When it comes to meeting the ever-growing demands on L&D teams, buying content libraries, collections, or standalone modules can be the difference maker. It’s not a silver bullet or the answer to every learning challenge, but when selected with a specific use case in mind, offers great value.
At Learn Amp, we partner with a range of the best content providers in the industry. Check out our Content Partners here.
Let’s explore why buying content makes sense, where it excels, and what to consider before making your final decision.
Save Time and Effort: L&D teams are often stretched thin, and spending countless hours creating, updating, or curating content is neither practical nor sustainable. Developing a one-hour eLearning course can take an average of 197 hours, with time ranging between 49 to 716 hours depending on complexity (eLearning Art). Pre-curated libraries and collections streamline the process, enabling quicker access to high-quality learning materials.
Access Expert Content: Purchased content is developed by instructional designers and subject matter experts, ensuring consistency, quality, and credibility. This is especially valuable when internal expertise is limited.
Meet Accessibility Needs: Off-the-shelf content can cater to diverse learner needs and preferences, making it an ideal solution for organisations with a wide-ranging audience who want to provide accessibility and drive engagement.
Stay Compliant and Manage Risk: Compliance training is non-negotiable, and great (interrogating this is key) content partners ensure materials are updated to reflect the latest regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of errors or outdated information. The right partner can serve your context too, such as industry specific and multi-language.
Quick Deployment: With pre-built content, organisations can address urgent training needs, such as compliance risks or training gaps, without waiting for internal teams to create materials from scratch. This ensures risk management and compliance are addressed at speed and risk is mitigated.
Frees Up L&D for Strategic Work: By outsourcing content creation, L&D professionals can focus on initiatives that add deeper value, such as context-rich development programmes tailored to the organisation’s unique needs.
Scalable Solutions: As businesses grow, the demands on L&D also increase. Pre-built content allows you to scale your learning solutions without overburdening internal resource.
Cost-Effective: While there is an upfront cost to purchasing content, it often outweighs the hidden costs of creating materials in-house, such as time, resources, and ongoing updates. Bespoke content can also be pricey; Training Bubble put it at £7-12k on average, per course. If it doesn’t need to be specifically tailored to your business, pre-made is where it’s at.
Seamless Integration: Many content libraries are plug-and-play, integrating easily with existing platforms. Everything you need, in one place.
Future-Ready Skills: Modern libraries support skills development, career growth, and self-serve learning, addressing not just immediate needs but also long-term organisational goals. Oxford Learning College reports that, ‘An estimated 20% of the workforce in the UK will be significantly underskilled for their jobs by 2030.’
Evaluate Impact: Some content includes integrated assessments, providing measurable outcomes to track learner progress effectively. This gives you the tools to evidence skill improvement and acquisition and remain vigilant over gaps and upskilling needs. If it lives inside one system (LXP etc.), you can expect enhanced reporting and insights too.
While the benefits of purchasing content are clear, it’s important to recognise that it’s not the solution for every challenge. Buying content should not become the default approach but rather an informed decision based on:
Clear Objectives: Identify the specific learning outcomes you’re aiming for and assess whether off-the-shelf content aligns with those goals.
The Nature of the Problem: Not all learning challenges require content. Sometimes, mentoring, coaching, or process changes will address the root-cause issue.
Customisation Needs: While many libraries allow for customisation, deeply contextual training might still require bespoke or in-house content development.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Weigh the costs of purchasing versus creating content in-house, considering both immediate and long-term needs.
Investing in content libraries and collections can transform how L&D teams operate, providing time-saving, scalable, and cost-effective solutions.
However, it’s not a one-size-fits-all answer.
By approaching the decision thoughtfully and considering the unique needs of your organisation, you can leverage purchased content as a powerful tool in your L&D strategy and learning system, while staying focused on delivering impactful, meaningful learning experiences.