10 Benefits of Using an Instructional Designer in Marketing

As a marketer, you create content that you hope will educate, inform, and nurture your audience. But if your content isn’t optimized to engage, it can fail to connect.

Instructional designers are valuable marketing partners because they take the guesswork out of educational content and make it suitable for the real world. They have the insight and expertise to transform the content created to teach, train, or build trust into an engaging experience that sticks. Their input can mean the difference between high conversions and content that falls flat.

Wherever you want to level up your educational efforts, these pros are your secret weapon. We spoke with instructional design pro Shari Cruz to give you inside tips on how your marketing team and other departments in your organization can leverage an instructional designer to achieve your learning outcomes.

What is instructional design and when do you need it?

“Instructional design (ID) is like engineering for training,” says Cruz. “IDs plan and design instructional materials based on learning principles, so the results are both functional and attractive to the learner.”

And those principles are important. You wouldn’t easily learn to drive by reading a book—just like you wouldn’t get directions to dinner by listening to a podcast. This understanding is the basis of learning theory and a big part of the role of an instructional designer.

Instructional designers use sophisticated learning theorems to identify how people learn, absorb, and retain content. Then, they transform content into an experience optimized for that audience. They may use a variety of in-person and online learning formats to do this, such as e-learning courses, videos, job aids, simulations, and games.

Plus, their expertise can be valuable across various marketing, onboarding, policy training, and software adoption projects.

Say a marketing department is creating an internal brand guide that explains the brand’s voice, look, feel, and company culture. They could work closely with HR and an instructional designer to create internal training that—in today’s social media-driven world—ensures anyone who represents the brand online is doing so in the right voice.

“A brand’s voice starts internally,” says Cruz, “and that begins with effective onboarding.”

Whether you have internal training and want a fresh view or need an external expert opinion, partnering with an ID can ensure it connects.

Benefits of using an instructional designer

Incorporating the expertise of an instructional designer in marketing can provide a significant advantage over your competitors. The specialized skills of IDs in structuring information, understanding learning design processes, and creating engaging content can add depth and efficacy to marketing initiatives. With an iterative approach, stakeholders can be sure the content is achieving the necessary learning objectives.

The intersection of instructional design and marketing offers a unique opportunity to meet key content and learning objectives, enhance communication, target messaging, improve content development, and more.

1. Meet key content objectives

If you’re creating any kind of educational content, an instructional designer can make all the difference in optimizing it to boost customer engagement, loyalty, and satisfaction.

Due to the systematic nature of their field, ID consultants often work on a project basis, which allows them to apply their expertise in various contexts without necessarily having to commit to full-time engagement. They can apply one of their design principles, like the ADDIE model (analysis, design, development, implementation, evaluation) or Bloom’s taxonomy, to guide the instructional design process.

Start by asking yourself, “What are my primary objectives for creating educational content?” Your intent might be to:

• Teach customers how to use your product or service
• Improve engagement with your mobile app
• Smooth out user experience (UX) issues
• Onboard users in a way that promotes better adoption
• Convert learners into customers
• Train employees or promote ongoing higher education
• Change attitudes, perceptions, or behaviors

Even if you’re a training wiz, an ID’s expertise, insights, and objective opinion just might be the fresh perspective you need to push your efforts further. They can jump in on projects of any size—especially big, complex learning initiatives that may require months of research, user testing, and collaboration with your subject matter experts (SMEs).

Once you have your objectives in mind, an instructional designer can identify the best way to meet them. They can help you create content from scratch or transform your existing information into the method that’s easiest for users to understand, absorb, and retain. These results might be:

• Explainer videos
• Online courses
• Learning activities like interactive games
• Instruction manuals (printed or digital)
• Onboarding flows for software or an app
• Simulations (using AR or VR technology)

Let’s say you have educational content that’s getting low engagement. “Revamping material that isn’t working is very common for an ID consultant,” Cruz says. “Sometimes, it’s improving old materials with new technology or starting from scratch.”

Instructional designers are also adept at facilitating project management, often guiding the creation and implementation of course content and learning initiatives from start to finish. They’re skilled in using various authoring tools to create engaging, interactive modules, which you can deploy on a learning management system (LMS) for easy access and tracking.

