We tailor all our face-to-face training sessions to your specific brief, at absolutely no extra cost.
Here we have listed over 240 course outlines and topics to browse through. Just click on individual courses for more information, or download our brochure for a full list of training workshops.
Some topics are also available through our E-learning website, and remember we're always happy to design a customised e-learning programme to fulfill your needs.
Exclusive, tailored training at open workshop prices.
"Just wanted to drop you a quick line to thank you for last week's course. I thought it was brilliant and covered pretty much everything we needed to cover."
"Doing the same thing but expecting different results is the first sign of insanity"
Do you have a problem, but are unsure of how to solve it? Have you spotted an opportunity, without a plan to exploit it?
Share your thoughts with us and we will suggest a plan to help you:
Build an effective business strategy
Plan for growth, change, or business transformation
Increase operational success and efficiency
Build team strength and cohesion
Improve your output
Accelerate your business development
Define and execute your strategic vision
You may find inspiration in our three example topics, or you can contact us today for a free consultation.
Management training
Our management courses are run by specialist trainers who combine expert knowledge of their chosen industry with the latest management theory. This gives them a clear insight into the unique management situations in which editors, PR managers or senior corporate managers can find themselves.
As well as the courses listed on the left, other management topics include:
For more information on these courses, please contact us.
"First class. For once, a management course with ideas that can be used in an editorial environment. Anybody who has to manage an editorial team should go on this course."
Editor, b2b publisher
"Usually sceptical about training courses but this is well above the norm. Very useful and clear advice without the standard 'management buzz words' that I feared would be included."
Deputy Editor, b2b publisher
Editing
Our editorial craft sessions allow editors and section editors to take time out from the day-to-day pressures of putting out a magazine or website. They focus on skills and techniques that allow them to improve their products.
"I have had some fantastic feedback about the courses... everyone thought the trainer was great, knew what she was on about, understood the limitations they were working within and helped them re-examine what they were doing. Thank you very much for organising this - it has made a real difference!"
Editor, b2b publisher
"...has given me the tools to evaluate and develop my publication and others."
Editor, consumer publisher
Media law
Our media law courses are trained by journalists, not lawyers, to give editors, web editors, writers, sub editors and art staff a practical working perspective on the law as it affects them. We adapt them to suit the organisation that we work with, ie print or online publishers; PR consultancies or large corporates.
We support our media law training with consultancy:
Developing policies and procedures with publishers for dealing with complaints
Drafting specialised manuals and support material for a company
Analysis of published material to highlight main areas of legal concern
Our face-to-face tailored media law courses are detailed on the left. The following are also available in an e-learning format:
"Really enjoyed it, highly informative. It has left me feeling more quietly confident that I won't bring down the company!"
Managing Editor, consumer publisher
"Mr Sharpe was the ideal person to take the course - his real-world exerience of being a journalist on the receiving end of law suits was invaluable, and infinitely preferable to the dry exposition of a lawyer."
Sub Editor, online publisher
Business and PR writing skills
Our courses are designed to promote the use of clear, jargon-free English. We tailor every session to the needs of our clients and use documents and examples from their business. Because our trainers are professional writers they can give PR and in-house communication professionals the insights they need to get their message across.
As well as the courses listed on the left, other business and PR writing skills courses include:
"I had very little knowledge of how to write a press release prior to the course. I have a much clearer understanding now which will be very beneficial." Marketing Assistant, publisher
"The course was excellent. It should be taken by everyone who is involved in writing." Underwriter, insurance company
"The courses seem to be making an impact on the standard of writing, which makes everyone happy!." Head of Editorial, charity
Journalism skills - basic and advanced
Our tailored journalism skills courses are trained by working journalists who provide the practical feedback that delegates need to improve their reporting, writing, interviewing, subbing and editing skills. They are tailored for our clients and pitched at a level suitable for each delegate.
As well as the courses listed on the left, other journalism skills topics include:
Business news reporting
Faster, funnier: comic writing
Finance and the City
Introduction to journalism
Magazine production
News for monthlies
News reports for women's magazines
Real life features
Relationship features
Research, digging and investigations
Rewriting: the skill of the rewrite artist
Short interviews: maximising the value of minimal time
Specialist news
Spinning stories for your readers
Style: an advanced masterclass
For more information on these courses, please contact us.
The following are also available in an e-learning format:
"Excellent, very authoritative, yet friendly. Understood the needs of journalists..." Deputy Editor, B2B publisher
"This course gave me the confidence to write a feature article and page for the web. It covered everything I wanted it to." CR Communications Adviser, blue-chip company
Digital - new media skills
Our digital courses are trained by online experts and journalists and are designed to focus on the effective delivery of information to a target market, rather than the technology behind it.
As well as the courses detailed on the left, other topics include:
"Can I just say how impressed I was with the training my team had yesterday. One short session with Becky gave me more useful insight and understanding than anything else about the subject I have been to over the past two years. Her presentation style, the content, delivery and practical nature of the course was outstanding. I am also happy to say it is not just my view either. The entire team came back fully enthused with a much deeper understanding of online."
Director, consumer publisher
"I thought the trainer was brilliant - exceptional knowledge of all multi-media and put the information across in a really easy to follow way."
Entertainment Editor, consumer publisher
Customer magazine courses
Customer publishing teams need to develop some very different skills from their newsstand peers. While winning new clients is vital for success, keeping and developing existing relationships is the most effective way to grow your business. The following courses focus specifically on the challenges customer publishers face:
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Graduate programmes
We have extensive experience of working with media owners on their graduate journalism training programmes. Some are working towards the PPA Certificate in Professional Journalism; others are awarding their own diplomas. Some run extended programmes mixing training with on-the-job secondment to magazines and websites; others run intensive two-three week programmes. All aim to give new recruits and inexperienced journalists the skills they need to become fully functioning, valued contributors to their magazine and website teams.
"ETC have helped us at every stage with the construction and implementation of our industry acclaimed trainee journalist scheme. They have been there for us every step of the way. They sit in on the initial interviews, design the six-month training programme, run all the training days, supervise revision and oversee the PPA Certificate assessment days. Nothing has been too much trouble for them and no detail left to chance."
David Bostock, Head of Training and Recruitment (London)
Emap Consumer Media
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Publishers programme
Tailored training for your publishers. Content will depend on your specific objectives, but a programme could include the following modules:
Introduction: the role of the publisher
What are the key responsibilities and accountabilities. How is success measured?
Sales process and management
Target setting, rewards, motivation, team structure, problems and obstacles.
Editorial process and management
How far the publisher gets involved in editorial decisions, editorial-commercial relationship, relationship with editor, team structure, impact on product success of editorial elements like design, cover etc.
Marketing process and management
Reader marketing, advertiser marketing, branding, cover impact, reader clubs and incentives, difference between bookstand and controlled circulation.
Subscription and circulation
Creating readerships or targeting existing groups; controlled, subscriber and bookstand models and their economics, achieving circulation volume and/or quality as required by business model.
Budgeting and finance
Creating the budget, understanding the economics of the business model of the specific product and company, balance of cost control and revenue generation, when to break the budget, how the publisher feeds into the wider corporate financial picture.
Online publishing
Online business models; comparison of online adjunct to paper product and online-only; portals; key factors in sales, marketing and editorial compared to paper; creating communities; revenue streams.
Management and teams
How to select and structure teams, motivation, problems, integrating teams, managing up.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Video camera and editing skills for the web
A series of sessions aimed at anyone who is producing video for their websites. Catering for all levels of skills and experience, each course is tailored to the specific needs of the delegates.
Essential video camera skills for the web
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anyone new to videoing. The day is interspered with practical sessions where delegates will record their own videos. A video editor will edit these on the day to illustrate how good camerawork makes good video.
Content of the day
Basics of camerawork
Camera vs the eye (what's the difference?)
Storytelling through a lens
Basic camera shots and controls
The 'auto' button
Essentials of editing
Why sound is so important
Backlight and spotlight conditions
Manual focus
Editing 'in camera'
The edit suite environment
Importing your video
Simple transitions
Titling your project for the web
Essential video editing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anyone who has just started to work with either Premiere Elements or Final Cut software.
Content of the day
Delegates will edit several videos during the day. At first the trainer will demonstrate the basic techniques, but as the day progresses all delegates will work towards producing their own edited project, in their own style.
The editing interface
Understanding the edit window and locating the Browser, Timeline, Canvas etc
How to digitise and import your footage
Titles, Transitions, Audio, Music and Export
Polishing the edit by adding titles and credits, balancing the audio tracks, adding different transitions and exporting the video as a file
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Design and Photography
In an ever-competitive market, design and images need to be more eye-catching than ever. Our courses cover both consumer and business design; brands with big or almost non-existent budgets and big, or very limited, design teams.
As well as the courses detailed on the left, other topics include:
Better design for business magazines
Magazine craft for editors and art editors
Front section and news
Reviews and features
Typography
Packaging - the essentials
Packaging - advanced, using FMCG principles for media
Web design for editors
101 magazine design tips and tricks
Redesigning your cover
Design for non-designers
Understanding magazine design
Magazine photography
Magazine layout
20 ways smart mags use their photographic edge to out-smart the web
Think like an art director
Trends in consumer magazine design
Creativity for designers
Journalism for designers
15 secrets of the best covers ever
"Since we had the training day on covers and implemented the changes for those two issues, we have seen a 9% increase in copy sales (year on year). We have no idea how much of this is down to the changes we made, of course, but it's got to be partly because of that. Thanks David!"
