Beyond Product Success: Launching an Academy to Help Drive Industry Proficiency

NetLine is on a mission to empower B2B marketers (and help them escape the B2B marketing black hole) with unparalleled buyer intent data and lead generation capabilities through its all-in-one buyer engagement platform. 

Beyond product success, the NetLine team knows that delivering on this mission requires an extra edge. To accomplish this, they’re leaning into the power of continuous learning to take their customer and partner relationships to the next level. 

In this customer spotlight, we sit down with NetLine’s Partner Marketing Manager, Janine Johnson, to talk about the launch of NetLine Academy—their new learning hub for B2B marketers—and what’s in store for learners who are looking to stand out in today’s competitive market with their demand generation knowledge.  

Tell us a little bit about you and your role at NetLine. 

My name is Janine, and I’m the Partner Marketing Manager at NetLine. 

NetLine is a platform that enables marketers, publishers, and agencies to get more out of their content—whether it be through lead generation, monetization, or buyer-level intent insights.

For marketers, NetLine serves two purposes, the first being that the platform accelerates sales dialogue with real-time insights into “who” is actively expressing intent in an account. Second, NetLine helps marketers to translate their content into tangible business outcomes by generating demand. 

My role is to manage NetLine’s customer academy and oversee its certification programs and training initiatives. Since I’ve come on board, I’ve introduced and implemented the official NetLine Academy, including two certifications and a handful of training courses for B2B marketers. 

Read more: 7 Reasons to Create a Customer Education Academy

Congrats on your launch of NetLine Academy to support education and certification for your customers and partners! What made this the right time to start investing in customer/partner ed? 

The decision to launch NetLine Academy and invest in customer and partner education was driven by a couple key factors that made it the perfect time to launch. 

The first was and is the dynamic and ever-evolving landscape of B2B marketing. This field demands continuous learning and staying ahead of the curve. We recognized the need to provide our customers and partners with a dedicated platform to enhance their knowledge and skills in demand generation best practices.

Additionally, our recent acquisition by Informa in December 2021 unlocked a wealth of resources and expertise that we wanted to leverage to benefit our valued stakeholders. By combining our existing strengths, we were able to create an educational hub that caters specifically to the needs of our customers and partners.

And last but certainly not least was our launch of INTENTIVE. The only buyer-level intent platform delivering real-time insights into truly “who” is actively expressing intent within a B2B account. The platform delivers transparent buyer-level intent insights into “who” is actively expressing intent inside an account. It’s also the lone intent platform delivering “what” actions that person is taking, “when” those actions took place, and notably “where” those actions occurred.

With all these things coming to fruition at once, we wanted to have something to support these products/initiatives and be better equipped to educate our customers and the larger B2B space. 

Read more: What is Customer Education & Why You Can’t Afford to Neglect it

What is the mission of NetLine Academy, and what do you hope to achieve in your partnerships through the power of self-serve education? 

NetLine Academy’s main goal is to make knowledge available to everyone, helping individuals and businesses succeed in today’s competitive world. 

We want to support our partners with the right information and tools, fostering a community focused on growth and collaboration in intent data and lead generation.

Upon completing our certifications, users gain the ability to showcase their newfound expertise on professional platforms like LinkedIn. We provide certification badges and verifiable credentials that learners can proudly display on their LinkedIn profiles, highlighting their dedication to continuous learning and industry proficiency. 

By including their NetLine Academy certifications as accomplishments on LinkedIn, users can stand out in the competitive job market and catch the attention of potential employers, clients, and partners. It serves as a powerful visual representation of their commitment to personal and professional growth, making them more attractive candidates for new opportunities and collaborations. 

Can you give us an overview of the certifications you’re offering and who could benefit from taking these courses? 

Our team has curated two certifications to support marketers with demand generation best practices which allows NetLine to better support our self-service customers to reach their audience more quickly. 

