Are you a writer working in the business world? Or a marketing professional responsible for obtaining great marketing copy? Maybe your boss made you the company writer, but you've never had any training. Or maybe you're just interested in a writing or marketing career.

Whatever your background, this fun, introductory course will teach you to write or identify copy that achieves business and marketing goals. Improve your work, your knowledge, your company's image, and your chances of getting hired, promoted or applauded!

Using clear explanations, real-life examples, and an animated style, the course solidifies the relationship between business and marketing principles and written communications. You'll learn how business and marketing objectives affect writing choices. You'll get practical writing instruction in grammar, clarity, structure and more. You'll understand issues unique to this discipline, such as buzzwords, working with a team, and marketing ethics.

Whether you seek to improve your own writing or learn to identify effective copy, this course will help you understand the power of writing - and use it to present a solid, cohesive message to your target audience.

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Recommended Courses:

Students who enrolled in Business and Marketing Writing were also interested in the following courses:

Principles of Marketing

Effective Business Writing

Effective Selling

Grammar Refresher

Marketing Your Business on the Internet

Syllabus:

All courses run for six weeks, with a two-week grace period at the end. Two lessons are released each week for the six-week duration of the course. You do not have to be present when the lesson is released, but you must complete each lesson within two weeks of its release.

A new section of each course starts on the second or third Wednesday of each month. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week One

Wednesday - Lesson 01

We'll start off our first lesson with a discussion about the purpose of marketing and the goals of writing, and then we'll talk about the unique roles, responsibilities, and challenges of business and marketing writing. You'll learn exactly what business and marketing writers do, and where we stand as we begin our exploration of this exciting field.

Friday - Lesson 02

Before you can write or recognize successful copy, you'll need to understand your corporate identity: who the company is and what the company offers. In this lesson, we'll delve into all the aspects of corporate image that writers and marketing professionals need to ponder before producing effective projects.

Week Two

Wednesday - Lesson 03

Now that you understand image, what can you do with it? Building on Lesson 2, today we'll analyze business and marketing goals—and the needs of your audience—to figure out the appropriate writing style for any project.

Friday - Lesson 04

It's a creative field, but certain projects require certain conventions. In today's lesson, we'll discuss how a particular medium or project type can guide your writing style and approach, helping you save time and stay on target.

Week Three

Wednesday - Lesson 05

In this lesson, we'll gather up all the information we explored in the previous four lessons and put it all together. I'll illustrate how to apply everything you've learned so far as we develop an original writing project from start to finish.

Friday - Lesson 06

Do you need to write in complete sentences? What is a complete sentence, anyway? In today's lesson, we'll go through a brief refresher on sentence construction, and we'll go over some guidelines for using fragments in business writing. You’ll also learn to recognize and fix one of the most common errors in modern writing: the comma splice.

Week Four

Wednesday - Lesson 07

You can't write without words! In Lesson 7, you'll learn to make accurate word choices. We’ll discuss the level of vocabulary appropriate for business writing, and you'll learn how to choose words that reinforce a project’s theme. We’ll also clarify some tricky word pairs and discuss word-choice problems whose usage can undermine the professionalism of our writing.

Friday - Lesson 08

In today's lesson, we'll take a critical look on the inside. First we'll discuss how to develop "marketing" projects for audiences within a company. Then we'll explore the roles of the various specialists who contribute to a single marketing piece—bosses, clients, editors, junior writers, artists, and designers. You'll learn how to work with all of them to create smoother relationships and better projects.

Week Five

Wednesday - Lesson 09

For even the most experienced writers, bureaucratic influences can creep in to reduce creativity and impede communication. In this lesson, we’ll take a look at buzzwords and jargon, and then explore some ways to achieve maximum power and effectiveness by keeping your writing clear, concise, and active.

Friday - Lesson 10

In Lesson 10, we'll explore the final steps. You'll learn to enhance and refine business and marketing projects during the editing and proofreading processes. You'll also learn to evaluate finished pieces and even test their effectiveness in the real world!

Week Six

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Today, we’re back to putting it all together, but this time as editors. In Lesson 11, we’ll apply everything you’ve learned so far in the course, editing a project from beginning to end.

Friday - Lesson 12

Marketing deals with images, so it's easy to lose sight of the truth. In this, the final lesson of the course, we'll go over some important considerations that marketing professionals need to think about.

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Lisa Adams.

Lisa Adams is an accomplished writer and editor specializing in business, marketing, and creative writing. Known for her exceptional command of the English language, grammatical precision, and unflinching dedication to excellence, Lisa has won numerous awards for her creative, professional, and scholarly writing. Her diverse body of work -- which has been published in print, on the Web, and on television -- includes award-winning documentaries and two books: Why We Read What We Read: A Delightfully Opinionated Journey Through Contemporary Bestsellers and S'mores: Gourmet Treats for Every Occasion.

Requirements:

Internet access, e-mail, and and the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser.

Student Reviews:

"After only 2 lessons in this course, my head was reeling with ideas!"

"As a marketing professional, I found this course to be very applicable to my everyday work. The grammar portion was particulary helpful, and made me more aware that I need to do more work in this area."

"Best thing I've done in years!"

"Excellent course! I would definitely recommend both course content and instructor to others, and look forward to other courses presented by this instructor."

"Great course - I can see much improvement in my writing techniques!"

