Think Like a Marketer with Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor

In this episode of the Learning While Working Podcast, Bianca Baumann and Mike Taylor share insights from their latest book, ‘Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro: Strategies to Ignite Learning’, and dive into actionable strategies that L&D professionals can borrow from the world of marketing.

Discover why shifting your mindset from “order taker” to strategic business partner is essential for today’s L&D professionals. We also uncover how to personalise learning at scale, run effective learning campaigns, and apply marketing-inspired strategies to create learning experiences that resonate – and deliver results.

About  Bianca Baumann

Bianca Baumann is a seasoned learning strategist, international speaker, and author who specialises in innovative workforce enablement solutions. With deep expertise across L&D, employee experience, performance management, and future workforce planning, she partners with global organisations to design data-driven, business-aligned strategies. Known for her work with C-suite leaders and high-performing teams, Bianca brings a sharp focus on transforming human capital into a competitive advantage.

About  Mike Taylor

Mike Taylor is a learning consultant on a mission to eliminate boring, ineffective training. With hands-on experience across nearly every role in L&D, he combines practical know-how with a passion for finding smarter, more engaging ways to help people learn. A self-described “recovering bad student,” Mike brings deep empathy for learners and a talent for simplifying complex topics. He helps organisations design impactful, tech-savvy learning experiences that connect with today’s distracted workforce.

Key takeaways:

• Start small and don’t be intimidated: You don’t need a big budget or fancy tools to bring marketing thinking into learning. Simple, actionable steps – even with no-cost tools – make a difference. (And, get others excited to join in!)
• Adopt a learner-centred mindset, not just content creation: Marketing excels at understanding audiences. Use tactics like research-based personas and journey mapping to make learning experiences resonate and drive business outcomes.
• Think in campaigns, not just courses: Like marketers, L&D should use content strategically – spread it across multiple channels, personalise when possible, and align everything to the bigger business workflow.

Chapters:

• (00:00:00) Introduction
• (00:06:11) Design learning for cognitive understanding
• (00:07:19) From order taker to partner
• (00:11:13) Prioritising actionable sales metrics
• (00:14:39) Marketing funnel concept for learning
• (00:17:43) Reframing persona use in design
• (00:23:25) Evolving learning journeys
• (00:27:25) Personalisation in marketing technology
• (00:29:01) Content organisation for enhanced learning

Links from the podcast:

• Connect with Bianca Baumann on LinkedIn
• Connect with Mike Taylor on LinkedIn
• Train Like A Marketer Website
• Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro – Book