Starting with our first certification, Cadet, users will come away with a greater understanding of how to set up and manage content-centric campaigns, along with the tools to make NetLine Portal usage simple and efficient. This certification is meant to be for someone just starting out in demand gen or brand new to using NetLine. Our second certification, Lieutenant, provides a deeper dive into the more advanced features of NetLine Portal. This certification gives users an in-depth look at reporting campaign results. 

While a lot of focus is meant towards B2B marketers, this initiative has a strategic focus to enable small-to-mid marketing agencies to expand their lead generation service for clients.The ultimate objective of these certifications is to equip marketing professionals with essential knowledge and skills, who can then in turn propel their brands and clients to new successes. 

Read more: Why You Should Create a Customer Certification Program

What are some best practices and strategies you’ve employed to make this content fun and engaging for learners? 

We understand that making educational content fun and engaging is vital to keeping learners motivated and interested in their learning journey. To achieve this, we have implemented a range of best practices and strategies that strike the right balance between video, quizzes, and text, all presented in easily digestible chunks.

But that’s not all! We’ve got our beloved mascot, “Luna,” the adorable space explorer who adds a touch of fun to our content! Using Luna as our mascot allows us to play upon the exciting space exploration theme throughout the Academy, making the learning journey feel like an adventure through space. 

In addition to our commitment to providing a fun and engaging learning experience, we go the extra mile to reward our certification completers with awesome NetLine swag! We believe celebrating learners’ achievements is essential in fostering a sense of accomplishment and motivation. And who doesn’t love swag? 

What has the initial engagement and reaction been like? Any data points you’re focused on measuring? How are you seeing this access to education elevate your customer and partner relationships? 

Reactions to NetLine Academy have been overwhelmingly positive! Our prospects and clients have expressed genuine enthusiasm for the opportunity to access resources right at their fingertips. 

One of the key data points we’ve been focused on measuring is the completion rate of our certifications. We are delighted to see a high percentage of learners successfully completing the courses, indicating their commitment to enhancing their knowledge and skills. 

How has leveraging an LMS like WorkRamp enabled you to deliver on your educational vision? 

WorkRamp has been a game-changer for us, allowing us to deliver on our educational vision in an organized and efficient manner. 

Our primary goal was not just to provide product knowledge, but also to offer career education and support to our clients. By providing valuable information like “Best Practices in Content Marketing,” we enable our clients to feel more successful in their roles and while using our product. 

WorkRamp’s insights and tracking capabilities offer valuable data on learner progress and areas that may require further assistance. This allows us to tailor our educational offerings and enhance the overall learning journey. 

Beyond elevating your customer and partner experience, how has leaning into customer education also helped support your internal teams? 

For our sales team, NetLine Academy has become a powerful sales enablement tool. They can now direct prospects to the Academy, allowing them to self-educate on our platform and services. This positions our sales team as trusted advisors as they guide prospects on their journey toward successful lead-generation campaigns. 

Additionally, our client services teams have found immense value in NetLine Academy. They can direct new clients to the Academy to get a head start on self-service campaign execution. This streamlines the onboarding process and boosts the clients’ confidence in using our platform effectively. 

What part of your initial launch are you most proud of, and what’s next for NetLine Academy that you’re most excited about? What upcoming learning resources can your customers and partners look forward to? 

Since its launch, NetLine Academy has helped in nurturing relationships with our valued customers and partners. By offering accessible and comprehensive education, we empower them to unlock the full potential of our platform and confidently achieve their marketing goals. 

And we’re just getting started! Our team is busy working on developing a series of courses tailored specifically for B2B marketers. These courses will provide strategies and skills to enhance B2B marketers tool belts. At NetLine, we firmly believe that “Successful B2B Marketers Start Here,” and we are fully committed to providing the necessary resources and support to ensure their success. 

Want to become an expert in running B2B content syndication campaigns? Head to NetLine Academy to get certified today! 

Then, chat with our team to learn more about how you can uplevel your customer and partner relationships through learning in WorkRamp.