- What is copywriting training?
- Is there a difference between copywriting training and business writing training?
- Is copywriting training worth investing in?
- What happens in a typical Wordtree copywriting training workshop?
- Where does Wordtree hold copywriting courses and business writing training?
- Why does Wordtree limit the number of people in a copywriting training workshop?
- Are Wordtree writers or copywriting trainers?
- Does Wordtree use freelance business writing trainers?
- How many trainers attend each copywriting training session?
- Does Wordtree only train in English?
- Is there a dress code for Wordtree business writing workshops?
- Do you need qualifications in English or writing to take part in a Wordtree business writing workshop?
- Does Wordtree offer follow-up support after workshops?
- Can I bring my laptop?
- What do you need to bring?
- Is accommodation and food included in any residential workshop prices?
- What facilities does Wordtree need to run a business writing workshop?
What is copywriting training?
Copywriting training helps non-copywriters to learn copywriting skills. It can also help established copywriters to further develop their skills. Copywriting training can happen remotely or in small groups. Wordtree copywriting training is all about helping people to understand the differences between copywriting and other forms of writing they may have learned – like writing university essays. We help new copywriters to gain new skills and confidence – and have fun while they’re doing it. We help more established writers to rediscover their pleasure in writing, to find new ways of approaching old problems – and to get to grips with new practices.
Is there a difference between copywriting training and business writing training?
No. They’re simply different terms for the same thing.
Is copywriting training worth investing in?
Yes – on many levels. There are immediate financial returns on business writing training – like these:
- You don’t have to hire external copywriters to create your materials
- Better writing needs fewer rounds of amends and consumes less resource
- It generates a significantly better response from customers
- It tends to be shorter, so you can save on print (it’s not unusual for our clients to halve their print costs, simply because their teams are writing tighter copy)
Then you get the ripple-effect returns:
- Your sales teams find it easier to convey a compelling offer
- Fewer customers call your contact centres, because the information they’ve received or found online makes immediate sense and doesn’t need to be clarified
- Your organisation begins to be more talked about – because it expresses what it does simply and easily. So there’s more of a buzz on social media – and journalists are more likely to remember you and quote you
- Your teams find it easier and faster to communicate amongst themselves
- Your teams feel more confident, trusted and upbeat – and the pace of their work can pick up
What happens in a typical Wordtree copywriting training workshop?
We run copywriting courses and business writing training sessions that last either a half-day or a day. We also run residential, long weekend tone of voice training workshops and creative copywriting courses.
On our day and half-day copywriting courses, we welcome people with a drink and a bite to eat and we get everyone settled in.
Typically, we all sit around a big table. We provide notebooks, pencils and pens and plenty of nibbles and food throughout the day. If you’re coming to one of our business writing courses, just let us know if there’s anything you don’t like – or can’t eat, and we’ll make sure you’re well catered for.
After introductions, we spend the rest of the day taking you through structured exercises. It’s not unusual for us to get you to move around or to team up to write with someone else for some exercises.
We tend to start at 10am and finish at 4pm – because this makes it easier for everyone to travel.
On a residential copywriting course, we welcome people the evening before we start. We show you to your room, introduce you to everyone else – and of course, ply you with food and drink.
We generally start the workshop at around 10am and then work through to 5pm. The time is filled with exercises – and plenty of opportunity to ask questions and get personal time with tutors.
Lunch is picnic style, with a couple of warm options. In the evening, we all eat together, sit and chat and play word games. If you’d rather have “you” time, no-one will mind if you go for a walk or get an early night. Our residential workshops are usually in the middle of the Welsh countryside –so there’s a lot to explore.
Most people are quite surprised when any of our workshops comes to an end – because the time seems to fly by.
At the end of a copywriting course, we ask you to give us feedback, and we encourage you to stay in touch with us. We never mind having a look at your work and offering feedback or suggestions in the weeks and months after you’ve spent time with us. We also give you a little goodie bag to take home.
Where does Wordtree hold copywriting courses and business writing training?
The easy answer to this is – anywhere you’d like us to. We train thousands of people every year in their workplaces. We also hire venues in London, Brighton, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Birmingham – and we run copywriting courses from our studio here in Cardiff.
We’ve run training sessions in the USA, Canada, Hong Kong, mainland Europe and the Channel Islands.
Our residential business writing training sessions all tend to happen in rural Wales – but we’re open to suggestions.
The venues we choose all have a bit of character and curiosity about them. That’s because we think these kind of environments help workshoppers to be more creative.
Copywriting training in London
We offer copywriting training in London, as well as many other cities across the world. If you would like to discuss copywriting training in London with us, please call 0800 1223 770.
