The customer education advantage — elevating customer experience through strategic learning

Customer education (CE) refers to the development and delivery of learning programs that support customers in adopting and using products and services effectively, ultimately improving their overall customer experience (CX). A 2024 Forrester Consulting report commissioned by Adobe found that customer education programs have a profound impact on CX — 79% of respondents said their CE programs are integral to their overall CX strategy.

Forrester surveyed over 260 business leaders responsible for making customer learning strategy decisions in their organizations and gathered recommendations for an effective CE strategy. The report evaluates the current state of CE strategies, the challenges of embedding CE programs into CX strategies today, and the investment drivers for CE programs. According to the report, most businesses with CE programs saw a direct impact on the post-sale customer lifecycle:

However, businesses report that these results often aren’t enough to secure investment in CE programs. Organizations need to see a clear uplift in sales in the form of upselling and cross-selling opportunities and strengthened relationships with key accounts. The solution requires a shift from a technology-focused CE strategy to a science-based strategy, making an adaptive, flexible platform critical to your CE program.

Education augments experiences — but only if done right

Results from the Forrester study point to a clear relationship between effective CE programs and CX strategy. Respondents noted some of the following gaps that can be bridged through an effective CE program:

However, many customer education programs are failing to meet expectations. Along with a lack of stakeholder buy-in, people-related challenges slow CE program implementation, with respondents listing the following as top issues:

Effective CE programs focus on delivering the right education resources through channels and methods that resonate most with customers. This requires a single source of truth — with customer data, training content, and learner progress data — iterative processes, and a flexible learning platform to gain the necessary scalability without overburdening CE teams.

How to build a strategic customer education program

It’s time to rethink how organizations approach CE. It is critical to base your strategy on scientifically proven methods and align it with your company’s specific requirements. Here are some tips for building an education program that works for your business:

Learn more about challenges CE teams face and customer-centric solutions that enable businesses to deliver better education experiences.

Download the full report

Get in touch today to learn how Adobe can help you launch a Customer Education program using Adobe Learning Manager and Adobe Experience Manager.

As the head of product marketing for Adobe learning and publishing solutions, Priyank Shrivastava has over 15 years of experience in learning technologies. A pivotal player in the inception of Adobe Learning Manager, he has been instrumental in shaping its success. Priyank holds a strong conviction that learning technologies, once primarily targeted towards employees, now strategically contribute to elevating both customer and partner experiences.