Welcome to the Writing for the Web Course at NZ Writers' College.
In this course, you'll learn proven principles of web writing, and how to help online visitors find the information they want, navigate your site and stay on your site. Learn about conciseness, effective hypertext links, targeting keywords, putting the message "above the fold", among many other aspects of web writing.
Note: This is not a theoretical course. You get plenty of hands-on experience learning new techniques. Be prepared for practical involvement as you learn by spending extra time online and doing a lot of writing.
Course Details:
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Course fee: $995.00 GST inclusive
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Modules: 10 Modules
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Duration: Course can be completed at own pace: between six and twelve months
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Start date: At any time; applications all year round via our website
Student must complete:
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Establish a blog and run it effectively for at least three months with two posts a week minimum.
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Write two web press releases that are placed on an online article syndication site
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Join Facebook and one other Social Networking site and "work" them. 500-word report
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Find/establish a website that needs content and write at least five articles that are accepted and used by the owner/webmaster/mistress
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Write an ad for a Facebook Advertising campaign and a brief marketing strategy
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Write an ad for a Google campaign
Admission Requirements:
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Basic writing skills are essential
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Computer skills, e-mail and Internet access required
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Some Internet skills would be helpful but not essential.
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No previous tertiary qualification required
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There is a skype session option available for this course at any point. More... |
Tutor for this course : Karen Lotter
Course Curriculum
Module 1 - An Introduction
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What is Web writing and why is it different from paper writing?
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How do people read online?
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Motivating readers to respond
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Helping the reader find your material
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Who are you writing for?
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Quality check procedures
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How site navigation affects web writing
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Related web issues - downloadable documents, international communication and interactivity
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Module 2 - Format
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How to format Web documents
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Headlines, subheadings, length of copy, bullet points
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How to repurpose print documents for the Web
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Cutting text that was originally written for paper
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Shortening your paragraphs, sentences, and phrases.
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Moving related materials into linked pages
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Making clear what people will get if they click
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Writing good, short paragraphs around a central theme/idea
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Avoid ambiguities passive voice and negatives where you can
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Say what you mean
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Style, language and grammar pointers
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Module 3 - Working with Keywords
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What are Keywords/ Key phrases?
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Write to be found
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Use old words
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Finding Keywords
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Keyword Density
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Writing powerful key phrases
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Good linking - anchor text
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Use hyperlinks effectively
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Module 4 - Blogging
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Blogging, Facebook and other Social Networking
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Setting up a blog and writing blog posts
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Setting up a Facebook presence
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Module 5 - Web Advertising
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Internet Advertising
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Banners PPC
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Google and Facebook
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Module 6- Writing Content for your Reader
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Content Writing
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Writing for Your Target Audience
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Identifying goals for your content
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Considering look, feel and voice
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Developing personas
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Writing styles, use of tone and storytelling
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How to keep the trust of readers through good content
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Creating an effective landing page
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The power of the About us page
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Module 7- e-Releases and Web Newsletters
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Web PR
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Distributing content to outside platforms
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Writing e-mail newsletters
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Module 8 - Making Money with Web Writing
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Earning money on the Web
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Blogging for money
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Content writing for money
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Getting a job as a web writer
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Writing an effecting online CV
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Module 9 - Creative Web Writing
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Creative Web Writing
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Refining your technique
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Web Fiction
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Blog Fiction
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Flash Fiction
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Fan Fiction
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Module 10 - Pooling Your Knowledge
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Review of techniques
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Plagiarism - Content Theft
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Wrap up
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Requests and questions from students
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How does the course work?
Detailed class notes covering the content of each module are e-mailed to students. At the end of each module, students will be required to complete one or two writing exercises as well as some online tasks. In total, the course includes ten short writing assignments, all of which count towards the final result of the student. Students must also create a presence on Facebook and set up and run a blog.
Once the writing assignment has been completed, and e-mailed to the lecturer, an assessment and feedback will be sent to the student, and the module will be considered complete.
Conditions of Certification:
Students will receive an NZ Writers' College Certificate upon successful completion of the course, provided they meet the following conditions:
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Students must have completed all 12 assignments (namely: 10 writing exercises, the blog and the Facebook Site).
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The course must have been completed within twelve months of registration
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Students are expected to attain a minimum average of 50% for the course
Minimum Estimated Time Commitment:
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Reading time: 10 hours
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Writing time: up to 20 hours
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Research time: up to 20 hours
