Making good use of the web - even when you love print

I love print – the satisfaction of the finished item landing on your desk, the way it feels to hold the book, magazine, brochure in your hand. And the smell – who doesn’t love a good sniff of a newly printed publication?

But even I am aware that we are in a fast-changing world where digital is at least as important as print. It was time to make sure my love for copywriting, editing and generally red-penning every document in sight would stand the digital test. So I enrolled on the Publishing Training Centre’s Writing for the Web course.

After an early morning start from the Midlands, I was impressed by the accessibility of the venue – easy to find and close to London Bridge. From the beginning I felt at ease – the structure and flow was just right, and tutor Sue delivered it all with an easy charm and humour. She drew on her considerable expertise in a way that instilled trust and confidence but without overwhelming us.

We covered a lot of ground, from the differences between print and digital, to frontloading content, researching and thinking like your audience, search engines and style guides. Practical exercises kept our brains sharpened, and Sue had a knack for getting the most from us without putting anyone on the spot. As a marketing copywriter for a university, I was reassured that many of the approaches I take for print materials also apply to the web. But it was equally valuable to see where I need to make those tweaks to get the best from any online versions.

The day was useful, informative and entertaining, despite packed in a lot of information.

Writing for the Web now runs as a virtual course. Following delegate feedback, there are two sessions on separate days, with exercises and homework to build on the learning.