Copywriting training in Edinburgh
We often provide copywriting training in Edinburgh – as well as Glasgow and other Scottish cities. If you are interested in copywriting training in Edinburgh or copywriting training in Glasgow, please call 0800 1223 770.
Why does Wordtree limit the number of people in a copywriting training workshop?
We’ve been on all sorts of business writing courses and copywriting training sessions ourselves, and we find these things happen if you have more than 10 in a group:
- There’s very little opportunity to ask questions
- There’s very little one-to-one time with the tutor or session leader
- It feels more like a lecture than a practical learning session
On some of our more advanced copywriting courses, we limit places to eight.
We’d prefer a smaller number of people to go away completely understanding and feeling confident and able to write outstanding business copy. So that’s why we limit places.
Are Wordtree writers or copywriting trainers?
We’re both – we practice what we talk about. So unlike generic trainers, we have hands-on, day-to-day experience of writing, sign-off and the approvals process.
And we only train people in areas that we know – writing, naming, tone of voice and brand.
Roughly, a third of our time is spent writing, a third training, and a third working out brand strategy.
Does Wordtree use freelance business writing trainers?
So far, no we haven’t. We have a particular approach to training which is calm, open and supportive. We freely share our own weaknesses, as well as the techniques we use to overcome them. We feel very protective of the people we’re training, and we wouldn’t want to risk exposing them to a less supportive approach.
We have the privilege of meeting thousands of people every year in training sessions, and it always upsets us when we meet people who say they’re “rubbish” at English, or they’re “no good” at writing. Somewhere along the line, someone has told them that, and it’s stuck.
If you’re a freelance trainer and you’d like to work with us, by all means call. But be prepared to:
- Spend quite a bit of time with us getting to know our approach
- Be on probation/shadowing one of us for a while
How many trainers attend each copywriting training session?
We generally have two trainers in each session of 10 people. This is for a number of reasons:
- Our learn to copywrite workshops are highly interactive. They’re not lectures – they’re opportunities for people to learn new techniques and practise using them in a safe, supportive environment
- Having two trainers in each session means that we can offer a lot of one-to-one support – especially if anyone is struggling
- It also helps our trainers to stay fresh and alert (because leading a training session takes a lot of energy)
- It also means that on the rare occasions where a participant is disruptive or even a little aggressive, we’re able to have a side conversation while the rest of the group can continue uninterrupted
Does Wordtree only train in English?
We mostly work in English – but we’ve run French-English training sessions in Canada and Switzerland. We also work with organisations and teams where English is a common – but not a first – language.
Is there a dress code for Wordtree business writing workshops?
If we’re holding a training session in your workplace, then the dress code is the same for any other day at work. If the business writing session is being held off-site, then check with your line manager about dress code.
Do you need qualifications in English or writing to take part in a Wordtree business writing workshop?
Absolutely not. We believe that anyone who speaks English regularly can learn to write effectively in it as well. We get quite upset when language is made to feel elitist. It’s not – we all use it, and we can all learn to use it more commercially.
Does Wordtree offer follow-up support after workshops?
We love staying in touch with people who’ve been to our workshops – and we often give support in an ad-hoc way. We can also arrange to give more structured support to your teams after they’ve been to a training session.
Can I bring my laptop?
Yes, of course you can. We provide pens, pencils and notebooks – but if you prefer to use a laptop, then go for it. We’d advise you bring it fully charged as we can’t guarantee that working power points will be easily available.
What do you need to bring?
An open mind. We’ll be suggesting things that may feel unusual, or not what you’re used to – but we’ll ask you to reserve judgement until you’ve tried them. We provide all training materials and pens and notebooks. And if your particular session involves doing some homework, we’ll let you know (and remind you) ahead of the workshop.
Is accommodation and food included in any residential workshop prices?
If you don’t mind sharing a room with someone else, then we provide accommodation for free. If you’d rather have a guaranteed room to yourself, then we can book a hotel room for you – and you pay for this yourself. All food, snacks and drinks are included in the price of the workshop.
What facilities does Wordtree need to run a business writing workshop?
If we’re running a training session in your workplace, we’ll need a room with adequate space and chairs for everyone participating. Our preferred formats are boardroom or cabaret. What doesn’t really work are computer training rooms, where everyone is facing a wall. In a workshop, it’s more effective if everyone can see and can easily get into discussions.
Other than that, we generally need a connection to your presentation system (we’ll bring Mac adaptors), a flip chart and easy access to bathrooms and drinking water – so please arrange for us to have a pass key or card if we’ll need it to get through doors.