London Higher: modular digital communications training
In 2021, we delivered a series of online training modules about digital communications for colleagues at London Higher, as well as their widening participation team at AccessHE.
Both London Higher and AccessHE deliver important work in the education sector:
London Higher is an ‘umbrella’ body representing nearly 50 universities and higher education colleges in London. They bring their members together to identify the opportunities, and address the challenges, of operating in London.
AccessHE is the pan-London network driving the HE access, success, and progression agenda for underrepresented learners across the capital.
However, they recognised that their teams would benefit from digital communications training.
Some colleagues had more experience than others. As such, a comprehensive training course would allow everyone to level-up, and gain the same strong foundation of knowledge.
In particular, they wanted to understand:
Whether their approaches were still relevant for the current digital landscape, particularly in post-pandemic times
Ways to segment and prioritise audiences to ensure each digital channel is impactful in supporting business goals
How to deliver compelling communications with limited resources: time, staff, budget, experience.
Methods for maximising visibility of their content in a crowded digital world, and knowing its success.
Training topics
In response to London Higher's needs, we designed a course which offered an introduction to digital communications, along with reference to several strategic techniques.
We also created bespoke slides and examples tailored specifically for London Higher and AccessHE activity.
Our course consisted of four modules:
Module 1 - Introducing digital platforms
The digital landscape in 2021
Understanding different digital platforms
Common audiences and behaviours for each
Module 2 - Working out what to use
Aligning digital activity with strategic goals
Identifying, defining, understanding audiences
Using audience insights to inform content
Module 3 - Content creation
Creating compelling, readable, accessible copy
An inspiration showcase from the education sector
Five strategies to find content with limited resource
Module 4 - Community management
Maximising visibility of your content
Segmentation strategies to deliver targeted content
Monitoring, managing, messaging, measuring
Training delivery
London Higher accepted that online training would be a necessary form of delivery.
However, they were worried about the wellbeing of colleagues, particularly with the rise of "Zoom fatigue" this past year.
We therefore designed an innovative approach for delivery. Instead of hosting our usual 6-7 hour workshop over the course of a single day, we chose to deliver a bite-sized, modular series, over a period of four weeks.
Each of our four modules consisted of a:
30-minute recording to watch in the week leading up to the live workshop
Short, solo, homework assignment introduced at the end of the recording to be completed before the workshop
60-minute live workshop where trainees are brought together for discussion, reflections, and group activities.
This flexible approach offered several benefits:
Learning was spaced out to allow for better absorption
Time spent at the screen in a single sitting was minimised
Recordings could be watched (and rewatched) at a pace which suited the trainee
A good deal of learning and activity took place before each workshop, allowing maximum value from our time together.
Following the online course, feedback was incredibly positive. Colleagues reported that they were already applying the learning in their day-to-day communications.
“It was great to work with Simon and Pickle Jar Communications for our social media training. The accessible pre-training videos and the 4-week course allowed the team to access materials when it worked for them, and to embed the ideas discussed.” - Diana Beech, CEO, London Higher