Marketing
      Back to home
      1. Help Center
      2. Marketing

      FAQs- Marketing with ICAgile

      Here are common questions our Member Organizations ask about ICAgile's marketing capabilities and marketing support.

      How to Market ICAgile Classes

      With big, ongoing shifts in the agile world, does ICAgile do market research to best meet prospective students' evolving needs?

      • Absolutely, we just conducted student interviews and found that current needs are: price and value for money because students are usually self-paying for their course. Flexible schedules, especially weekend courses, are also important.
      • Other things we’ve learned in our customer research will be shared in the next few questions.

      How do I market for the public and obtain seats?

      • Customers do more research than ever before and they are quite skeptical. Build trust by sharing valuable information for free via email, social media, webinars, etc.
      • Share what makes you unique and why you’re the best person to teach this course. Students are vetting their instructors on LinkedIn or asking mentors to recommend specific trainers.

      ICAgile classes are known to be highly theoretical, and don't require tests. How can prospective students (and employers) feel confident that graduates will know how to put their learnings into action in their work?

      • Reviews, testimonials, and case studies at the organizational and individual level are very powerful ways to prove the value of the course and illustrate how graduates apply their learning at work. Contact ICAgile’s marketing team (marketing@icagile.com) if you’d like to collaborate on a case study or learner story.
      • Sharing a lot of details about the curriculum or seeing the Learning Outcomes can often be enough to convince a learner that they can apply the course materials right away.
      • ICAgile’s accreditation process encourages contextually-specific applications of the Learning Outcomes and our acceptance criteria ensure that instructors have a mechanism to assess knowledge-acquired by learners in determining eligibility for certification.

      Is ICAgile's biggest differentiator from other certifying bodies that their courses are framework agnostic? How do you articulate that value to consumers?

      • Yes, students often seek out ICAgile classes because they are framework agnostic. The benefit is that the skills and knowledge ICAgile students gain transcend frameworks. For organizations, it means the certification is more useful as their agile practices evolve. For individuals, it means they are not confined to a specific role or framework, which limits their career prospects. 

      What are some current benefits that providers might not be aware of or taking full advantage of?

      • Learner stories and case studies- These are very powerful because they show prospective students and organizations that your training is effective. It’s also a low commitment for you. You connect us with a learner or a point of contact at an organization, I interview them, write the case study/learner story, publish on our website and share with you. Reach out to marketing@icagile.com if you’re interested in this opportunity.

      Do you have any research/statistics on the salary ranges, career progression and other benefits candidates will gain upon doing the ICAgile certifications?

      • It is challenging for us to gather this research because we have so many training providers, certifications, and our courses are offered globally. That being said, we are trying to gather more statistics.

      Pricing Concerns

      Does ICAgile have a solution to combat continuing price drops to courses?

      • Companies have generally cut training budgets.
      • Most learners are self-funding their course. That money is coming from their household budget, spending that could be used for vacation, activities for their children, eating out, etc. It’s important to adjust your business model to the current business climate and show people why your course is worth it.

      Stats/Demand Data

      How can we have more transparency on marketing analytics? Can you share specific numbers about the demand for specific certifications in specific regions?

      • Our goal is to support and grow the consortium as a whole. With nearly 400 MOs and growing, we don’t have the capacity to answer specific questions. 
      • We do want to share relevant data that could help as many MOs as possible. 
      • We are very cautious about sharing analytics because we don’t want to inform business decisions that end up hurting your business. For example, if we tell the whole consortium that demand for Product Ownership courses is increasing and everyone creates a Product Ownership course, the market is flooded and it’s harder for everyone to sell their course.
      • We know you want data to inform what course you accredit next. Keep in mind that you know your market best. Look at your analytics, research your market, and talk to your audience to learn more about what courses are in demand. In addition, focus on courses that you are uniquely qualified to teach. This will help you stand out from the crowd.

      Are course enrollment numbers going up?

      • Course enrollments are plateauing. We are seeing interest in courses shifting from the public market to the private market.

      Are courses mainly online?

      • There is some return to in-person classes, but we do not anticipate a return to the level of in-person classes we saw pre-pandemic.

      Providing Referrals

      Can ICAgile provide Member Organizations with access to RFPs?

      • Because ICAgile is an accreditation and certification body, we do not get RFPs sent to us. RFPs are sent directly to training providers.

      Do you receive leads for private training that you can share with Member Organizations?