"We have taken lots of comments on board - you'll be able to see the changes we've made in the March issue. The training has been great and I am starting to tweak the way I layout/design pages as a result. The training pack that you gave us has been invaluable."
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Lunchtime sessions and breakfast briefings
1½ hour creative idea sessions for as many people as you can fit in the room!
We can tailor a session to your specific brief, or we can do any of the topics listed on the left.
Creativity sessions
The ability of a business to get to the top - and stay there - is down to individuals' ability to kick complacency into touch and to constantly innovate in their market place. These sessions look at various aspects of creativity.
As well as the sessions detailed on the left, other creativity sessions include:
Growing creativity
Translating creativity from print publications to web, or any other media
Narrative thinking as a management tool
How to foster your team's creativity
Sales, marketing and business development
We now work with many media clients on every part of their digital and commercial operations. Our training covers every aspect of sales and marketing, with our expert trainers helping your business to compete more effectively, building your brand, your market share and your revenues.
As well as the sample sessions shown on the left, we provide training programmes covering:
We offer a variety of courses for all levels of marketing, corporate relations and PR staff. From the very basics of public relations to topics such as campaign management, strategic PR and working with a customer publishing agency.
As well as the courses listed on the left, other topics available include:
Talking to, and managing the media requires specific skills and understanding. These courses are run by journalists to give you the confidence needed to successfully get the message across.
As well as the courses listed on the left, other topics include:
Increasing your coverage (tailored for specific clients)
Managing the media relationship
Message development
What do journalists want from a press conference/trip/lunch
"Both authors found it very useful and I think it will make a big difference to their performance."
Freelance publicist
Magazine development audits
These are designed to give editors a chance to focus on their publications with the aid of an objective outsider. We can work with you as individual teams or in groups of similar titles, and audit your publications.
We take the latest issues of your magazines and analyse them from cover to cover. We'll look at the design, the layout, the writing, the tone, the pace, the cover, the content pages, the columns, the news, the headlines, the standfirsts - the lot. The idea is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the publication: what works to attract readers, and what fails to win and retain them. We work with you to decide what can be improved and how.
On the basis of the audit we can work with you on a training plan for your staff to fulfil the goals for your publication. For example, if you've highlighted a weakness in the news area of your publication, we could organise a News writing course.
"I thought yesterday was brilliant and well worth the time, effort and money spent."
Editor, consumer publisher
Why you should use ETC
We see a range of publications across a variety of companies which gives us a broad base from which to comment.
Experts from within a company can become so steeped in a culture that they obey unspoken rules without realising they are doing so. As a result they may not see weaknesses or problems that are apparent to a more objective, outside eye.
We can apply the rigour of professional standards, irrespective of content, because we are not caught up in particular specialisations.
Insiders can, because of history, be too close to a magazine or people involved to take an objective view.
Editors and teams may be more open to our views because we don't come with any baggage.
We can see what is unique about a magazine in comparison to other media (not necessarily magazines) because we are not as deeply embedded in magazine cultures as internal experts may be.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Introduction to management
(2 days)
Ideal for All staff who have just been, or are soon to be, appointed to management positions.
Benefits
Getting the best out of people doesn't happen by accident. This session helps managers to use the key management skills of planning, organising, leadership and motivation.
Content of the day
Defining the balance between managing and doing
Responsibilities of a team leader
Getting results through people
Identifying individuals' strengths and weaknesses
Coaching skills to develop people on the job
Motivation and dealing with team problems
Understanding the range of styles and how to use them
Establishing your own standards for the team
Managing upwards in order to get your boss to let go
Recognising the make-up of your team using Belbin's team roles
Improving communication at all levels
Recognising your own communication style
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Broadcast media training
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anyone who is asked to represent their magazine, website or company on radio or television.
Benefits
Through practical exercises, participants will gain confidence when talking to TV and radio journalists and make sure that they get the best messages across.
Content of the day
What do journalists want from you?
Message development
Prioritising and mastering the story
Overcoming microphone nerves
The importance of style as well as content
Addressing your audience
Managing difficult questions
"I've had to do a couple of media interviews about the launch, and the points we went through in the course were enormously useful in selling the mag to the target audience. So thanks!"
Editor, consumer publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Print media training
(1 day)
Ideal for
Clients who wish to speak to the media on behalf of their organisations.
Benefits
Understanding what journalists are looking for is a vital part of implementing a successful media strategy. In this course, delegates gain practical experience in getting their messages across in media interviews.
Content of the course
What do journalists want?
Why do journalists want to talk to you?
What will they ask you?
What can you ask them?
What to do and not to do
What do journalists like and not like?
Face to face interviews with each delegate focusing on:
The company messages
Basic company information
Rapport with the interviewer using a variety of interview styles
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Managing editorial teams
(2 days)
Ideal for All journalists who manage, or are about to manage, people in editorial teams.
Benefits
Getting the best out of journalists requires thought and planning. This session exposes delegates to management theory and explores the practical implications of managing individuals and editorial teams within their organisations.
Content of the day
What is expected of journalists and how to fulfil those expectations
Why we work: the key factors in how we motivate ourselves and others
Identifying and addressing fixable problems in the management of teams and individuals
Where teams fit into the role of management and how teams go through lifecycles
How company objectives and cultures link to the management of editorial teams and individuals
"A fantastic course that helped me think more clearly about my role and how it relates to the larger editorial team."
News Editor, b2b publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Managing teams in times of change
(1 day)
Ideal for
Senior managers who are initiating, taking part in, or having to deal with change.
Benefits
Change happens. How you deal with it is key. This session shows delegates how to embrace change, get the vision across, and motivate and retain key team members.
Content of the day
The effects of change on an organisation
Identifying and managing expectations in times of change
Managing teams
Managing motivational issues
Identifying the role of the senior manager in motivational issues
Identifying and encouraging talent within teams
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Understanding the media and how they work
(1 day)
Ideal for
In-house PR professionals who wish to gain a deeper understanding of how the media work.
Benefits
Understanding how the media works is the first step in making it work for you.
Content of the course
The main arms of the media:
Sound: radio
Vision and sound: TV and video
Print: newspapers, magazines and newsletters
Digital: websites, blogs, online communities, UGC
The main branches:
International
National
Business
Regional
Consumer
What they look for in stories, contacts and interviews
How to keep them well fed
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Making Money on the Web
(½ day)
Ideal for
Sales teams and sales support teams; publishers; website designers; anyone with a revenue target.
Content of the ½ day
Overview of "online revenue"
What is e-commerce and how does it work (security, reconciliation, revenue potential, etc)
E-commerce services and tools
Overview of online advertising
Affiliations
Sales referrals
Online auctions
Classifieds
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Doing more with less: making the most of resources across multiple media
(1 day)
Ideal for
Publishing management and senior general management with limited resources looking to extend existing print brands into new media.
Benefits
Many publishing houses who have an online presence know that they should be doing more, believe they need a cross-media strategy but in today's climate don't believe they have the resources to make it happen. This session identifies ways of extending existing and limited editorial resources in print to include other media such as web, and to be more efficient with the creation and distribution of content and brand across multiple media.
Content of the day
The nature of your existing print content
How web and print are different
Production implications of cross media working
Staff implications of cross media working
Make the most of the print resources you already have
"Excellent chance to talk and discuss major themes with experienced people from different backgrounds."
Editor, consumer publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Marketing on the Web
(½ day)
Ideal for
Sales teams and sales support teams; publishers; website designers.
Content of the ½ day
Overview of marketing online
How "driving traffic" has evolved
Descriptions, definitions and examples of:
The ongoing power of email
Affiliate programs
Sales referrals
Pay-per-click advertising and banner advertising
Interactive advertising
Search engine marketing (including optimization)
Blog and article marketing
Cross-pollinating with traditional media
Competitions and promotions
Online database creation and usage
What works, what defines success and what doesn't work
Things to watch out for
Metrics
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Recruitment and selection
(1 day)
Ideal for
Any manager who is responsible for recruiting staff.
Benefits
Getting the right person for the job is never simple. This session gives delegates the opportunity to assess the needs of the team and to define their own requirements for new additions. Taking part in videoed interviews prompts them to come up with questions designed to shed light on whether the interviewee is really right for the job.
Content of the day
Assessing CVs
Creating a candidate profile
Questions to ask to elicit revealing answers
Questions to avoid
Second interviews
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Appraisal and performance review
(1 day)
Ideal for
All managers involved in appraisal schemes.
Benefits
The appraisal is a useful motivational tool for staff and managers. This course shows how appraisal helps career development.
Content of the day
How to introduce appraisals as a beneficial exercise for everyone involved
How to prepare for appraisal meetings
How to conduct effective appraisal meetings
How to follow up appraisals as part of career development
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Copywriting for the Web
(1 day)
Ideal for
Sales or marketing executives involved in producing, marketing or managing persuasive website content, including newsletters and promotional emails.
Benefits
Delegates will focus their effort on creating more relevant, compelling, and persuasive web content.
Content of the day
Paper v screen - the key differences
Visual impact - graphics, icons, words
Having a clear and distinctive tone of voice
Supporting and promotional material
Preparing to write, and knowing your audience
Clarity, punctuation, language
Rewriting and sub-editing
Practising new styles
Creating compelling content
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Delegation and supervision
(1 day)
Ideal for
Editors, section editors and anyone else who has to rely on other people to do things.