"I found the instructor knowledgeable and skilled in managing student interaction. I gained new insight and knowledge into the technique of writing for marketing; at the same time, I gained self-confidence in my ability to assess and understand the goals of this kind of business writing."

"I found this course to be both informative and fun. It was very convenient for me due to my current schedule. The instructor was extremely knowledgeable in this subject. She was very responsive to her students' needs."

"I found this course to be extremely beneficial as I am pursuing a career in the PR/Marketing field. The editing and proofreading chapter was very helpful and I apply what I've learned each day. I also enjoyed the writing style of the course and looked forward to each lesson as it was released."

"I found this writing course to be very useful and applicable to my job. The instructor's writing style was very reader-friendly and easy to follow. I definitely recommend this class to others who are looking to improve their writing skills."

"I found your class to be very useful in my daily projects as a marketing brand manager. I'm now able to recognize passive sentences and strengthen the pieces I write, even in emails. I appreciated the direct and friendly style and the imaginative example sentences."

"I found your class to be very useful in my daily projects as a marketing brand manager. I've been able to strengthen the pieces I write, even in emails. I appreciated the direct and friendly style and the imaginative example sentences."

"I had a great time taking the quizzes, reading through the discussions, and learning so much. You have been so helpful and have formulated the course in an excellent format."

"I have to say that although I considered myself pretty handy with grammatical rules and vocabulary, I have learned one or two very handy things from your survey of common mistakes."

"I just took a grammar course and what you've done here is simpler and more direct."

"I liked the way the course covered everything from the writing process itself to grammar and punctuation to ethics. Very well-rounded and useful."

"I like the style she used in the course -- personable and approachable. Her tone made the lessons easy to read and absorb."

"I really enjoyed this class and feel like I benefited immensely from the material. The instructor comprehensively covered the topic in a very clear and accessible style. The result was a lot of practical insight and application of concepts to my actual work situation. As far as I'm concerned, the skills covered in this class will have applications way beyond the scope of marketing concerns. Extremely useful!"

"I thorougly enjoyed this course, from start to end. Especially liked the way the grammar stuff was presented. I'm sure this is a necessary part of such a course, but I liked that it was a short section, gave good examples, and ended up being a "quick and dirty refresher" instead of a full-blown repetition of everything I've already learned over years in high school, college and then university. The section on ethics, of course, is a thought-provoker, and a good way to end the course. I look forward to other courses that you may be involved in. Well done!"

"I thought the class materials were excellent and very helpful."

"I truly enjoyed the course. Thank you!"

"It was a delight to sit through the lessons. I have discovered many useful facts that can be put to good use in my writing and marketing career."

"I've found this course quite useful -- your grammar pieces were better written than the ones in a grammar/editing class I just took -- so were your pieces on giving input (I run a writing group)."

"Lisa is a fantastic writer and teacher. This course exceeded my expectations. Thank you!"

"Lisa's style was very involving - thank you. Overall I found that the course has made me question my own work, which can only lead to improvements. Thank you!"

"Lisa, thank you for a very educational and fun course. I learned so much, and feel confident that now I have the skills and resources to become a better writer."

"Loved this course. I saved all of the course information so that I can keep practicing and using what I learned in the course. Look forward to taking more."

"Thank you for a great course. I really enjoyed it and learned from the lessons. I particularly appreciated the thought-provoking assignments and discussion questions. Also, your writing style was engaging and a great model for future marketing writers."

"Thank you for a great term! I really enjoyed the course. I apply my new knowledge every day."

"Thank you so much for having such a passion for writing! The lessons covered have become my bible. The greatest benefit for me has been the deep analysis of how a great piece is written. Great detail! I will definitely use the checklist in my future writing projects and take this course again to measure my growth."

"The course content was practical and immediately useful to me in my daily work. The lessons were written and organized well, and the assignments were relevant and interesting. I would definitely take another course from this excellent instructor."

"The final exam was challenging and required me to really think about what I had learned."

"This course exceeded my expectations, and I learned important principles that will help me write more effectively. The instructor combined experience, wisdom, and a great sense of humor. I appreciated her helpful suggestions and comments in the discussion forums. Her own writing style puts her lessons into practice, and I admire her ability to convey complicated ideas in a clear and friendly tone. I'd like to write as well as she does! Many thanks for offering this course."

"This course helped me refocus on the process of writing, rather than simply running with the first words that came to mind. It was also a wonderful grammar refresher."

"This course is helping me tremendously. I keep copies of the lessons at my desk."

"This course provides an excellent foundation for anyone entering the Marketing field."

"This course was great. I learned a lot! The course has also piqued my interest to further my studies. I want to learn more about business marketing writing as well as writing itself. Thank you for the opportunity to further my studies at my own pace."

"This course was great! The instructor clearly is knowledgeable about the topic and covered a wide variety of topics within the main topic of this course."

"This course was incredibly informative and I thank you for your expertise, experience, and thoughtful consideration of the issues!"

"This course was my first continuing education course. Because I had such a great experience with Business and Marketing Writing, I will take more continuing education courses in the near future!"

"This is one of the best written courses I have ever taken."

"Wonderful course. Thank you!"

"You gave me a wonderful introduction to the combined subjects of writing and marketing. I enjoyed this course immensely. This course also made me realize how much fun this field could be. In short, this little course was a surprise to find, and a delight as it unfolded. It has changed my thinking and (I suspect) my future."