When it comes to learning content, many organizations at some point will land on the question: should we buy off-the-shelf content, or invest in custom content?
It’s a strategic decision, and the truth is, there's no single right answer. Both approaches offer distinct advantages—and the most powerful solution often lies in a smart combination of both.
If you're grappling with this very question, we've created a simple comparison to help you cut through the noise and make an informed decision about your learning content strategy.
Custom content or off-the-shelf?
A quick comparison
Making the right content choice is vital for impactful L&D. Here’s a handy side-by-side look at how custom and off-the-shelf options compare:
Understanding your options: A closer look
As you can see from our comparison, both off-the-shelf content and custom content have their place in a robust L&D strategy.
Off-the-shelf: Your go-to for the basics
Think of off-the-shelf content as the ready-made content solution. It's fantastic for:
Quick wins
When you need to roll out training fast, off-the-shelf content is already built and ready to go.
Common ground
For universal topics like basic compliance (e.g., Data Protection, Health & Safety) or general professional skills (e.g., communication basics, time management), it’s a cost-effective way to cover broad needs with readily available content.
Standard knowledge
It provides a solid foundation of expert-curated information that applies across many organizations.
It's efficient, accessible, and perfect for getting your team up to speed on widely understood subjects without a big upfront development cost for your learning content.
Custom content: Go beyond the basics
This is where your learning truly comes to life and makes a significant impact on your business. Custom content is built uniquely for you. It enables you to:
Pinpoint relevance
Imagine elearning content that speaks directly to your employees' daily tasks, using examples from your actual business, and reflecting your company's unique culture and values. That's custom e-learning content. It's incredibly relevant, making learning stick.
Drive deeper engagement and retention
When custom content feels like it was made just for them, learners are far more engaged. Interactive scenarios, specific challenges, and custom e-learning content mirroring your unique systems lead to better understanding and lasting knowledge.
Solve your unique problems
Got a new, complex system only your company uses? Need to embed a very specific sales process? Want to drive a particular behavioral change across your teams? Off-the-shelf content won't cut it. Custom elearning content is designed to solve your specific, strategic business challenges.
Measurable impact
Because it's built around your goals, custom content can be designed to directly track how learning impacts performance, efficiency, and ultimately, your bottom line.
Your brand, your way
From branding to tone of voice, bespoke content is seamlessly integrated into your organizational identity, reinforcing your culture with every module.
The smart approach: A blend of both
In many organizations, the most effective L&D strategy isn't about choosing one over the other, but rather blending them strategically. This holistic approach leverages the strengths of both off-the-shelf content and custom content.
You might use off-the-shelf content for broad foundational knowledge, like general cyber security awareness. Then, you leverage custom e-learning content for specific, high-impact areas like onboarding new hires into your unique company culture, training on your specific CRM system, or developing leadership skills tailored to your internal structure.
This approach gives you the best of both worlds: efficiency for universal needs, and powerful, tailored impact where it matters most for your strategic objectives through high-quality learning content.
If you're considering adding custom content to the mix, this helpful article covers 7 strategies to help you get started with creating effective custom content.
Discover how custom content can transform your L&D
At Learning Pool, our award-winning team crafts bespoke elearning content experiences for leading global organizations. We'd love to help you tackle your unique challenges and achieve your business goals with the right content.
Let's explore what's possible. Learn more about how our custom content solutions can transform your learning strategy, or get in touch to chat with one of our experts.