Benefits
Journalists are prone to try to do everything themselves. This session helps them to prioritise their efforts and to see delegation as positive rather than punitive way of developing other members of the team.
Content of the day
What should you delegate?
Who should you delegate to?
What to do after delegation
How to avoid problems
Knowing and articulating what you want
Establishing guidelines for quality and quantity of work
How tasks can be monitored
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Time and process management
(1 day)
Ideal for
Editors, senior editorial and production staff.
Benefits
Practices develop on brands that determine whether they run smoothly or not. This session allows journalists to analyse how their publications are operating to see if bad habits have developed over time. Issues such as over-running schedules, and the order in which tasks are done are examined in detail.
Content of the day
Do your current processes help or hinder you?
Spotting and dispersing bottlenecks
How to identify problems before they become crises
Are you managing your time, or is it managing you?
Recognising your most important objectives
Dealing with interruptions
Understanding the difference between active and reactive time
Time management techniques
"Met my objective of having the team think about their role in the production process, and their individual responsibilities. Was very useful in analysing deadlines for more efficient copy flow."
Editor, business-to-business publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Leadership and motivation
(1 day)
Ideal for
Editors; section editors; senior journalists or anyone leading a team.
Benefits
Editors don't always think about how they influence their teams. Knowing what makes journalists want to work, and gaining an understanding of leadership styles, takes the mystery out of management.
Content of the day
The elements of leadership style
How these elements affect individuals and the team
Defining motivation
Identifying the motivational factors for the individual journalist
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Successful negotiations
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anyone who negotiates as part of their work.
Benefits
Whether you’re buying or selling, internally or externally, you need an effective negotiation strategy, combined with the right communications skills, to really optimise your productivity and maximise your results. This practical workshop reveals the secrets of successful negotiators, while exploring the key skills to help you consistently achieve success in your negotiation discussions.
Content of the day
The concept of negotiation - the key principles
Highlighting vital issues of control and direction
The principles of successful negotiation
Planning your negotiation strategy and game-plan
The structure and sequence of the negotiation process
Negotiating techniques you may need to employ
How to counter tactics employed by the other party
What they say, and then what they mean
Role-play: putting it all into practice
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Presenting with impact
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anyone who wants to maximise their personal impact when presenting.
Benefits
This is a highly practical day with the emphasis on learning by doing. The use of a video camera and monitoring facilities enables all delegates to analyse and assess their own presentations. Everyone’s individual needs are addressed, with special attention given to any fears/phobias and your recognised strengths and weaknesses.
Content of the day
Communicating clear messages confidently
Presenting powerfully and persuasively
Essential planning and preparation
Preparing and structuring a memorable presentation
How to manage information, data, facts, and figures
Using your voice and body language for maximum effect
Remaining calm and effective under pressure
Responding appropriately and confidently to questions
Ensuring your message has been received and remembered
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Chairing and moderating meetings and conferences
(1 day)
Ideal for
Senior editorial staff who are being asked to chair and moderate conferences, discussion panels, and breakfast meetings.
Benefits
To provide delegates with the skills and knowledge to raise their profile as an industry expert at meetings.
Content of the day
Chairing and moderating: working the square: subject, people, time and audience
The skills and knowledge for chairing and moderating
10 top tips for chairing and moderating
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Budgeting
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anybody in publishing who has a budget, and wants to control it and use it as a tool to understand what is going on.
Benefits
Many journalists are fearful of budgets. In this session delegates learn to analyse budgets and use them as effective tools to build financial cases for the resources they require.
Content of the day
Putting the budget into the big picture of business finance
Reading a budget, decoding the terms and understanding how to link it to real world spending
Devising a new budget
Working with the unfolding budget
Building financial cases for required resources
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Developing and maintaining a professional client relationship
(2 days)
Ideal for
Publishers, account managers, editors and art directors who produce magazines for a client.
Benefits
Handling clients requires discretion, diplomacy and well-developed organisational skills. This session helps delegates develop a positive attitude to client handling and their own personal style, as well as the skills and knowledge to manage the process and staff efficiently and productively.
Content of the day
What is effective client handling?
Quality of service - measuring results and improving delivery
The client - understanding their business, objectives and priorities
Successful negotiation
Conflict handling
Effective teamwork
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
News editing
(1 day)
Ideal for
News editors with less than two years' experience, deputies or senior journalists who may move up to news editing.
Benefits
Running a news team effectively means combining news handling with people management. This session gives delegates practical training in all aspects of the role.
Content of the day
Combining the roles of editor and manager
Planning the news cycle
Improving news writing
Effective briefing
Getting the most from your news team
Handling the news
Bringing pieces together
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Features editing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists with at least two years' experience and new features editors.
Benefits
A successful features editor manages to combine creativity with good organisation and people management skills. This course provides the opportunity to focus on all three aspects of the role.
Content of the day
Coming up with winning features: the recipe for success
Reaching the reader
Commissioning - getting all the essentials in without putting the journalist in a straitjacket
Who to choose: the things you should consider
Editing: how to get the best out of copy
What to do with writers who don't meet the brief
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Managing account teams
(1 day)
Ideal for
Account managers and senior account executives.
Content
Leading the account team
From doing to managing
Establishing the team relationship
Setting team and individual goals and objectives
Planning the workload on each account
Delegation
Managing the relationship with your teams
Communicating effectively
Handling difficult situations
Giving constructive feedback to team members
Motivating the account teams
Focusing team effort and gaining commitment
Creating the right environment for your team to achieve results
Managing the relationship with your clients
Expectations management
Building the team profile with the client
Handling difficult clients
Gaining commitment to the PR/Project Plan
Managing over-servicing levels
What added value can you bring to the accounts/ your team
Communication skills
Verbal communication - use of questions
Asking for what you want
Listening skills
Successful meetings
Setting standards
Controlling resources
Ensuring standards are understood and met
Dealing with marginal performers
Monitoring and reviewing performance
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Commissioning
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists who need to get someone else to provide copy for their magazine or website.
Benefits
Getting the piece that you want is not always easy. This course gives journalists a systematic approach to commissioning, as well as a chance to focus on why commissioning is not always successful.
Content of the day
Working out what you want
Articulating standards
Communicating effectively
What needs to go in a written commission
Dealing with writers and their copy
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Creating pace through effective flatplanning
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists who have responsibility for planning or flatplanning a publication.
Benefits
Successful magazines maintain reader interest from the cover to the final page. This course examines the elements that keep readers reading.
Content of the day
Creating pace within your own publication
Style and tone
Words and pictures - getting the balance right
Visual stops and breathing spaces
Creating a flatplan
Working in sections
Managing the flatplan through the production cycle
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Evaluating and developing your publication
(1 day)
Ideal for
Editors and publishers who want to refresh their products.
Benefits
Periodically, it is a good idea to take a look at your magazine or website through fresh eyes. Sections that were appropriate a year ago may not serve a useful purpose now. In this session editors will be guided to evaluate their publications and come up with a plan for change.
Content of the day
Analysing the current situation; looking at the reader; the competition; the product
Developing a reader profile
Assessing the competition
Identifying strengths and weaknesses
Developing a unique editorial feature
Planning for change
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Eyecatchers - writing headlines, standfirsts and captions
(1 day)
Ideal for
Subs and sections editors who want an opportunity to focus on sharpening up the pages of their magazines and websites.
Benefits
Headlines, standfirsts and picture captions are the only things that some readers ever look at. But they are frequently done at the last minute. This session will provide practical experience in improving eyecatchers.
Content of the day
Selling the story to your reader
Finding the key words for news headlines
Supporting the main head with straps and tags
Lateral thinking for features heads
Selling the feature with standfirsts
Making pull quotes work
Avoiding the obvious in captions c
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Section editing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists who currently edit a section of a magazine or website, or are about to do so.
Benefits
Each section within a publication must pull its weight. This session prompts section editors to evaluate their sections to see if they have the same look, feel and tone as the rest of the publication or website, and to find ways in which they can be improved.
Content of the day
Why readers read the section
Successful liaison with the editor and other section editors
Identifying common themes and issues
Generating ideas
Deadline management
Effective commissioning
Managing a strong freelance stable
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Turn 1500 words into 500
(1 day)
Ideal for
Writers who have to produce concise, snappy copy - or anyone who has to edit copy down to a much shorter length.
Benefits
In this age of handbag-sized magazines, pacey news pages and writing for the web, learning to make a long, droney feature into a bonsai version of the original is both imperative and challenging. This course will show how to cut a feature down to size - without losing quality of content or wit.
Content of the day
Working out the message: what is important, and what's not?
Engaging the reader: the beauty of the snappy head and 'sell'
Writing a killer intro
No-brainer ways to lose surplus words
The joy of the bullet-point
Wrapping it up
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
How to get a publication or website out - and like it
(1 day)
Ideal for
Section or supplement editors and website editors.
Benefits
This highly practical workshop will show editors how to get a better grip on how they organise their brands, so they don't end up working late or stressing their colleagues.
Content of the day
Creating a schedule for your magazine or website
Potential problems and how to avoid them
Dealing with people
Easing bottlenecks
How to avoid running late
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Secrets of great covers
(½ day)
Ideal for
Journalists (particularly editors, deputies and art editors) who are responsible for putting their cover together.
Content of the ½ day
What makes a great magazine cover?
Sales - is there a secret of skimming off the newsstand?
The big mistake!
What can we learn from our rivals - and each other?
