Aims of the course
- To explore a range of copywriting styles and techniques and how these can be applied across mediums such as websites, blogs, emails and social media pages.
- To develop students’ abilities as effective and engaging copywriters.
- With a focus on multiple, short writing exercises, the course will give students the opportunity to learn and apply the fundamental techniques of copywriting.
Course content overview
- This online course introduces the craft of copywriting, with a focus on techniques that can be applied across a range of channels and formats.
- Participants will be taught the principles of writing clear and compelling copy via a series of weekly short writing exercises. Feedback from the tutor will be available throughout the course.
- This course will examine the threats and opportunities posed by generative AI and will explore the human copywriter’s role in the business of the future.
- Participants will be taught the basic principles of search engine optimisation (SEO) and how these apply to digital copywriting.
Target audience
- People who are looking for their first job in copywriting.
- New copywriters who want to improve their skills.
- People who are interested in becoming freelance copywriters.
- People who are working in related disciplines (e.g. marketing, journalism), and want to add copywriting to their skill sets.
- Career changers who wish to explore copywriting.
Schedule (this course is completed entirely online)
Orientation Week: 7-13 July 2025
Teaching Weeks: 14 July-17 August 2025
Feedback Week: 18-24 August 2025
Teaching Week 1 - Writing for readability and accessibility
This week will introduce the principles of readability and accessibility, and to explain why these are the starting points for writing user-friendly copy.
Learning objectives:
- To understand the need for copy to be easy-to-read, and accessible to a wide audience.
- To learn about using short words, in short sentences, in short paragraphs.
- To practise using some readability tools.
- To explore the role of text formatting in making copy accessible.
- To read several best practice copy examples and discussed with the group.
- To complete a short readability exercise (around 300 words), with feedback from the tutor.
Teaching Week 2 - Writing words that sell
This week we will look to understand the role of copy in driving sales and other user actions, and to explore a range of copywriting frameworks.
Learning objectives:
- To understand the difference between sales copy and editorial content.
- To work through a range of copywriting frameworks designed to motivate users.
- To consider the impact of tone and style.
- To explore the role of power words and verb phrases in writing sales copy.
- To practise writing clear calls to action.
- To write a website landing page (around 400 words) with editorial feedback from the tutor.
Teaching Week 3 - SEO copywriting
This week we will learn the basic principles of search engine optimisation (SEO) in order to write copy that ranks for relevant search terms.
Learning objectives:
- To learn about how search engine algorithms rank web pages.
- To understand the principle of topical authority, and how web content needs to be organised to reflect this.
- To practise researching and grouping keywords.
- To explore the structural elements of pages that rank well in search results, including meta title and description.
- To complete a page optimisation exercise.
Teaching Week 4 - AI: friend or foe?
This week we will explore the impact of the recent explosion in generative AI technology on the art form of copywriting. We will consider and discuss the role of the human copywriter in an increasingly AI-powered business world.
Learning objectives:
- To learn about the threats and opportunities posed by generative AI.
- To explore ways in which ChatGPT and other tools can assist in research and idea generation.
- To examine the limitations and risks of generative AI and discussed with the group.
- To complete an AI-editing exercise (around 500 words) and discussed the process with the group.
Teaching Week 5 - Multi-channel copywriting
This week we will explore how to apply the principles of good copywriting across a range of channels and formats.
Learning objectives:
- To learn how to match a message to its audience.
- To consider which channels are best suited to which audience groups.
- To explore how to tailor a message to resonate with the right people, in the right place, at the right time.
- To consider how written copy, imagery and video can all work together to communicate a message.
- To create a mini-campaign to promote a product or service via a web page, email, and social media post (around 600-700 words in total), with editorial feedback from the tutor.
Each week of an online course is roughly equivalent to 2-3 hours of classroom time. On top of this, participants should expect to spend roughly 2-3 hours reading material, etc., although this will vary from person to person.
While they have a specific start and end date and will follow a weekly schedule (for example, week 1 will cover topic A, week 2 will cover topic B), our tutor-led online courses are designed to be flexible and as such would normally not require participants to be online for a specific day of the week or time of the day (although some tutors may try to schedule times where participants can be online together for web seminars, which will be recorded so that those who are unable to be online at certain times are able to access material).
Virtual Learning Environment
Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) so that they can be accessed at any time throughout the duration of the course and interaction with your tutor and fellow participants will take place through a variety of different ways which will allow for both synchronous and asynchronous learning (discussion boards etc).
Certificate of participation
A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to participants who contribute constructively to weekly discussions and exercises/assignments for the duration of the course.
