Balancing Print and Digital Media

It all comes down to finding the right balance between the two. Generally speaking, print should be used as a reference and cover subjects that are less likely to change over time, whereas digital content should be used as a performance-support tool that deals with topics that may have a shorter shelf life.

“You should have the ability to get the content in any way, shape or form,” Ganesan said. “If you have that flexibility, then you can pick and choose how you want to publish based on marketing strategy, readership and so on.”

As learning leaders evaluate how they can maximize digital media, they need to keep some key questions in mind, said Mike Stacy, Aptara’s vice president of enterprise.

“How can we get high residual value from the content? What are the core principles that make it more effective? How do we focus on specific and intentional learning outcomes? It’s all trying to get that sustainable change in performance and behavior.”