The perfect cover - how to make it happen every month
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Column writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
All journalists who need to write think pieces, personal opinion pieces and editorial comments.
Benefits
Columns play an important role in publications by providing a personal touch, a change of pace and provocation for the reader. This session helps journalists to develop their personal voices and opinions for their publications.
Content of the day
Using columns in the publication
The classic structures: adopting and amending them
Personal style in the column
Developing reader empathy
Leader writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anyone who writes leaders for their publications.
Benefits
Readers read to help form opinions: leaders play an essential part in setting the tone of a publication and in setting the agenda for the audience. This practical workshop highlights successful and unsuccessful techniques.
Content of the day
The role of the leader in expressing opinions and forming views
Different types of leaders
Style
Structure
Language
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Using the post-mortem review as a competitive tool
(1 day)
Ideal for
Editors and section editors who want to use post-mortem reviews to raise standards and the quality of their magazine or website.
Benefits
Creating the best product for readers demands continuous development and a steady eye on quality and standards. This session shows delegates how to use the regular post-mortem meeting as a practical tool in the editorial cycle.
Content of the day
The role of post-mortem reviews
Why they work when used properly
Why they don't work when not used properly
Who should take part
How to run them
How to get the benefits from them
Delegates will examine the role of post-mortem reviews; role play them; and develop plans for implementing the cycle of post-mortem reviews appropriate for their publication or website.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Using the Post-Mortem Review as a Competitive Tool
(1 day)
Ideal for
Editors and section editors who want to use post-mortem reviews to raise standards and the quality of their magazine or website.
Benefits
Creating the best product for readers demands continuous development and a steady eye on quality and standards. This session shows delegates how to use the regular post-mortem meeting as a practical tool in the editorial cycle.
Content of the day
The role of post-mortem reviews
Why they work when used properly
Why they don't work when not used properly
Who should take part
How to run them
How to get the benefits from them
Delegates will examine the role of post-mortem reviews; role play them; and develop plans for implementing the cycle of post-mortem reviews appropriate for their publication or website.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Section Editing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists who currently edit a section of a magazine or website, or are about to do so.
Benefits
Each section within a publication must pull its weight. This session prompts section editors to evaluate their sections to see if they have the same look, feel and tone as the rest of the publication or website, and to find ways in which they can be improved.
Content of the day
Why readers read the section
Successful liaison with the editor and other section editors
Identifying common themes and issues
Generating ideas
Deadline management
Effective commissioning
Managing a strong freelance stable
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Libel and other defamations
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists reporting, writing and editing in print or online media who have not had libel training before.
Benefits
Journalists will learn how English and Welsh libel affects publications on paper and in multimedia forms. This will be placed in an international context and explain the implications for the publisher. By the end of the course journalists will be able to see inadvertent libel in the use of text, music, video and other media.
Content of the day
Libel
What the claimant has to prove for all media
What the claimant wants
The main libel defences for all media
The differences between paper and multimedia libel issues
International comparisons
Slander and malicious falsehood
The company's legal procedures and services
Introduction to English and Welsh libel and other defamations is also available as an E-learningcourse
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Copyright and other intellectual property (IP) issues
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists reporting, writing and editing in print or online media who have not had copyright or other IP training before.
Benefits
Journalists will learn how the international copyright and other IP laws affect publications on paper and in multimedia forms. They will be able to spot infringements of IP in the use of text, music, video and other media in their own publications; and to spot the unauthorised use of their material in other media.
Content of the ½ day
Intellectual property: what it is and how it covers paper and multimedia publications
Copyright
Implications of copyright laws
Trade marks
Confidentiality and privacy for all media
Passing off
Running competitions and lotteries [if appropriate]
Intellectual property, including copyright is also available as an E-learningcourse
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Media law update
(½ day)
"The most enjoyable media law update I've ever attended"
Ideal for
Journalists reporting, writing and editing in any media, who have a fundamental knowledge of media law, but need a refresher.
Benefits
Journalists will understand the changes in media law covering defamation, mostly libel, and intellectual property (IP), mostly copyright, in print and online media.
Content of the ½ day
Libel
Changes in what the claimant has to prove for paper and multimedia
Changes in defences for paper and multimedia
The impact of multimedia publishing and how courts are dealing with it
IP
Copyright: the development of new rules and the differences emerging between different implementations
Trade marks: multimedia applications of international publishing through multimedia
Confidentiality: the growing confidentiality laws
Privacy: the emerging privacy laws
Using the Internet as a source of photos, graphics, text, music and videos
Company legal procedures and services
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Keep it legal
ETC's exclusive "Keep it Legal" board game reinforces our media law training with an entertaining and informative finale to the course. Delegates play the roles of magazines and have to answer questions and quiz other teams on the essentials of media law which have been presented in the course. The game tests the knowledge of delegates and their ability to apply the training to their working lives.
"The game and court case roleplay really made us think about what we had learned - and it was fun!"
Staff Writer, customer publisher
"I liked the method of using speech, games and dipping in and out of the book of notes, rather than reading or being read to."
Deputy Editor, customer publisher
"Very knowledgeable, witty, great game!"
Production Editor, consumer publisher
"Board game is genius."
Production Editor, consumer publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Clear English - effective writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anyone who needs to communicate in writing for their business or organisation.
Benefits
Whether it's an internal email or a proposal, effective writing reflects well on both the writer - and their organisation. This training session shows delegates how to write clearly and avoid common pitfalls. It gives them the tools to make anything they write do the job they want it to do.
Content of the course
Considering the reader
How to get your message across clearly
Using basic grammar
Punctuation made simple
Common spelling problems
Crafting sentences that work
Writing clearly and effectively
Finding the structure that lends itself to the message
Three parts of a written piece
The building blocks
The TOWER method of effective writing
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Press release writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Executives and managers who need to produce effective press releases.
Benefits
Journalists are deluged with information. Crafting a press release that will hook them in and keep them reading is more important than ever. This training session gives delegates the skills to write an attention-grabbing press release.
Content of the course
Pitching the best information at the right level
What journalists expect from press releases and how they use them
Achieving a balance between client expectations and reality
Effective structures and appropriate styles (what works and what doesn't)
Individual tutorials: all delegates will write at least one press release from an initial briefing
An assessment of samples delegates may bring with them, in the light of the day's discussions
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Report writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Executives and managers responsible for generating written reports.
Benefits
Too many reports fail to do the job for which they are intended for one simple reason: they are too difficult to read. In this course delegates learn techniques to help them write more effective reports and make the most out of complex information.
Content of the course
The purpose of the report: why are you writing?
Choosing the most appropriate structure
Brand values
Getting the point across
Avoiding jargon
Making complex material accessible
The approval process
Case study writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Executives and managers.
Benefits
Case studies appeal to journalists hungry for real-life examples. To be effective a case study demands a different approach to writing a press release. In this session delegates are exposed to the structures and techniques essential for successful case studies.
Content of the course
Identifying likely publications
Structure - the basics and the options
Planning - the key to success
How to order the information to grab the reader and keep them reading
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Speech writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Executives writing for someone else, or managers and directors who need to write their own speeches.
Benefits
Getting your point across in a clear, yet entertaining way, can be achieved with a structured approach to speech writing. This training session takes the would-be speech writer through the process from start to finish.
Content of the course
Preparation
Writing
Rehearsing
Rewriting
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Interviewing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Junior writers and people new to interviewing.
Benefits
Getting the information you want from an interviewee requires planning and technique. This training session gives journalists the opportunity to practise the preparation and execution of different interviewing styles in different situations.
Content of the day
Dealing with PRs: knowing who has promised what and to whom
Spotting likely problems before the interview
Coming up with a line of questioning
Taking the interview where you want it to go
Making the most of your questions
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Introduction to writing for magazines
(1 day)
Ideal for
Junior writers.
Benefits
Different sections within magazines and websites require different styles of writing. This workshop gives new writers the time to look at and practise techniques of writing in styles for different sections within publications and to varying audiences.
Content of the day
Styles of writing - the possibilities
Angling an article
Making intros sing
Different styles - different structures
Adapting language for different readers
How to end it
"Great. Has opened my eyes to others ways to engage with the reader."
Senior fashiong assistant, consumer publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Copywriting for the web
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anyone who needs to generate compelling or persuasive content for websites or digital marketing formats including emails, advertisements, and newsletters.
Benefits
This practical workshop explores proven techniques for generating distinctive purposeful copy within a digital context. The trainer is a highly experienced award-wining copywriter who will evaluate and feedback on each delegate’s practical written work.
Content of the day
How online browsers and users view - and filter - content
The importance of brand values and brand voice
Formulate a proven house-style for future campaigns
Targeting and communicating with your audience
Using controlled creativity to maximise the appeal of your content
The IDEA principle for proven results
Effective use of facts, figures, and data
Practise new techniques using real-life briefs
Optimise your use of language
Maximising the benefits of different digital channels
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
News writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists with up to one years' experience who want to write news stories for a range of styles and publications.
Content
Understanding the role of news
Identifying the best sources for news stories
How to use the information gathered from sources
How to structure a news story
How to support a news story
Spotting and writing news is also available as an e-learning course
Writing quality news which is exclusive and original
(Half day)
Ideal for
Writers and editors who want to project a distinctive voice and achieve competitive advantage.
Benefits
This session explores the techniques for producing original content that is exclusive to you, while maintaining agreed standards of quality and presentation.
