Note: This course is not currently available, but we’ve still got you covered. Check out our ‘Essential social media skills for media professionals’ course, or contact sage@journalism.co.uk to ask about upcoming or bespoke training.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this course will now take place online
There’s a real art to writing an effective social media post. And frankly, not everyone gets it right.
How many times have you scrolled past something dull or difficult to digest? Or maybe you’ve read a piece on LinkedIn and thought ‘so what’. Maybe your posts aren’t getting the attention they deserve or you simply don’t know what to say or how to say it.
If any of that resonates with you, or your team, and if you need a little help with polishing up your writing skills, then this is the course for you.
Led by former BBC journalist and social media specialist Sue Llewellyn, 'Writing for social media' will show you:
- How to write to get noticed - in the right way
- What to write about and where to find great creative ideas
- How to write for your audience, not at them
This course will unravel the secrets of great social storytelling and it’s packed with useful case studies, tips and tools on how to improve your writing.
Focusing mainly on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, we’ll cover how people read online/on mobile and how to write effectively for the different platforms. You will learn:
- How to catch the eye, hold attention and stop people scrolling
- Seven golden rules to create engaging and interesting posts
- What makes a great Tweet or Instagram caption
- And how to write compelling Op Ed/Thought Leadership pieces for LinkedIn and Medium
Laying the foundations
- We’ll help you identify and understand what your audience needs
- Clarifying objectives and what you hope to achieve
- Where to find inspiration to generate great ideas for your posts
Building for success
- How to search social media to find the right keywords and best hashtags
- Quick ways to monitor competition and conversations
- Choosing your words to develop a clear style and tone of voice
Attracting and maintaining attention
- Simple tips to increase discoverability, engagement and shareability across all three platforms
- How to optimise your posts to facilitate understanding and readability
- How to use psychology and calls to action to inspire people to respond
- How to initiate and engage in conversation online and deal with difficult comments
What this course doesn’t cover: This is not an SEO course and it doesn't cover writing for websites. It is focused exclusively on writing for social media platforms.
Delegates will be asked to undertake a short writing exercise before attending.
Getting there
This is an online course
About Sue Llewellyn
Sue is a former BBC journalist who spent 15 years in the TV newsroom.
Over the last 12 years working as an independent consultant, Sue has helped leadership teams develop social media strategies and led a wide range of training initiatives to inspire and empower others to ‘get social’.
She introduced Twitter to the BBC Newsroom and since 2009 has been responsible for designing and leading social media training across the corporation. Aside from the BBC, her clients include The Wellcome Trust, The Financial Times, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Team GB and many other businesses.
To date she has personally trained over 6,000 people including many of the top names in British broadcasting.
Find her on Twitter @suellewellyn