2. Enhance communication skills

Instructional designers can simplify complex information and present it in a way that is not only clear and concise but also engaging and effective. They are proficient in understanding, analyzing, and translating intricate concepts into learner-friendly formats, making them invaluable assets in any marketing strategy.

Using their expertise can improve your brand’s ability to communicate accurate, compelling messages to various target audiences. With an instructional designer’s assistance, marketers can ensure their message is not only heard but understood and retained, leading to a stronger connection with customers and higher levels of engagement.

For instance, consider a technology company that has developed cutting-edge software with various advanced features. While this product might be technologically impressive, communicating its capabilities and benefits to a non-tech-savvy audience can be a challenge.

This is where an instructional designer comes into play. They can analyze the software’s features and the needs of the target audience. Using this information, the instructional designer could create a series of short, engaging explainer videos. These videos could use clear language and visual aids to break down complex software functionalities into digestible pieces.

3. Target messaging

A well-placed instructional designer can be a linchpin in the development of precise, targeted messaging. By collaborating closely with marketers, instructional designers can help identify the specific needs, interests, and preferences of the target audience. By using their expertise in defining clear learning objectives and crafting effective learning experiences, they can develop marketing materials that resonate deeply with the intended audience.

Their expertise is particularly useful for designing training programs because instructional designers ensure that content is not only instructive but also engaging and relevant. They are proficient in creating tailored learning experiences that take into account the unique attributes of the target group, which promotes greater engagement and fosters deeper connections.

As a result of this collaborative effort, marketing materials become more than just promotional content—they transform into interactive, educational experiences that speak directly to the audience’s needs and aspirations. This targeted approach leads to increased engagement, enhanced customer loyalty, and higher conversion rates.

4. Improve content development

Instructional designers offer a rich collection of skills that can enhance content development. With their design skills and deep understanding of how individuals learn and retain information, instructional designers can help marketers create compelling and engaging materials. Whether it’s a presentation, a video, an infographic, or interactive content, they ensure the deliverables are visually appealing, effectively structured, and easy to navigate.

Drawing on established instructional design models, these professionals approach content creation as a problem-solving task, designing every piece to maximize retention and facilitate comprehension. By employing elements like repetition, chunking of information, and visual aids, they enhance the digestibility of the content and increase the chances that the audience will remember the intended message.

For example, instead of providing a block of text about a product’s features, an instructional designer might suggest an interactive infographic that allows users to explore each feature in a hands-on way. Or they might recommend a short video series that breaks down complex concepts into more manageable parts.

5. Align with learning principles

Instructional designers are deeply immersed in instructional design theories and principles that form the foundation of their practice. This knowledge allows them to create content that aligns closely with the natural learning process of individuals, enhancing their ability to comprehend and retain the communicated messages.

By leveraging the instructional designer’s expertise, marketers can transform traditional marketing campaigns into effective learning experiences. From designing simple educational handouts to complex digital curriculum design, instructional designers ensure that every piece of content is constructed with a clear understanding of how the human brain processes and retains information.

This alignment with learning principles leads to a more intuitive interaction with marketing content, allowing the target audience to easily absorb key messages and retain them for longer periods. The result is increased engagement, better brand recall, and more successful outcomes.

6. Ensure consistent branding

Maintaining consistent branding across various marketing channels can be a challenging task, but it’s one where instructional designers shine. With their unique skill set encompassing learning experience design, graphic design, and the creation of storyboards, they can develop a suite of tools to reinforce cohesive brand identity.

Instructional designers are adept at creating style guides and templates that serve as a consistent framework for all content. This ensures that whether the audience is viewing a promotional video, participating in an interactive module, or reading a product manual, the branding remains unmistakably consistent. The visual elements, tone of voice, and even the instructional strategies used present a unified brand image.

Moreover, these design professionals understand the importance of crafting a narrative within the branding. They use storyboards to plan and visualize the user’s journey, ensuring the messaging is consistent and tells a compelling brand story.

Their comprehensive approach ensures every learning touchpoint reinforces brand recognition and recall, which creates a stronger connection with the audience. Through the lens of an instructional designer, consistent branding goes beyond logos and colors and becomes an immersive, coherent experience that educates and engages.

