Yes, It’s exciting, but now you are in the spotlight to prove the investment to the entire business. Our advice? Get your people invested from the beginning! And we’re not just talking about the Exec teams and decision-makers, but all the employees who will use the LMS.
No matter how big the journey is, we are here to make it worthwhile. Here are our 10 top tips for launching an LMS.
Tip #1: Name your LMS
How many times do we end up naming projects within our day-to-day work? It’s not only a fun task, but it makes the project easier to talk about and support. So, why not name your LMS?
Naming your LMS is a great way to motivate and unify the organisation to become 100% dedicated to the new system. It also engages stakeholders because it transforms the “Here’s another new system”, to “Meet Fred, your new partner in learning”. Take that engagement a step further and hold competitions for individuals and teams to come up with the best name (although ensure measures are in place; you don’t want a Boaty McBoatface on your hands).
It’s small, really, but it helps everyone involved to become committed, and choosing a name is fun!
Tip #2: Branding
An LMS is an extension of your business, and for your learners, it’s the core of their development.
Think about it: If learners can use an LMS that feels familiar to them and they can identify with it, they will have more faith in how the platform can help them. The more they trust the platform, the more likely they will engage with it and repeatedly utilise the content.
With Learn, you can apply your own brand in the system in just a few clicks. No coding is required (you are welcome!).
Productivity and completion rates will increase, enhancing your teams’ progress and performance and ultimately developing a deep-rooted learning culture. This will support your ROI, allowing learning and development to remain an organisational priority (yay!)
Tip #3: Learning sessions
We all like to try before we buy – it’s exactly what you did before purchasing your LMS. Your learners, however, did not. Before launching your LMS, give your people time to get to know the new system and familiarise themselves with navigating it. The easier the platform feels to the learner before their first training session, the more engaged they’ll be, and the more inclined they’ll be to continue using the LMS.
Studies have shown that despite eLearning providing satisfaction to learners, it’s necessary to provide the infrastructure and support your people need to fully engage with the platform. And this doesn’t need to be difficult!
In the run up to the launch, get your learners excited by running short demos and walkthroughs of the LMS. Even better, create events (which Learn LMS allows, virtually or face-to-face) for practice sessions, so that your learners get a real taste for it, and can ask any questions.
Tip #4: Competition prize
When the LMS is launched, you want people to engage with it immediately. And yes, you’ve already motivated your learners with branding, familiarity, and practice sessions… but nothing like a little healthy competition!
Who doesn’t love winning a prize, especially when it’s something handy like an Amazon gift card? Get your learners excited about their first engagements of Learn LMS with prizes for different milestones, including:
- First person to login
- First person to complete a course
- Highest score on mandatory course
- Most personal development courses completed in the first six months
These are just our suggestions, and there are endless options, so tailor it to your people and watch the logins rise!
Tip #5: Email communication
Audience campaigns, build up the launch date!
Launching an LMS? Your people need to know the when, what, why and how. But they don’t want to sit in endless meetings to find the information…when it can all be put in an email. Again, utilise your branding and the new name for the LMS within a series of emails to all stakeholders to explain all the key information they need, such as launch dates, login links, practice sessions, resources, and who to ask for help from.
Tip #6: Social media
Have a company social media platform? Use it! Have personal social media platforms? Use them! Social media will help get the word out there about your brand-new LMS. Use it to show off the branding, LMS name, why you’re excited, and information about the launch. This creates interest from internal and external stakeholders, creating visibility about the launch, and also generating conversations!
Tip #7: Merchandise
Who doesn’t love a free bit of merch? Okay, not everyone wants to wear branded hoodies. But a new branded pen? Score! A notebook? Wouldn’t say no! Maybe a branded insulated water bottle? Sign me up!
With your LMS’ new name and your businesses branding, give your learners a great new piece of merchandise. It’s also a great reminder to log in and complete your training!
Tip #8: Gamification
We know nothing spurs excitement and engagement more than friendly competition. But this time, make it between teams. Create leaderboards for user logins by team or department, and every month or quarter, have a prize for the winning team! Not only will it increase logins, but it will also get teams discussing their learning, making the LMS more of a company-wide conversation.
Tip #9: Record a walkthrough
Familiarity is key! Just as practice sessions are great for getting your learners ready to use the platform, it’s useful to have a video recording of a walkthrough for them to look back through. It’s easy enough to feel confident in practice, but the reassurance of having the resources to help you can go a long way. Simply record a video walkthrough guide using Loom or Camtasia and add to Learn to help your learners understand the where, when, and how of the system.
Tip #10: Intranet splashes
Announce that the new LMS is on its way! Use channels like your intranet, email signatures, and productive tools to inform your learners about Learn LMS. The more the LMS is discussed, the more ingrained it is within your organisation.
It’s normal to feel the pressure at this point. However, Kallidus is there for you every step of the way, from implementation to customer support and success. You’ve got this!
Written by Claire Moloney Claire is an enthusiastic and meticulous content writer whose passion is to support growth and continual learning for everyone.