Content
Analysis of the standard pyramid structure
Strengths: gets the story over fast and let's the reader/visitor leave when they want
Weaknesses: a "me too" way of presenting source material; uniform rather than varied and original
Aiming the content directly at the needs of the reader/visitor
Identifying the threat, opportunity and entertainment and putting it top
How to use TOWER to generate quality content
Alternatives to the standard pyramid structure
How to take the reader/visitor through the content
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Feature Writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists with up to two years' experience.
Benefits
Good features don't just happen. They are the result of careful planning and effective use of structure. In this training session delegates get the opportunity to break down the process of feature writing and try out different techniques to improve their writing.
Content of the day
Setting the style
Planning for maximum effect
Varying intros in your features
Keeping the reader reading
Quoting for impact
Concluding with a flourish
Writing great features is also available as an E-learning course
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Subbing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Subs with up to one years' experience.
Benefits
Good subs are the lynchpin of many publications. In this session delegates get the chance to think about the roles, responsibilities and aims of the sub, as well as gaining practical experience of cutting, rewriting and fine-tuning copy.
Content of the day
Making sure text conforms to style and keeping it accurate and readable
Copy editing
Cutting, writing off
Style sheets
Headlines
Eyecatchers
"I feel I've definitely made advances in all the areas that I wanted to since I completed the course. Putting more emphasis on leads and coming up with good titles was a particularly important area when it came to our magazine, and I have already seen a great improvement in the last couple of mags. I've also found that cutting copy in the right areas has speeded up the whole subbing process, which can only be a good thing!"
Journalist, consumer publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Proofreading
(1 day)
Ideal for
Subs of all levels and any other editorial staff who need to proof effectively.
Benefits
Through a series of exercises delegates learn how to spot mistakes and improve pages.
Content of the day
Proofing - the basics
Understanding the production process
Where proofreading comes in
How to use proof correction marks
Establishing an effective proofing process
Checking and accuracy
The importance of grammar and punctuation
Tips on spotting mistakes
Developing and implementing a house style
Ways to improve the effectiveness of proofreading
Proofreading is also available as an e-learningcourse
"An eye-opener - thorough and full of good practical tips."
Production editor, contract publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Improving other people's copy - rewriting
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anyone who is frequently called upon to rewrite copy.
Benefits
This workshop will allow you to quickly identify what is wrong so that you can more speedily put it right.
Content of the day
Creating a checklist for copy
Identifying bad writing
Structure
Working through basics - intros; links; pace
Putting it all together
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Introduction to reporting skills
(1 day)
Ideal for
The course is an introduction to the principles of reporting and news gathering for delegates with little background or training in basic journalism.
Benefits
An instant guide to the skills which reporters may otherwise spend several years acquiring in the early stages of their career. It also bridges into the first principles of writing news, without duplicating the tasks set in the news writing courses themselves.
Content of the day
How to collect and assimilate information
How to approach potential sources
How to deal with problems of access and obstruction
This course is particularly useful when a publication hires a writer who comes from a specialist background in research or industry and has little direct experience of journalism itself. It can also be adapted to include non-journalist staff within a publishing company who want to learn more about the techniques and objectives of journalism, perhaps as preparation to move into that area themselves.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Using research and digging to generate exclusive, original and quality content
(Half day)
Ideal for
Experienced journalists, editors and researchers who want to differentiate their content from the competition.
Benefits
This session hones the tools and techniques of research and digging to generate content which is exclusive to the provider, original in form and produced to high standards of quality.
Content
Gaining reader and visitor attention
Being the agenda maker
Creating distinction between you and "me too" media
The type of content to concentrate on
The 17 tips to run a research and digging programme
The 25 tips for developing exclusive stories
Handling different levels of discussion
Using the Freedom of Information Act to go further than the competition
Presenting content in original ways
Researching online
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anyone who wants to make better use of the internet and other research tools in order to come up with better copy.
Benefits
Understanding where information comes from helps contextualise what it is delivering. This course looks at some key sources of information on the web.
Content
Getting the most out of search engines: what are they, which are best, how do they work?
Other web sites and sources: government, commercial, user written web sites, WebBlogs, portals, news and other editorial sites
Organising your computer to get the most out of the Internet
More tools
Putting your knowledge to work
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Review and test writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Beginners, up to those with two years' experience.
Benefits
The best reviews and tests make an interesting read whether the reader has any intention of buying/using the product or not. In this session delegates consider the options for structure and style.
Content of the day
Applying standards to preparation and planning
The importance of structure
Managing your time effectively
The pros and cons of negative reviews
The conflict between providing information and entertainment
How far to personalise a review
Review and test writing is also available as an E-learning course
"Excellent. Got me to see review writing from a different angle and taught me useful techniques."
Staff writer, consumer publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Financial reporting
(1 day)
Ideal for
Any journalist who wants to understand the fundamentals of business finances in order to extend their coverage.
Benefits
Good stories can hide in numbers. This session gives delegates a deeper understanding of financial reports and sources. Delegates will be able to recognise, use and analyse the key financial terms. They will be shown how to interpret the main financial reports.
Content of the day
The main accounts of a company: Profit and Loss, Balance Sheet and Cash Flow
What to look for in the accounts
The key ratios and how to use them
Building league tables and financial comparisons
Sources of finance and what they are looking for
The role of investors, auditors, markets and regulators
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Advanced interviewing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists with at least two years' experience, who need the tools to get a great scoop.
Benefits
Experienced interviewers benefit from the opportunity to see and hear how their technique works through telephone and videotaped exercises. The training session also offers them the opportunity to experiment with different interview techniques.
Content of the day
Maintaining control
Winning a difficult interviewee over
Making the most of questions
Adapting your style
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Keep your reader coming back to your features and reviews
(Half day)
Ideal for
Writers with at least one year's writing experience who want to stretch their skills and experiment with different styles and new techniques to grow and maintain reader interest and loyalty.
Benefits
This session highlights the qualities that keep loyal readers coming back to their favourite titles again and again.
Content
Why isn't every article great?
5 common flaws and how to fix them
The best ways to get your information over
Formats: old, new and undiscovered
Which structure suits the story
Intros - using the 7 types to maintain variety and excitement
5 classic errors and how to fix them
Keeping the reader reading - new tricks and old
Pace - why each sentence matters
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Subbing to keep your readers coming back
(Half day)
Ideal for
Subs with at least two years’ experience.
Benefits
To give established subs the opportunity to refresh and update their skills and to share/compare knowledge with other subs.
Content
Finding the right balance
The relationship between writer and sub
Hearing the writer’s voice or smothering it?
How far do subs go when editing copy?
Grabbing the reader’s attention
Subs need to create appropriate and attention-grabbing headlines. But what works best?
Is the pun over-used? Is the label headline here to stay?
Moving with the times
Language evolves and punctuation evolves. The sub needs to be up to speed with both
Current trends in punctuation, spelling and vocabulary
A question of grammar - advanced points of grammar from reflexive verbs and the subjunctive to how to choose the correct preposition
Advanced subbing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Sub editors with around two years' experience.
Benefits
Experienced subs can benefit from a day to focus on best practice. This training session looks at how good subbing can lift copy while maintaining standards.
Content
The importance of the magazine brand
Understanding style guides and their significance
Copy clinic
Leading in and rounding off
Using page furniture to attract the reader
Headlines with impact
Crafting cunning captions
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
An introduction to digital media
(½ day)
Ideal for
Anyone who is new to online media.
Benefits
This session demystifies the jargon surrounding the digital revolution and gives delegates the opportunity to embrace the possibilities of creating content for websites.
Content of the ½ day
Why digital media is top of the agenda and here to stay
Understanding web speak
Why do users turn to the web?
Revenue possibilities
How is online success measured?
How magazines can use their web sites
How and why readers get to sites
What is SEO: driving traffic to your site
Moving content from print to site - the issues
Podcasting
Vodcasting
Blogging
Introduction to digital media is also available as an e-learning course
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Advanced news writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists with at least one years' experience of news writing.
Benefits
Experienced news writers benefit from the chance to discuss frequently encountered problems. This training session is designed to stretch able writers.
Content of the day
Structuring complex material
Handling multiple news threads in a story
Using different tones and styles of news stories
Drop leads and how to write them
Writing news under pressure
Advanced news writing is also available as an E-learning course
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
The multimedia writer - writing for print and the web
(1 day)
Ideal for
Writers who are being asked to provide content for print, web and other media.
Benefits
This session gives journalists the chance to focus on how to work smart so that they can use material across a variety of media.
Content of the day
Where will your material end up?
What does this mean for you?
Print vs the web - the differences and the similarities
What that means for writers
Understanding key words
Why search engines matter
Getting the information you need
Making it work on the web
Creating a longer user web journey
(Half day)
Ideal for
Delegates contributing to websites who want to make their content more valuable to the overall success of the site.
Content of the day
Measuring success - why it is essential that a site increases the user web journey
Why doesn't the work stop when the content is created?
The right content in the right format for the right medium
Using what you have
Seeing the results
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Writing for the web - online writing and editing
(½ day)
Ideal for
Print journalists who contribute to their websites.
Benefits
There are some key differences in writing for the web and writing for print. This session prompts delegates to adapt their style to the media and to learn more about the latest theory behind good web journalism.
