignite Learning
Published on 10. July 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-960231-19-2 (ISBN)
Description
Use Marketing Strategies to Captivate and Persuade Your Audience
At first glance, marketing and L&D may seem like an unlikely combination. But on closer inspection, both fields share two core goals: getting people's attention and influencing their behavior. Marketing involves captivating, persuading, and creating value-all of which are key to learning design. When done well, learning design grabs participants' attention like a great marketing campaign and engages them emotionally and intellectually to make learning stick. In this innovative volume, marketing and L&D experts Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor ask: How can L&D pros make learning programs more effective by thinking like expert marketers?
To answer that question, Baumann and Taylor explore the potential of marketing-inspired L&D. You'll discover:
What makes marketing so persuasive and how to apply it to learning
How to craft magnetic learner personas and journeys to pull people in
Tactics for writing and designing content to capture attention
Digital tools and automation strategies to multiply your effectiveness
Ways to measure and optimize for maximum results
Whether you're new to learning design or a seasoned pro, this practical guide will transform how you create and deliver training. Get ready to boost engagement, improve retention, and deliver learning experiences that truly resonate.
At first glance, marketing and L&D may seem like an unlikely combination. But on closer inspection, both fields share two core goals: getting people's attention and influencing their behavior. Marketing involves captivating, persuading, and creating value-all of which are key to learning design. When done well, learning design grabs participants' attention like a great marketing campaign and engages them emotionally and intellectually to make learning stick. In this innovative volume, marketing and L&D experts Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor ask: How can L&D pros make learning programs more effective by thinking like expert marketers?
To answer that question, Baumann and Taylor explore the potential of marketing-inspired L&D. You'll discover:
What makes marketing so persuasive and how to apply it to learning
How to craft magnetic learner personas and journeys to pull people in
Tactics for writing and designing content to capture attention
Digital tools and automation strategies to multiply your effectiveness
Ways to measure and optimize for maximum results
Whether you're new to learning design or a seasoned pro, this practical guide will transform how you create and deliver training. Get ready to boost engagement, improve retention, and deliver learning experiences that truly resonate.
Reviews / Votes
"As an EdTech consultant advising chief learning officers, Ican confidently say this book is a game-changer for L&D leaders. It brilliantly
bridges the gap between traditional L&D and modern marketing, offering
invaluable insights for creating compelling digital learning experiences."
-Lori
Niles-Hofmann, EdTech Strategist and Global Adviser, NilesNolen
"So much value on every page! Bianca and Mike have struck
the right balance of instilling high-impact strategies and tactical design
advice. Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro is essential
reading for any learning and talent leader who is looking to elevate their
practice and bring fresh perspectives to their teams. Keep this one beside your
desk at all times."
-Josh Cardoz, Chief Creative and Learning Officer,
Sponge Learning Group
"Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro
presents a compelling argument for combining marketing ideas and strategies
with current L&D techniques to create a powerful combination with the
potential to take the L&D function to the next level. Bianca Baumann and
Mike Taylor have created a work that will help you envision and achieve a
future in which employees eagerly take charge of their learning journeys,
acquire new skills, and apply them in real time through this unique
intertwining of disciplines. The writing team provides actionable strategies,
ideas, and concepts that empower L&D professionals to create training that
captivates, motivates, and delivers lasting impact. This book will change the
way you think about developing instruction forever."
-Karl M. Kapp, EdD, Professor
of Instructional Design and Technology, Commonwealth University
"'Get attention, influence behavior'-the book recognizes
that these are the central concerns of both learning designers AND marketers,
and that learning designers have a lot to learn from marketers on these topics.
Packed full of useful tools and frameworks, this book has so much material to
help create more engaging and impactful learning."
-Julie Dirksen,
Author, Design for How People Learn
"This is the L&D and marketing crossover you are looking
for. Discover how to transform dull learning content into engagement gold with
skimmable writing, snappy headlines, and calls to action that demand action."
-Cara
North, Founder and Chief Learning Consultant, The Learning Camel
"Dang! I love this book. Bianca and Mike have written the
go-to resource for what-to and how-to for instructional designers and the
leaders who guide them. Insightful, readable, actionable, and chock full of
activities, this is a must-read for you and your team."
