Copywriting: moving forward

Aims of the course

• To explore in more depth the copywriting principles introduced in ‘Copywriting: Getting Started’.
• To help participants establish an authentic ‘voice’ that differentiates their writing from other writers’ and from AI-generated text. 
• To equip participants with the tools to develop a roadmap for a future copywriting career.

Course content overview

• This course explores the craft of copywriting, with a focus on techniques that can be applied across a range of digital formats.
• Participants will develop a well-rounded understanding of the copywriting craft and industry. This will be via a series of weekly writing exercises. Feedback from the tutor will be available throughout the course. 
• Participants will explore how to write effective copy for websites, email campaigns, and social media using an authentic human voice.
• Participants will be taught about the search engine optimisation (SEO) landscape, including AI search, and how this impacts digital copywriting.
• Particpants will develop their AI literacy skills and explore the role of the human copywriter in the business of the future.

Target audience

• People who work in marketing/ comms and want to strengthen their copywriting skills.
• Copywriters interested in setting up their own freelance businesses.
• Copywriters early in their careers who want to build on their skills.
• People who are looking to move into copywriting, perhaps from related disciplines.
• Anyone with a general interest in copywriting who wish to develop their understanding.
• Anyone completely new to copywriting may wish to complete our ‘Copywriting: getting started’ course before reigstering for this course. While it is not a requirement to complete the ‘Copywriting: getting started’ course before registering for this course, it is recommended for people just starting out.

Welcome week (Week 0): Preparing to study this course

Purpose:

• Personal introductions
• Introducing the course
• Useful reading
• Personal objectives

Learning outcomes:

By studying this week the students should have:

• become familiar with navigating around the VLE and from VLE to links and back
• tested their ability to access files and the web conferencing software and sorted out any problems with the help of the eLearning Helpdesk
• learnt how to look for, assess and reference internet resources
• used forums to introduce themselves to other students
• contributed to a discussion forum to introduce themselves to other students and discuss why they are interested in the course, what they hope to get out their studies and also to respond to News item sent out on behalf of tutor

Teaching Week 1: Conversion copywriting – website and email

Purpose:

To learn how conversion copywriting persuades casual readers to convert to paying customers. Students will explore a range of copywriting techniques in the context of a marketing funnel that starts on a website and moves through an email sequence.

Learning outcomes:

By studying this week the students should have:

• understood the importance of structure in crafting a piece of conversion copywriting, including the role of design and imagery
• explored some of the psychological theories behind conversion copywriting, such as Cialdini’s 6 principles, nudge theory and emotional versus rational appeals
• analysed a simple marketing funnel comprising a website landing page and email sequence, and discussed this with the group
• investigated tools and frameworks to measure content performance
• completed a short conversion copywriting assignment (around 400 words) with feedback from the tutor

Teaching Week 2: Social media copywriting

Purpose:

To understand the role of the copywriter in creating content across a range of social media channels, including those which are primarily image or video-led.

Learning outcomes:

By studying this week the students should have:

• analysed example posts from TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin and discussed with the group the way the copy and images/ videos intersect
• learned key principles of digital accessibility in relation to social media posts, and the role of the copywriter in making social media content accessible to all
• completed an interactive exercise to build a script for a social media video.
• explored techniques to improve the discoverability of social media content
• Completed an assignment to create posts for 3 different social media channels, with feedback from the tutor

Teaching Week 3: Messaging and tone

Purpose:

To learn how to create a solid foundation of messaging as a precursor to writing clear, consistent and compelling copy. Then, to develop a distinctive tone of voice to differentiate the copy from other texts with similar messaging.

Learning outcomes:

By studying this week the students should have:

• understood that clear messaging is the engine that drives a brand’s copy across all formats and channels
• explored the role of branding and brand personas in shaping the key messages
• worked through a strategy for threading an overarching message through a multi-channel campaign
• completed a writing values exercise
• completed an exercise to practise writing in different styles and tones
• Constructed a simple messaging hierarchy and brand voice guidelines (around 600 words) with feedback from the tutor

Teaching Week 4: SEO and AI search

Purpose:

To develop a more advanced understanding of both search engine optimisation and the way brands are cited in LLMs such as ChatGPT when users ask for tailored advice.

Learning outcomes:

By studying this week the students should have:

• understood the core principles of optimising written content for search engines
• understood the fundamental differences between Google search and AI search
• completed an information architecture exercise to learn how to structure content for topical authority
• experimented with a selection of keyword research tools, including AI tools and considered key ethical questions around the social and environmental cost of integrating AI into SEO
• completed an assignment to create a search visibility strategy with feedback from the tutor

Teaching Week 5: AI-assisted copywriting

Purpose:

To build AI literacy and develop a strategy for handling client/ employer requests to generate content faster with AI. To learn how to use AI within the copywriting workflow without allowing it to erase human insight and voice.

Learning outcomes:

By studying this week the students should have:

• analysed the frameworks and linguistic patterns of AI-generated content
• discussed with the group the ethics of generating content with AI, including the environmental cost, and to what extent it’s possible to use AI ethically
• practised giving feedback to LLMs to improve the quality of their output
• gained the confidence to exercise editorial judgement over AI-generated content and apply their human perspective and voice
• completed an AI iteration exercise (around 500 words) with feedback from the tutor

Week 6: What next?

• Assessment of student learning
• Assessment of student satisfaction
• Encouragement of further study

This course is open to everyone, and you don’t need any previous knowledge or experience of the subject to attend.

Our short courses are designed especially for adult learners who want to advance their personal or professional development. They are taught by tutors who are expert in both their subjects and in teaching students of all ages and experiences.

Please note that all teaching is in English. You should have near-native command of the English language in order to get the maximum benefit from the course.

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 of self-study time, for example, reading materials, 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). 

Unless otherwise stated, all course material will be posted on the 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 (using discussion boards etc).

Fees

The course fee includes access to the course on our VLE, personal feedback on your work from an expert tutor, a certificate of participation (if you complete work and take part in discussions), and access to the class resources for two years after your course finishes. 

Concessions

For more information, please see our concessions information page. 

Alison Fordham Bursary

University of Cambridge Professional and Continuing Education is proud to offer the Alison Fordham bursary, which is awarded to students who wish to study on one of our short online courses via our VLE, reducing the fee paid by 50%. The bursary is limited to a single award for each set of online courses. 

Application criteria: 

• applicants should set out their personal learning motivations since priority will be given to those who are returning to learning after an extended break, or have not previously engaged with fully online learning, or are seeking to use the online short course as a bridge towards undergraduate award-bearing study
• applicants who can demonstrate financial need 
• For more information, please see our bursaries information page. 

A certificate of participation and a digital credential will be awarded to those who contribute constructively to weekly discussions, exercises and assignments for the duration of the course.