Content of the ½ day
Web vs print: the differences
How people read on the web
What that means for writers
The importance of key words
Why search engines matter
Pulling readers to the page
Writing news online
What if it's not news? Adapting features content online
Editing on the web
Writing for the web is also available as an E-learning course
"I found the course extremely useful - I work on our website so am already aware of certain opportunities but this course really opened my way of thinking. I'll definitely take points on board - really relevant to all the work we are doing at the moment."
Reporter, b2b publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Advanced review and test writing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Reviews editors, section editors, senior writers and review writers with more than two years experience.
Benefits
This session allows delegates to reassess the current style, content and effectiveness of their reviews and group tests with particular reference to the evolving needs of the reader, and to consider the possibilities of introducing new elements.
Content of the day
What constitutes a really useful review
Group tests: achieving balance without blandness
The review as the brand's USP
Matching the reader profile with the review style and content
Identifying problems in maintaining consistency
The must-read factor
Coping with deadlines, late products and last minute pages to be filled
Advanced review and test writing is also available as an E-learning course
"Very knowledgeable and approachable, inspiring. Good tips and lessons based on a wealth of experience and solid real-life examples."
Editor, b2b publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Social media
A series of half day courses looking at all aspects of social media, including:
The common social media mistakes and how to avoid them
Thinking that social media is confined to Facebook, myspace and Twitter
Thinking that social media has one audience
Thinking that being everywhere is best
Underestimating the power of social media
Forgetting to measure success
Social media for business
Creating value and driving business opportunities through social media
What is social media - including video sharing; social networking; content aggregation; discovery engines; social bookmarking; microblogging; lifestreaming, etc
How the audience use social media and what they want from it
Business uses of social media
Social media marketing - the opportunities for business
Driving traffic to your site - how to get Dugg, Retweeted and Stumbled
Encouraging participation - using forums, Facebook Groups and other social platforms
Sharing tools, widgets and apps
Measuring and tracking social media marketing success
Writing for social media
Using social media to drive traffic and promote your brand
Adapting your copy writing skills to social media platforms
Setting objectives
Identifying brand voice
Adding value through social media
Listening and talking
How to encourage conversation to maximise engagement
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Shorthand training
We offer Teeline training because:
It is modern and easy to learn
It is based on the alphabet which speeds up the process
Users can achieve the same speed levels as Pitman users in a shorter time
Virtually all University Journalism courses teach Teeline so it should help one person to read another's shorthand
To achieve fluency of 50-70 words per minute usually requires 15 two-hour lessons with our trainer, linked to at least the same amount of practice time between lessons. The ultimate target should be 100 words per minute which will be achieved through usage and practice over a period of time after the tuition.
Type in two days
Ideal for
Everyone who is frustrated by how long it takes to type an email, letter or report. If you believed that it takes too long to learn to type properly, then this course is for you.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Introduction to customer publishing
(1 day)
Ideal for
Journalists and salespeople.
Benefits
What are the basic skills necessary to produce the best customer magazines? How do they differ from newsstand skills? This session introduces the basics of working with a client and is tailored to the knowledge and experience of the attendees to ensure the greatest benefit for your company.
Content of the day
The background to customer publishing and your company's approach
How to present yourself and your work
Finding out what the client wants
Understanding your client's business
Developing effective listening skills
What to do when things go wrong
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Blogging
(½ day)
Ideal for
Anyone who wants to write a blog.
Benefits
By the end of this session, delegates will know what blogging is all about and have written their first post.
Content of the ½ day
What is a blog?
Why blog?
Some terms
Blog tools
The technical side
Enriching blogs
Moderating
Magazine blogging options
Pulling readers to your blog
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Mobile content workshop
(1 day)
Ideal for
Delegates needing to understand where mobile content and revenue fits in.
Content of the day
What the mobile market is worth
How the mobile industry has changed
What mobile means to your brand
Current mobile content offering
Where it makes money
How mobile strategy fits in with digital strategy
Revenue generation from content deals
Content distribution
Mobile advertising and commercial deals
What are people willing to pay for
New generation phones and new generation content – apps, touchscreens, gps, integrated social networking tools etc
What the future holds
Revenue projections/requirements
New handsets/apps etc being touted for the future
Writing mobile content
(1 day)
Ideal for
Magazine writers/editors who need to contribute content to the mobile internet.
Benefits
The mobile internet is a different medium to the internet. This session prompts delegates to adapt their style to the media.
Content of the day
Differences between mobile internet and internet - a different, much more complicated type of technology
Pros and cons of mobile content/expectations versus reality
Mobile "magazines"
Writing for the mobile internet
Usability and user expectations
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Search engine optimisation (SEO) - driving traffic to your site
(½ day)
Ideal for
Anyone who wants to increase the traffic to a website by the use of SEO techniques.
Content of the ½ day
What is 'traffic' anyway?
Why does it matter and how should a better understanding affect what you do
Hits, page views, ad inventory, site 'stickiness', referrals etc. Which stats matter and why
Why referrals are important and how they are created
Sources of online traffic and making the most of them online
Making your site work better with search engines
Keywords, tags, metatags
Related SEO activities like usability, site design and navigation
Search Engine Optimisation is also available as an e-learningcourse
Balancing the needs of SEO and creativity
(½ day)
Ideal for
Writers and site managers who want to maximise their site's SEO potential - without losing their creativity. This workshop shows how to balance your online audiences' interests and consumption habits with the keywords and phrases that will elevate your content in the rankings. Creativity and SEO in harmony.
Content of the ½ day
Recap on why SEO is so important
Why being creative and having a distinctive voice is also so important for websites
How does an audience find your stories
The opportunities for editorial creativity - priorities
Being creative to sell your story and find an audience
Common SEO v creativity mistakes and how to avoid them
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Online communities
(½ day)
Ideal for
Anyone who wants to get more visitors to their website by encouraging interaction through polls, message boards and blogs.
Benefits
Delegates will be exposed to the issues that affect communities on websites and come away with ideas for how to grow the traffic to their sites.
Content of the ½ day
Defining an online community
Building your community
Messages from you to them...
Messages from them to you...
Online voting
Blogging with comments
Forums and discussions
Social networking services
What makes a site easy to use and engage with
Balancing complexity and user features
Meeting the expectations of potential online readers both new and experienced
Managing forums and blogs
The common digital community mistakes and how to avoid them
(½ day)
Ideal for
Web teams looking to launch a digital community or in need of improving their current community offering.
Content of the ½ day
How community sites have changed over the last 3 years
Why offering a community space can be so important
The biggest issues facing digital community hosts
Common digital community mistakes including:
Expecting a community to find you
Trying too hard
Not trying hard enough
Expecting your audience to like everything about you
Forgetting the legal implications of community publishing
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Dealing with user generated content (UGC)
(1 day)
IM, comments, social networking, social recommendation, community, forums, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, microblogging, counter-blogging, file sharing, wikis, Web 2.0, Web 3.0...if it feels like the user is taking over the net then what can a publishing team do to stay in touch, relevant and create a site worth being a part of? And how can they protect their site if they are not in full control of the content being created and posted?
This course gives teams an insight into how UGC has changed the web and how to work with it.
Content of the day
What UGC and community on the web actually means
Using community for your title or brand
How your market and audience will affect community building
What are the key community tools and content areas - forums and messageboards; chat rooms; social networking sites
The tools you can use to build a community
Harnessing the blogging community
Blogging feedback, site building and housekeeping
Usability
Negative attitudes and impacts of online communities
Key legal issues for hosts and publishers
"Excellent chance to talk and discuss major themes with experienced people from different backgrounds."
Editor, consumer publisher
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Making the most of multi-media
(1 day)
Ideal for
Online publishers, editors and journalists.
Benefits
Delegates will learn how to choose the best digital media to tell a variety of stories. This course includes a hands-on session, where delegates will get a chance to integrate a variety of media onto a website.
Content of the day
Mulit-media options: text, images, audio, video, animation and more
Strengths and weaknesses of each media
Narrative strategies - what story are you trying to tell?
Optimising your stories - what works and what doesn't
The digital multi-media mix - telling the same story from different angles
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Pod and vodcasting skills
(1 day)
Ideal for
Anyone who wants to plan and produce a pod or vodcast for their site.
Content of the day
Why pod and vodcasting?
The 'added value' of the pod and vodcast
What's in it for the consumer/listener/viewer?
The pod/vodcast interview - how to ask questions which produce:
The stand-alone answer
The answer that incorporates the question
The easy to edit soundbite
How to get the subject to give you useable stories and illustrations
What will/won't work technically
How to know when you need a re-take
Your voice/your appearance - talking on mic and appearing on camera - the basic rules
Technical stuff - what you need to know about audio recording and basic camera techniques
Timing and editing - how to compose a 3 and 5-minute pod/vodcast
How editing can help you shape your interview for maximum impact
How to make a pod/vodcast in the first person - from a studio or on location
"I really enjoyed the training and it has been invaluable for our podcasts and future vodcasts. I look forward to putting it into practice in future interviews."
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Web design for editors
(1 day)
Ideal for
Online publishers, editors, journalists and anyone else involved in a website launch, development or re-design.
Benefits
Delegates will have a clear understanding of the best ways to work effectively with designers, developers and project managers on site builds and re-designs.
Content of the day
Introduction - technology-centric design vs user-centred design
Identifying your site's objectives - business, commercial and creative goals (interally derived)
Identifying technical and design constraints
User needs - users' goals for the site (externally derived)
User-centred design - what is it and how do you do it?
