Copywriting Essentials – Training Course Outline

Copywriting is easy isn’t it? Just put together a few words, send out your document and sit back and wait for the phone to ring. Well, if you want to throw away money that's exactly what you do – or you could learn how to plan and use the right techniques to make your copywriting more effective and get some real results.

Who is it for?

This would be useful for anybody who needs to produce corporate promotional material—direct mail, case studies, newsletters, brochures or press releases.

What you will learn on this course

By the end of the course, you will know how to:

• Write adverts, brochures, flyers and direct Mail
• Check that your sales copy is working – and know what to do if it isn’t
• Write articles and newsletters
• Edit and proof your copy

Copywriting Courses – Two Options

We offer two copywriting courses – a one-day intensive course and a more interactive two-day workshop.

One-day intensive

This is only available as a private course. We will tailor the course to suit your requirements by selecting modules from the course contents below or by designing bespoke modules for you.

Two-day workshop

This course is available both as a public or private course and covers all the modules described below. Over the two-day workshop, you will practise the skills you need to write successful copy, learning the techniques through group discussion, exercises and working on real examples of adverts, brochures, flyers, direct mail, articles and newsletters that you bring to the workshop.

Both copywriting courses are aimed at people who wish to gain a broad understanding of copywriting skills. If you’re unsure which of these copywriting courses is best for you, give us a call on 01635 202013 or 0207 0960749 for more details or email

Course Contents

1. The basics

• What a good brief should tell you, and how to make sure you get one
• Breaking the rules – how copywriting differs from other business writing
• Identifying your target audience and focussing on their needs
• Ten writing musts that have stood the test of time
• Using figurative language to bring your copy to life
• Common grammar and spelling mistakes that people make all the time

2. Writing copy that gets attention

• Three rules of copywriting – knowing why people buy
• Questions to make your copy immediate, relevant and targeted
• The five things that get attention
• Ten tips for strong headlines
• Keeping them once you’ve got them – getting your body copy right

3. Using the right techniques

• Advertisements – backing up your promise, telling a story
• Product or service brochures and flyers need attention-grabbing bonuses
• Corporate brochures – who are you and who are you talking to?
• Direct mail – compelling headlines and benefits
• Generate leads by considering your prospects’ needs

4. Interviewing techniques

• How to find experts
• Making the most of your interview time – knowing how to prepare
• Rapport, interaction and follow-up with your interviewee
• Things to remember when writing it up

5. Creating good articles

• Why should an editor take your article?
• What to write – why should a reader read your article?
• An example article and by-line
• Advantages of PR articles

6. How to design and lay out newsletters

• The purpose of different sorts of newsletter
• Six questions to help you get the focus right
• Content – balancing news, features, editorials, advertising
• Production issues that will keep your costs down
• How style issues can affect clarity
• Illustrations
• Ten tips to get your newsletter read

7. Tools for editing and proofing

• Polishing your writing the way a reader reads – from the top down
• Good linking sentences to keep the flow
• How to achieve maximum impact
• How to get the most from Word™ tools
• Hiding metadata
• How to proof your own work

8. How to check if it’s working … and what to do if it isn’t

• Measuring the success of your campaign
• Cost per enquiry and cost per sale
• Evaluation between media and between adverts – what to test
• When things go wrong – getting your eye back on the ball

Book Now!

For details of timetabled courses, see the schedule. For prices, see the costs table.

To reserve your places you can either book on-line or call us on +44 (0)1635 202013/+44 (0)207 0960 749.