media update’s Aisling McCarthy looks at why education is going online, and how brands can take advantage of this shift.
The Internet is overflowing with information: articles, social media posts, infographics, forums and so forth. However, this is not to be confused with the knowledge that comes from direct, lived experiences.
Knowledge commerce can be described as the digital exchange of knowledge for money. This can be in the form of learning through online courses, ebooks, or other digital products designed to share knowledge.
In short, knowledge commerce can be described as the shift of educational systems to online platforms.
The Internet allows people to work remotely from various locations and even different countries. Thanks to
the gig economy, people are also doing more freelance work. Why should gaining knowledge be any different?
It’s not just online university professors who have valuable knowledge to share. Brands can follow in the footsteps of online universities.
The biggest asset every business has is its expertise in a particular field. For example, if your business specialises in interactive marketing, why not share some nuggets of wisdom with people who want to learn about it?
Here are three reasons why brands should take advantage of knowledge commerce:
1. The future is digital
Digital solutions are omnipresent in almost every industry, and education is no different. Even schools nowadays have smart boards and students have tablets to take notes on. Like it or not, digital is the new norm.
Digital technologies replacing traditional methods is a good argument for knowledge commerce. Gone are the days of actually using a dictionary to look up the meaning of words. We simply Google them now.
Ebooks and online courses are becoming increasingly popular as methods of learning. This is a clear indication that knowledge commerce is a viable alternative to traditional methods of teaching.
2. Knowledge commerce puts customers in control
The power of the consumer has continued to grow, with businesses adapting their offerings based on client-specific needs.
The popularity of social influencers in marketing, as opposed to traditional adverts, highlight that consumers are no longer attracted to flashy adverts alone.
They need some kind of validation that your product does what it says it does. Customer reviews, blogs and social media posts from trusted influencers can go a long way in creating demand for your products.
What does this mean for knowledge commerce? It means that when you are trying to sell your knowledge, you don’t need to spend a fortune to promote it. All you need are a few good reviews and a decent social media audience.
Thanks to modern apps and smartphones, it’s pretty simple to create images and videos to promote your products.
Build up your social media audience by sharing relevant content with them, and then get them excited about the knowledge you have to share!
3. Knowledge is essential
With information so openly available on the Internet, consumers are making more informed decisions before they make purchases.
People want to hear stories of other people who have gone before them and learn from people to whom they can relate. The Internet has created numerous interactive communities around specific topics, which shows just how much consumers want to connect with like-minded folk.
This presents a unique opportunity for people in the knowledge commerce industry. How, you ask? Consumers are actively seeking out new ways to learn about topics that interest them.
They want to know how to solve problems and reach their goals. You can provide these solutions. If you can market your knowledge in an appealing way, and to the right consumers, you have got yourself a recipe for success.
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*Image courtesy of Freepik
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