Understanding user experience and usability testing
Creating functional specifications - functionality required to meet users' needs
Identifying content requirements - content required to meet users' needs
Information architecture
Information design - presenting information in the best way for users
Visual design - graphic design of the site, look and feel, current trends
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Video skills modules
Half day sessions tailored to the needs of the group.
Advanced camera skills
Composition
Balance in a shot
Fore, mid and background
16:9 and 4:3
Camera angles
Zoom, pan, tilt
Flattering angles, high and low viewpoint
Lighting
How to light people and products
Manual camera controls
Colour balance
Shutter speed
Aperture
ND filter
Good and bad video examples from the internet
Planning and preparation
Types of video
Understanding the legal aspects of filming
Filming on the street
Copyright
Risk assessment
Release forms
Filming children
Planning your Video
Storyboarding/scripting/shots lists
Location filming
Getting permission
Equipment checklist
How to construct a story
Telling a story in video
Basic storytelling techniques
How to get soundbites
Equipment checks
Appearing on camera
How to present to camera
Interviewing on camera
The colour of your voice
Your language on camera
Technical etiquette on camera
Vox Pops
Setting the camera for the solo operator
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Team building
A rare chance for your whole team to examine overriding concerns, with objective input and expert guidance from an ETC training consultant. Here are three example sessions to boost performance:
Improving teamwork
(1 day)
Benefits
Communication professionals and journalists are often so busy meeting deadlines that they don't have time to focus on how well they are working together, or identify areas for positive change.
Understanding how effective teams work
Setting clear objectives; creating an environment for open communication, cooperation and trust
Establishing sound working and decision making procedures
Diagnosing problems and identifying solutions
Developing your content
(1 day)
Benefits
Gaining a fresh focus on your audience and what they want from you is highly motivational and results in concrete plans for change.
How do other magazines or websites address their audience?
What do our readers or users want from us?
What else can we deliver to them? How can we deliver it?
What needs changing? How can we change?
Improving organisation
(1 day)
Benefits
Heritage, culture and personality often mean media teams fall into bad habits. In this session teams look at how they operate and identify areas that will benefit from positive change.
How well is the team organised? Are we doing things in the right order?
Who is waiting? What is going late?
How can we give our colleagues, customers and suppliers more time?
How do we create contingency plans?
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Preparing for Web 3.0
(2 days)
Ideal for
Anyone who wants to ensure their news-based website is optimised for Web 3.0.
Benefits
Web 2.0 was about interaction. Web 3.0 is about recommendation and personalisation. It combines the elements of content, commerce and community with a fourth c: context. It also adds personalisation and search that is tailored to an individual. It is about feeding users the information they want, when they want it.
Content of the days
An overview of Web 3.0 technology
Running a 24/7 news service on the web
Dovetailing web and print publication
Developing commerce opportunities
Building, developing and managing communities
Content distribution via platforms including email bulletins, Twitter, sms and social networking sites
Bringing the social networking virtues of recommendation and personalisation to your content
Search engines that can filter and match results based on what it knows about an individual
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
A strategic look at your website
(1 day)
Ideal for
Publishers, editors, editorial managers and senior journalists who want to optimise their web offering.
Benefits
What can be done online is almost limitless. What is right for your publication and your audience is another thing. And what can be achieved with the limited human and other resources at your disposal is the bottom line.
Content of the day
Your audience: discovering what they want, when they want it, and how they want it delivered
Managing resources - what can be done and how to prioritise your goals
Creating multimedia content as a by-product of research and text reporting
Creating, building and managing communities so that they benefit you
How to manage blogs and email bulletins
Encouraging and processing user-generated content
How to avoid letting your audience down
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Strategic business planning
(1 or 2 days)
Ideal for
Managers who need to create, present or manage effective business plans and strategies.
Benefits
This stimulating day blends theory and practical work to ensure all participants understand the principles of business planning using the SOSTAC model, and appreciate the application of effective business strategy
Content of the day
Benefits of business planning - strategic or tactical
The benefits of using logic and creativity
The pillars of effective strategic planning: Objectives - Strategy - Tactics
Defining your planning objectives; e.g. corporate; marketing; communications
The SOSTAC planning sequence in detail
Useful analysis tools including SWOT, Ansoff, BCG matrix, business lifecycles
Using STEEPLE and STP
Practical work to build your own strategic plan
Secrets of effective Action Planning
Related issues including pricing, promotions, distribution, resources, etc.
Communicating your plan
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Optimising business
(1, 2 or 3 days)
Ideal for
Managers and teams who want to assess their business opportunities, build a plan for success, and optimise their systems and processes to fully exploit business potential.
Benefits
This is a tailored blend of training, coaching and expert consultancy to help teams unlock business potential and acquire the key skills to maximise competitive advantage.
Topics can include:
Planning
Objectives defined and resources allocated
Timing, targets, and success criteria
Building your plan for success
Business Development
Communication, sales and negotiation skills
Territory management; better market development
Profiling leads, clients, and buyers
Enhancing the client contact template
Improving sales pitch: content and delivery
Analysing targets and monitoring perfomance
Key Accounts
Review principles of Key Account Management
Quantify and prioritise (target and actual) Key Accounts
Modify Key Account Plans based on team analysis and discussion
Identify communication and information gaps (clients, markets, and territories) through teamwork
Build team Business Action Plan for Key Accounts
Priorities
New markets, using the Potential Value Index
Applying The Pareto Principle
The Real Power of Numbers
DMU and DMP analysis
Defining and applying the CUTIE profile
Agree optimal business approach, market positioning and sales stories
Agree internal communication cycle, formats, and timings
Agreeing volume (and value) targets and timings for these opportunities
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Short digital refreshers
60-minute presentations for anyone interested in refreshing their digital knowledge.
Digital and the advertising world
How much is digital advertising worth?
How a digital ad campaign is planned and bought
Digital display and classified
Multi-platform and content-driven campaigns
How an ad server works
Measuring ad campaign success
SEO/SEM
Google v Bing v Yahoo v social media search
Where else traffic comes from
Search engine marketing
Search ppc advertising
People power - how the digital user is shaping the digital world
How user behaviour has evolved and influenced the web
UGC - everyone's a content provider
Social media - creating content via our comfort zone
Social recommendations/review/bookmarking
Mobile/handheld devices
New trends
Judging digital success - the jargon buster
Translating site success to financial success
Key areas we can measure and why they are important
What an advertiser needs to know
What a user needs to see
Getting the best out of your targeting
Quick fix tips to increase your figures
The pocket-sized guide to social media
What is it and why should we care
Who are the key players
Do these sites make money
Where is my audience
What is useful to do and what is a waste of time
New trends
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Latest in digital
60-minute presentations on the latest digital trends.
Social media
New activity and results from familiar names eg Facebook, Twitter, etc
What early adopters are talking about
5 common mistakes
Questions to ask before using social media
When social media should replace a standalone site
Ways to make money in digital
The current online advertising market
Paid for content - who does it and how is it working
YouTube and non-peer content
Subscription services
Making money from mobile
SEO trends
Google's latest versions
Recent acquisitions and their impact
Real time search and social media - how Facebook and Twitter are changing our search world
Why is metadata important
What is Bing and how important is it
Online editorial
Heads and sells - how important are they really
Separation of content and site
How much content do users actually read online
How mobile content has changed our reader behaviour
Posting, plugging and promoting - how much time should be spent on content and how much on getting people to see it
Extending the user journey
The importance of moving images
Mobile
Why mobile?
Content, apps, services, tools...what works
How can businesses make money with mobile
5 common mistakes
What is coming next
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Photography workshop
(1 day)
Benefits
A totally hands-on workshop with the emphasis on the practical, how to. Delegates will learn three different ways to improve their photography, whether it's People, Events or Objects. Tailored to individual client needs, we can cover product shots, portraits, events and conference reportage or anything else.
Content of the day
Great photos and what makes them great
A look at a selection of great photographs
Open discussion and feedback from delegates
Critique of delegates work
What worked - and what did not
Three steps to improving your photography
Lighting
Positioning
Preparation
Doing It: A real photo session
Critique of the photo session
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Cover culture: the techniques and formats that mags are using today to grab eyeballs
(½ day)
Ideal for
Senior editorial, marketing and publishing teams who want to maximise the impact their cover has on newsagents' shelves.
Benefits
The newsstand battle for sales has never been fiercer and subsequently grabbing the reader's attention has never been harder. In this session we look at what the most successful mags - in a range of markets - are doing today to create an impact and make their mags fly off the shelves.
We also revisit the widely held rules of great cover execution to see if they are still as relevant today.
Delegates analyse their own last five covers and create a list of things their publication should try and avoid along with 10 suggested improvements.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
PR fundamentals
(2 days)
Ideal for
Junior in-house professionals or agency staff.
Benefits
What is PR? What makes news? How do journalists work? Once you know that - which PR tactic do you employ? There are many PR tactics that can be implemented to achieve success for a particular campaign, but what are they, when do you use them and why?
This course is a good grounding in the basics of PR by someone who's been there and done it. The course is tailored to the knowledge and experience of the attendees so that the maximum benefit is gained.
Content of the day
PR - what is it, how does it work?
Journalism - what is it, how does it work?
The PR practitioner's toolkit
What to do when things go wrong
Campaign measurement
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Planning and managing campaigns
(2 days)
Ideal for
Account managers; senior account executives or in-house professionals.
