NAVER Celebrates a Decade of Supporting 1.4 Million SMEs and Creators Through Digital Transformation Education
NAVER Celebrates a Decade of Supporting 1.4 Million SMEs and Creators Through Digital Transformation Education
NAVER Celebrates a Decade of Supporting 1.4 Million SMEs and Creators Through Digital Transformation Education
- “NAVER Square,” the offline education hub for SMEs and creators, celebrates its 10th anniversary with 580,000 visitors and more than 7,800 offline classes
- “NAVER Business School,” the online campus, has seen a total of 1 million members and more than 1,600 courses over the past two years of online education
- Leveraging 10 years of educational expertise, NAVER provides self-developed systematic coursework, supporting the growth of digital entrepreneurs
September 6, 2023
NAVER Corporation (CEO Choi Soo-yeon) announced that its online and offline educational platforms, “NAVER Square” and “NAVER Business School,” have facilitated the digital transformation of 1.4 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and creators through educational support over the last 10 years.
◼︎ “NAVER Square,” which supports free education and infrastructure for SMEs and creators, has seen 580,000 visitors in its five hubs across the country, educating 320,000 partners
Starting with NAVER Square Yeoksam in 2013, NAVER established five “NAVER Square” in five locations across the nation, including Busan, Gwangju, Jongno, and Hongdae. These centers offer tailored consultations, educational programs, and facilities, such as studios for SMEs and creators for free, providing support for those starting out in platform businesses.
Over the last decade, NAVER Squares across the country have welcomed 580,000 SMEs and creators, offering offline training and studio access and fostering local networking opportunities. Through 7,812 in-person classes, they have trained 320,000 participants, with over 150,000 Smart Store and Shopping Live sellers utilizing the studios.
◼︎ Marking its second anniversary, the online campus “NAVER Business School” surpasses 1 million online education members
In 2020, in light of the challenges posed by COVID-19, NAVER shifted its focus toward digitizing its educational program in response to the rising demand for digital entrepreneurship. In September of the following year, NAVER launched “NAVER Business School,” a business education platform specialized for SMEs.
Based on the expertise, educational content, and business data amassed over eight years of running NAVER Squares, NAVER was able to devise a more systematic educational coursework. As the “NAVER Business School” celebrates its second anniversary, the number of online education members has exceeded 1.08 million, and the available online education courses have more than doubled since last year, now totaling 279. Notable courses cover topics such as Smart Store, advertising, blogs, influencers, and Shopping Live, with a total of 1,608 online lectures having been viewed more than 3.67 million times.
◼︎ Over two years, 80,000 SMEs have been disbursed with education points worth KRW 500 million, learning directly from coursework developed by NAVER employees
NAVER has been strengthening the connection between education and growth, expanding the scope and scale of educational content essential for SME business growth, offering them for free and awarding education points upon completing the course. Currently, 80,000 SMEs have been disbursed with education points worth KRW 500 million.
Practical courses that can be immediately applied to business, such as “How to Register Products on Smart Store for Optimal Search Results,” “Utilizing Place Ads for Offline Store Promotion,” and “Starting NAVER Blog AdPost to Generate Revenue,” have garnered significant popularity. Remarkably, 46% of the course content has been directly developed and taught by NAVER employees.
Kim Seo-young, who runs the Smart Store “Meat Girl,” said, “Having NAVER employees explain the services directly adds credibility. NAVER has always been at the forefront of providing quality lectures, even before there was a clear need for such education.” A blogger named “Newtro” said, “NAVER Business School categorizes information effectively. After finishing the courses, it offers clear guidance on the next steps for the business, which is extremely beneficial.”
◼︎ With the evolving online environment, NAVER develops AI and global courses
NAVER plans to expand and diversify its curriculum to help digital entrepreneurs swiftly adapt to and succeed with emerging technologies. Notably, they are focusing on marketing techniques using various NAVER artificial intelligence (AI) technologies like HyperCLOVA X and developing global educational courses for Webtoon artists.
Kong Ki-joong, head of NAVER’s Education Center, stated, “NAVER Business School stands out for its credibility as it directly involves NAVER employees, who are proficient and agile in adapting to technological and service changes, in developing and teaching the coursework. We will continue to develop and operate top-notch educational courses to ensure stable growth for all digital entrepreneurs, from SMEs and creators on NAVER platform to partners and enterprises utilizing NAVER AI.”
To celebrate reaching 1 million members, NAVER Business School is hosting an event that will run until September 19, offering 5,000 education points for those who complete a course.