Whether we realize or not, written communication is in; face-to-face conversations are out. With digital communication tools like Slack and Google Hangouts, even employees are writing way more than they think. And it’s not just the newer tools on the block—simply having an email address puts you in those numbers.
But business writing isn’t the only skill you’ll need in today’s digital world. Clients need copywriters to appeal to the human psyche, effectively boosting sales. They also need technical writers to make sure complex topics are digestible for the masses.
With that being said, now’s the time to become the best writer you can possibly be. Go from good to great with these 10 powerful writing courses.
Business Writing Courses
1. MindEdge, Effective Business Writing
Non-verbal communication is the future of work, and that’s exactly what Effective Business Writing addresses. How to craft proposals, presentations and even web content are all covered in this powerful course.
Furthermore, this training presents the information in a variety of formats. If you’re a visual learner, take advantage of the games and flashcards included; if you need specific examples of great writing, dive into the real-world cases studies. If you still need help, simply “Ask the Expert”; this unique feature lets students submit questions to industry leaders.
2. EdX, Business Writing
This powerful course comes directly from the University of California at Berkeley. If you want to stand out at work, Business Writing comes with a certificate, a confidence boost and stellar reviews. One in particular comes from Pooja Gupta, head of professional skills at Genpact.
“Students study and practice the building blocks of the writing process… for a range of business writing projects, be it a memo, report, executive summary, or promotional copy. Professionals hoping to improve both their writing skills and their ability to convey their message eloquently and quickly will benefit from this compact sequence.”
The “sequence” Pooja refers to are three course sections: The Writing Process, Effective Business Writing and Writing for Social Media. Complete these trainings, and you’ll be a certified business writer!
3. GoSkills, Business Writing
This business writing course offers something the others don’t, and that’s a lesson on personal writing. Crucial skills such as how to craft an effective resume, cover letter and website bio are introduced by the second lesson. That’s great news for job seekers, as the competition for work can be brutal these days.
Once you’ve got your career squared away, this course tackles bigger even bigger challenges. You’ll learn the basics of business correspondence, internal communications, and even customer correspondence on social media. Finally, this course ends with tips and tricks for handling the most intimidating parts of web writing: the about section, product descriptions and sales pages.
Copywriting Courses
4. StackSkills, Copywriting Masterclass—Writing that Sells
Before I completed StackSkills’ Copywriting Masterclass, I had no idea how people wrote such effective sales copy. In my mind, they were copywriting magicians who simply had the touch. But now that I’ve sat through 31 lectures, I know that’s not the case. Effective copywriting is all about psychology.
Moreover, class instructor Doru Catana emphasizes the power of emotion. He teaches the mystery of the human psyche, and how great writers appeal to a reader’s deepest desire. With in-depth lessons on headline writing, power words and more, I’d recommend this course to all writers—especially intermediate ones. If you’ve got some skills already, this class will take you from good to great. All you have to do is practice.
5. Skillshare, Copywriting For Beginners: How To Write Web Copy That Sells Without Being Cheesy
The instructor for this course, Jesse Forrest, has worked with media giants like Sony and Disney. He has spoken at several conferences, is the current CEO of StartCopywriting.com and has produced work spanning more than 153 industries. As you can see, undeniable expertise is what makes Copywriting For Beginners a stand-out course.
This 60-minute training delivers a lot of information in just 16 videos. How to read your audience’s mind, overcoming writer’s block and effective headline writing are all emphasized in this training. But the best perk comes in the form of templates—fill-in-the-blank sections for headlines, body text and call-to-action buttons. I’ve personally wished for a resource like this, so don’t overlook this course!
6. LinkedIn Learning, Learning to Write Marketing Copy
Did you know that web copy should only contain five to six lines per paragraph? Or how about this rule: a subheader should appear every three to four paragraphs in web copy. This was definitely news to me, but that’s just how deep this amazing course goes.
In this training, Ian Lurie breaks down the nitty-gritty details of copywriting. He covers tips for writing print vs. online content, as well as how to write active sentences (the kind you want) vs. passive ones. Fortunately, the level of detail in this course doesn’t sacrifice watch time. At just under two hours, you can get through this training pretty quickly.
Technical Writing Courses
7. Oregon State University, Technical Writing Course
Technical writers are great at crafting things like user guides and instruction manuals. I’m sure most people toss them to the side, but I’d bet my last dollar that people do read them when they get stuck. So if you can explain, in writing, how to assemble a 50-piece shelf, you have the potential to make a lot of money.
Offered by Oregon State University, this training covers a lot of ground. You’ll learn how to how to write clearly, how to research and how to design layouts for a technical publication. Plus, all students receive expert feedback on the writing project of their choice.
If this sounds like the training for you, you’ll be happy to hear that it’s one of OSU’s most popular courses!
8. Udemy, Professional Technical Writing: Advance Your Writing Skills
If you like your courses served up with a side of amazing resources, this training is for you. In addition to 16 hours of video, take advantage of everything Ugar Akinci has added to this experience: five ebooks, 40 PDF guides, 22 exercise sheets, 36 quizzes, 22 solution sheets and more! With that being said, this course is great for students who need to see information in a variety of formats.
Upon diving into the course, you’ll find that technical writing techniques are heavily emphasized. Things like eliminating common grammar errors, writing procedural tasks and creating an index are all covered. Plus, the last lesson shares tips for landing a technical writing job.
9. Coursera, Technical Writing
The selling point of this course is the number of reports you’ll learn to write. You’ll get insight on how to create laboratory reports, research reports, design and feasibility reports, progress reports, consulting reports and so much more.
Moreover, you’ll learn the skills every technical writer needs to master. Whether it’s sorting relevant facts from bogus claims, or streamlining tons of information into something digestible, this course will show you how to do it. There’s also a capstone project, which is a great way to get professional feedback on your work.
And here’s a bonus writing course for all your needs…
10. Udemy, Writing With Flair: How To Become An Exceptional Writer
This course is led by Shani Raja, a former Wall Street Journal editor. Advertised as “a complete writing system”, this course doesn’t stop at business communications. Shani created it for job seekers, marketing executives and everyone who needs to type an effective sentence.
The hardest part of writing is crafting simple sentences that convey one thought at a time. Shani addresses this hurdle early in the course, spending over an hour emphasizing its importance. After that, he teaches techniques for clarity, elegance and evocativeness. With more than 7,000 glowing reviews, this course is wildly popular; give it a try today!
Write, and then write some more.
These courses are a great way to sharpen your writing skills. Just keep in mind that the real progress comes from practicing every day. If you’re looking to get a little more experimental with your writing, you may also enjoy our list of creative writing courses. The more you dedicate yourself to writing great content, the better you’ll become!
