At its basic core, customer education helps you empower users to maximize value from your product or service through training. Makes sense.
However, I think it encompasses much more than post-purchase support. I’m exploring how a comprehensive customer education strategy can drive success throughout the customer journey from early marketing/awareness through advocacy/delight.
(I’m thinking of this as a public notepad as I hone this thought process while I #BuildInPublic)
First, it’s not a binary situation: On-demand materials + live trainings are magical.
A successful customer education program needs to serve all learner styles and needs. Let’s start with combining accessible on-demand resources with personalized live interactions.
On-Demand Materials
Donna Weber, author of “Onboarding Matters,” highlights the importance of easily accessible learning resources. On-demand materials allow customers to learn at their own pace and revisit information as needed. These can include:
💡 Video tutorials
💡 Interactive product guides
💡 Knowledge base articles
💡 Downloadable PDFs
💡 Webinar/training recordings
Live Trainings
While on-demand resources are crucial, live trainings offer irreplaceable benefits. Dave Derington, Director of Customer Education at Gainsight, states, “Customer education is not just about transferring knowledge; it’s about creating experiences that drive customer success.” Live sessions provide:
💡 Real-time Q&A opportunities
💡 Personalized guidance
💡 Community building
💡 Immediate feedback
Beyond Onboarding: Customer Education as Part of the Customer Journey
Let’s get on the same page. I propose that customer education extends beyond onboarding. I’m sure I’m not the first to say that. We can all see that it supports users throughout their lifecycle.
Onboarding
Yes, a well-structured onboarding process, combining both on-demand and live elements, lays the foundation for success. It helps new users:
💡 Understand core features
💡 Achieve early wins
💡 Establish best practices
Post-Onboarding Support and Growth
As customers become proficient, education shifts to focus on:
💡 Advanced feature adoption
💡 New use cases
💡 Product updates
Customer Education as Marketing
What about thinking of customer education as an ally to marketing? When prospects see the quality of your educational resources, it showcases your commitment to their success.
Pre-Sale Education
Offering educational content to prospects can demonstrate product value and build trust.
Post-Sale Advocacy
Well-educated customers often become your best advocates, leading to positive reviews and testimonials, referrals, and maybe even participation in case studies.
The Impact of Customer Education
So I’m seeing that a well-planned and well-run customer education strategy, as outlined by Weber and Derington, can lead to significant outcomes:
💡 Faster time to value
💡 Increased product adoption
💡 Reduced support costs
💡 Higher customer satisfaction and retention
When you think of customer education as a continuous, multifaceted approach, you can create a powerful engine for smarter growth and customer success. Let’s go.