7. Provide user-centered design

At the heart of instructional design lies a commitment to understanding the end user’s needs and preferences. This user-centric approach is pivotal in shaping learning experiences. By applying this principle to marketing, instructional designers can help create materials that fit the user’s perspective, fostering more significant engagement and positive user experiences.

User-centered design is all about empathy and relevance. It’s about diving deep into the mindset of the target audience’s motivations, challenges, and aspirations. This nuanced understanding of the user guides the development of content that meets their specific needs.

Whether creating an interactive online tutorial, a product explainer video, or an infographic, the instructional designer ensures the content is informative, relatable, and engaging. The resulting marketing materials feel personal and relevant and effectively capture the user’s attention.

8. Evaluate and optimize materials

An instructional designer’s role is to evaluate and optimize materials. This skill—honed through curriculum development and refining learning materials—is equally valuable in the realm of marketing. Instructional designers can apply evaluation techniques and metrics to measure the impact of marketing campaigns and provide invaluable insights into their effectiveness.

They can identify which aspects of the campaign resonate most with the audience and areas where engagement might fall short. This continual process of evaluation and refinement ensures the marketing materials remain dynamic and responsive to audience feedback, allowing marketers to optimize their strategies over time.

This data-driven approach also contributes to a better understanding of the target audience, which informs future marketing efforts and leads to more successful campaigns. Instructional designers can help drive continuous improvement and ensure that marketing strategies evolve and grow more effectively over time.

9. Incorporate adaptive learning strategies

Instructional designers are well-versed in implementing adaptive learning strategies, a methodology that personalizes content based on user preferences, behavior, and feedback. This individual-focused approach can be an invaluable asset to marketers because it transforms generic marketing campaigns into uniquely tailored experiences that heighten relevance and engagement.

The process begins with a comprehensive needs assessment in which instructional designers identify the distinct requirements and interests of various user segments. By understanding these nuances, they make each user interaction as impactful as possible by aligning the delivery of marketing content with individual learning styles and preferences.

For example, a user who regularly engages with video content might be presented with more video-based marketing materials, while another who prefers text-based information could receive more detailed written content. By personalizing the marketing experience, marketers can speak directly to the individual needs and preferences of their audience. This personalization increases the likelihood of engagement and leads to higher conversion rates.

10. Drive continuous improvement

Instructional designers are dedicated to continuous improvement by staying on top of the latest trends and best practices in the fields of instructional design and marketing. This commitment is particularly beneficial in a rapidly evolving industry where adapting to changing market dynamics and technology advancements is key to staying competitive.

With a deep understanding of educational technology, instructional systems, and the use of multimedia in learning, instructional designers can help marketers tap into the potential of new tools and trends. They can recommend the most effective ways to integrate emerging technologies and methodologies into marketing campaigns, create strategies that resonate with audiences, and set the pace in the industry.

For example, as virtual and augmented reality technologies become more prevalent, instructional designers can guide marketers in using these tools to create immersive brand experiences. Or as social media platforms evolve, they can advise on the best practices for creating engaging learning experiences within these digital spaces.

Their expert insights and recommendations help marketers continuously refine their strategies to keep them relevant and effective. By staying at the forefront of instructional technology and design, instructional designers not only drive their own professional growth but also contribute to the ongoing success and evolution of the marketing campaigns they support.

Tap an instructional designer to improve engagement

Instructional designers can be important partners anywhere in your organization whether your learners are internal team members or your external audience. “We can be plugged in at almost any department in a company to create or improve training materials,” Cruz notes, adding, “Rather than dedicating internal resources, leveraging an ID allows you to focus on the content of the training—where you’re the expert—while we focus on the strategies, which we are experts in!”

By using an ID, your team can get back in the driver’s seat and do what they do best with fresh perspectives and plans. Cruz says, “Relying on an ID to come in and use their expertise to create quality training frees up internal resources, enables successful growth, and minimizes the production gap commonly seen in onboarding new employees.”

Instructional designers and marketers are a great match that encourages the cross-pollination of ideas and skills. Ready to partner with an instructional designer who has the work experience you need? Browse instructional designers available to hire on Upwork.

Are you an instructional designer looking for work? Check out the available instructional design jobs.