-Megan Torrance,
CEO, TorranceLearning; Author, Agile for Instructional Designers and Data
and Analytics for Instructional Designers
"Mike and Bianca have written a masterpiece on how to
capture and keep learners' attention. This how-to guide is filled with
research-backed tips for learning professionals who need to create training
programs that get business results. Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an
L&D Pro is a handbook with practical advice for communicating and
capturing attention in a busy world. It belongs on everyone's bookshelf."
-Cindy
Huggett, CPTD, Author, The Virtual Training Guidebook: How to Design,
Deliver, and Implement Live Online Learning, 2nd edition
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Englewood Cliffs, NJ
United States
Publishing group
American Society for Training & Development
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
452 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-960231-19-2 (9781960231192)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Bianca Baumann | Mike Taylor
Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro
Strategies to Ignite Learning
E-Book
05/2025
Association for Talent Development
€41.99
Available for download
Persons
Bianca Baumann
Bianca Baumann is a seasoned L&D strategist with more than 15 years of experience. She is passionate about consulting on effective new solutions to serve learners' needs. She's developed processes, methodologies, and frameworks to help organizations meet their growth targets with the help of innovative L&D approaches. Bianca has helped dozens of organizations with their workforce transformations, as well as onboarding and reskilling programs. She has also spearheaded multiple projects in the marketing, automotive, financial, and events industries, creating award-winning programs along the way. Bianca speaks at international conferences and is a facilitator at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.
Mike Taylor
With more than two decades of experience as a learning consultant, Mike Taylor has been a driving force behind transformative instructional design and organizational performance. Known for his captivating speaking style and influential newsletter, Mike is dedicated to making learning more engaging, accessible, and effective. As a faculty member in Franklin University's Graduate Instructional Design and Performance Technology program, he bridges the gap between academic theory and real-world practice, equipping future learning professionals with the skills to excel in today's dynamic landscape. Mike's innovative approach and infectious passion are redefining the way we think about learning.
Bianca Baumann is a seasoned L&D strategist with more than 15 years of experience. She is passionate about consulting on effective new solutions to serve learners' needs. She's developed processes, methodologies, and frameworks to help organizations meet their growth targets with the help of innovative L&D approaches. Bianca has helped dozens of organizations with their workforce transformations, as well as onboarding and reskilling programs. She has also spearheaded multiple projects in the marketing, automotive, financial, and events industries, creating award-winning programs along the way. Bianca speaks at international conferences and is a facilitator at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.
Mike Taylor
With more than two decades of experience as a learning consultant, Mike Taylor has been a driving force behind transformative instructional design and organizational performance. Known for his captivating speaking style and influential newsletter, Mike is dedicated to making learning more engaging, accessible, and effective. As a faculty member in Franklin University's Graduate Instructional Design and Performance Technology program, he bridges the gap between academic theory and real-world practice, equipping future learning professionals with the skills to excel in today's dynamic landscape. Mike's innovative approach and infectious passion are redefining the way we think about learning.
Content
Preface
Introduction: The Power of Marketing for Learning and Development
Chapter 1. Design Learning for the Way People Think
Chapter 2. Create Learner Personas That Inspire
Chapter 3. Map Learner Journeys From Awareness to Action
Chapter 4. Maximize Learning With an Effective Content Strategy
Chapter 5. Captivate Learners With Writing That Clicks!
Chapter 6. Leverage Visuals for Maximum Impact
Chapter 7. Execute a Successful Learning Campaign
Chapter 8. Level Up Learning With Marketing Technology
Chapter 9. Measure the Impact of Your Efforts
Conclusion: Small Steps, Big Impact
Recommended Resources for Deeper Learning
Introduction: The Power of Marketing for Learning and Development
Chapter 1. Design Learning for the Way People Think
Chapter 2. Create Learner Personas That Inspire
Chapter 3. Map Learner Journeys From Awareness to Action
Chapter 4. Maximize Learning With an Effective Content Strategy
Chapter 5. Captivate Learners With Writing That Clicks!
Chapter 6. Leverage Visuals for Maximum Impact
Chapter 7. Execute a Successful Learning Campaign
Chapter 8. Level Up Learning With Marketing Technology
Chapter 9. Measure the Impact of Your Efforts
Conclusion: Small Steps, Big Impact
Recommended Resources for Deeper Learning