Writing for an online audience Tue, 5 May

This course is designed for those new to writing for an online audience or anyone who’d like to improve their written communication by being more concise.

You’ll explore how people read online and why getting to the point is critical, and look at techniques to keep your writing short, understandable and useful. Writing and editing exercises will put what you’ve learnt into practice and help improve your writing skills and confidence.

What the course covers

• How people read online and how that affects the way we write
• Why short sentences and paragraphs make it easier for people to find and understand information 
• The difference between the active and passive voice and when to use which
• How avoiding jargon by using simpler words gets your message across more effectively
• What nominalisation is and why it’s best to avoid it
• Using formatting techniques to help readers find important information quickly
• Tools and resources to help you put your new writing skills into practice

What you'll learn

• Understand the main principles of plain English and how to apply them
• Be able to identify what makes a piece of writing difficult to read and digest
• Feel confident in your ability to write more clearly and concisely   

Who should attend

Anyone who wants to develop and improve their written communication skills and take them to the next level.

Trainer

Christine Cawthorne is an experienced trainer who has been teaching people to write for the web since 2009. 

She joined the Government Digital Service in 2013 and trained thousands of people on how to understand user needs, write in clearer language and use the GOV.UK style guide.

In addition to providing training, Christine works as a content strategist, assisting public sector and nonprofit organisations with their content. She mentors content designers at all stages of their careers.