Benefits
Effective planning of PR campaigns ensures that the time and effort put in really counts. And a well-managed one should ensure a successful outcome with no crises. This course identifies what is needed for an effective plan and analyses what good management means and how to make it happen.
Content of the day
Why planning is important
What is planning?
Building a planning infrastructure
The campaign plan
Setting objectives and drawing up headlines
Which PR tools to use
External influences and building calendars
Allocating budget
Success criteria
Allocating resources
Measurement - how and why
Message development
Audience definition
Who are you trying to influence and why?
Briefing spokespeople
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Break-through thinking workshop
(1 or 2 days)
Ideal for
Senior editorial, marketing and publishing teams who want fresh fast thinking for a launch, relaunch, brand extension or new service.
Benefits
In an ever-changing market, it is vitally important to understand your consumer's shifting needs. Fuelled by the latest insights in your market, this facilitated session mixes cutting-edge creative brainstorming techniques with matrixes and frameworks used by the world's biggest consulting companies to deliver real tangible break-through thinking.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Kick starting creativity
(½ day)
Ideal for
Journalists, designers, marketeers and advertorial execs of all levels who need to continually generate fresh ideas as part of their job.
Benefits
What can you do to get the creative juices flowing when there is a lack of inspiration in the air? The answer is easy; learn these four leading-edge creative brainstorming techniques and your ideas cupboard will never be bare again.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Magazine branding
(1 day)
Ideal for
Senior editorial, publishing and commercial staff who want to recognise, develop and exploit brand management for magazines and other publications.
Benefits
This course helps senior journalists, publishing and commercial staff to use the techniques of brand development and management in order to compete more effectively.
Content of the day
Brands
What they are and what they can do
Why they are important
The ten hot topics
How brands work
Classic case studies of success and failure
Bringing the threads together for branding publications
How to develop brands
Key actions in managing brands and brand extensions
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Online PR
(1 day)
Ideal for
Marketers, publishers, journalists and anyone who is responsible for the PR function of their website.
Benefits
Social media is an increasingly vital channel for communicating with your users and creating community around your brand. Delegates will learn how to make the most of marketing opportunities offered by social media.
Content of the day
Prominent social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Digg, YouTube
How people are using social media
How brands are using social media
Finding the social platforms your users and potential users are currently interacting with
Strategies for engagement: customer relationship marketing, brand management, marketing promotions, driving web traffic, driving sales, crisis management
Building trust and credibility
Creating relevant stories
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Account management
(1 day)
Ideal for
Account managers, senior account executives and in-house PR professionals.
Content of the day
Effective day-to-day account management
Being clear on your role and how it fits on each of your accounts
Managing up and down the account team
Getting the best from junior team members - delegating and coaching to improve team capability and potential
Managing the PR plans on your accounts
Overview planning to ensure the team delivers on time to the right quality
Ensuring a clear brief and realistic timeframes
Juggling additional and time intensive activities, ie projects, events, etc
Ensuring the whole team is updated on the account
Effective team prioritising and control
Client management
Understanding what the client values
Delivering quality on deadline
Working to the PR plan and being conscious of over-servicing
Looking to add value to your delivery
Communication skills
Verbal communication
Asking for what you want
Vocal authority
Listening skills
Dealing with conflict
Negotiating and assertiveness
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Magazine packaging
(½ day)
Ideal for
Editors, publishers, marketers and art directors.
Benefits
This session helps senior journalists and publishing staff use FMCG packaging principles to stimulate thinking and debate on the creation of more effective magazine packaging design. This could potentially act as a catalyst or platform for the definition of guidelines and principles for the creation and design of packaging for your titles.
Content of the ½ day
Similarities between FMCG and magazines
Good FMCG pack design principles
What effect would these principles have on some current magazine packaging?
How could we apply these principles from FMCG?
Creating guidelines for your magazines
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Evaluating ideas effectively
(½ day)
Ideal for
Journalists, designers, marketeers and advertorial execs of all levels who are responsible for generating ideas.
Benefits
How can you quickly, effectively and objectively evaluate ideas when you have a list as long as your arm following a brainstorm? Easy, just use these simple and easy methodologies that are used by many of the leading creative companies to get you to where you need to be...fast!
This session can be combined with our Kick Starting Creativity course to create a full day or run as a stand-alone half day session.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
44 ways to do a feature
Wendy Bristowlooks at how participants can make the most of trends in magazine features, and offers a toolbox of feature formats to choose from when under pressure. The 44 different approaches present an abundance of ideas for publications and help introduce more variety, novelty and lateral thinking.
Turning the miles into inches - travel writing made easy
Does your heart sink when freelance copy arrives? Do your features team never quite write what you were expecting? Well, no more! Liz Nice reveals 20 editing tricks for transforming tragic features. Whatever the disaster, it can be salvaged - in fact, often, the rescue mission can even be fun!
11 ways to stronger, better features - by Tuesday!
It's easy to get into a features rut. All the ideas start to sound the same and you begin to bore even yourselves, let alone the reader. Wendy Bristow's talk is packed full of ideas for livening up the features process. It is mainly about ideas - how to have better ones, how to sharpen the ones you have - rather than structure or style. It will help you make sure you're pooling all your resources and maximising creativity to make the very most of the meatiest partof your magazine.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Building the marketing plan
(1 or 2 days)
Ideal for
Anyone responsible for marketing a publication.
Benefits
A practical and hands-on course focused on researching and building the optimum marketing plan.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Selling stories in
(1 day)
Ideal for
Junior agency staff.
Benefits
PRs spend most of their time trying to encourage journalists to write about their clients. How do you do this? Is there a well-proven method? This course is a good grounding in the basics of how to sell a story to a journalist by someone who has been there and done it. The course uses roleplay so that the maximum benefit is gained.
Content
Introduction
What is selling in stories?
Types of stories
What is the end result?
Selling the story - the beginning
Planning and preparation
The hierarchy of a story
Senior counsel
Selling the story - the middle
The journalist
The nerves
Strategies for dealing with journalists
Dealing with nerves and unexpected questions
Selling the story - the end
Your role and preparation
The messages
How to brief your client
What if your client dries up?
What to do if things go wrong
Evaluation
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Pitching
(1 day)
Benefits
To optimise the pitching and business development process by examining, exploring and improving face-to-face communication and presentations with clients. This workshop looks at the key aspects of interpersonal communication and persuasion, the planning and structure needed for a successful presentation, with everyone having a chance to practise the tactics and techniques under discussion.
Content
Thinking and planning
Which clients are you targeting?
The different stages in the client relationship
Identifying your client's needs
Planning the call or visit using NPD, a flexible and structured approach
Building your pitch
Why do clients really buy? Understanding their needs and wants
Identifying and agreeing their buying criteria
Questioning skills - extracting information and gaining agreement
Active listening skills
Features and Benefits refresher
The presentation formula
Defining the presentation
The three different types of presentations
Selling a concept - your purpose and objective
Preparation and organisation
Organising the sequence and content - structuring the presentation
Your pitch
Planning the meeting
Presenting your ideas
Using visuals; being creative
Understanding and using non-verbal communication
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Digital and online sales
(1 day)
Ideal for
Sales executives and sales teams selling basic web-based digital advertising solutions.
Benefits
This practical and comprehensive workshop brings delegates totally up to speed with online sales models and techniques.
Content of the day
Overview of digital sales
Understanding your offer
Using research effectively
Demystifying digital and online jargon
Your systems, audiences and product range
Pricing online advertising packages and campaigns
Measuring success; response data; user traffic; campaign management
Building and delivering your most effective pitch
Sales techniques - opening the call; key questions; gaining agreement
Powerful direct marketing in a digital world
(1 day)
Ideal for
Marketing, communication and fundraising executives in the private or public sector.
Benefits
Explore how the digital world has changed direct marketing, and how this influences your success. Learn how to exploit this new environment to improve your marketing's cost effectiveness.
Content of the day
Multi-channel marketing
Increased speed, data, and consumer expectations
Putting the customer first, and privacy concerns
Integrating customer data and campaign financial planning
Key KPIs and the role of LifeTime Value
Successful planning in a digital world
Understanding customer groups and identifying prospects
Partner marketing - offline, lists, and digital channels
The power of effective propositions
Creating trigger activity and campaign integration
Measuring - monitoring and improving effectiveness
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
15 secrets of the best covers ever
Can we ever REALLY know what makes a cover fly off the shelves? It is one of the most mystical arts in magazines but, while there are obviously no easy answers, we can learn so much from where others have succeeded - and perhaps even more from where they have failed. Liz Nice reveals the secrets of the covers that succeeded beyond their editors' wildest dreams, the covers that they hope to never see again and perhaps most intriguingly of all, the covers they still believe should have worked, but didn't!
20 ways smart mags use their photographic edge to tame the web
For anyone who needs to continually generate fresh ideas as part of their job, this session looks at 20 ways that successful mags use to out-smart their digital rivals by using photos in a way that the web just can't do nearly as well.
Think like an art director
What makes a great art director tick? What sets them apart from the pack? What skills and behaviours do you need to be one? What motivates them and how do you get the best out of them? Stop wondering and start learning. You will find out what editors think distinguishes an art director from a great magazine layout artist. You will find what qualities art directors themselves think they possess to generate eye-balls and make readers say; "Wow!"
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Investigative journalism - the thrill of the chase
Peter Gillman talks about the stories he has brought in, from the quest for the killer of rock star Kirsty MacColl to the secret Scottish childhood of Ian Brady. He points out the key lessons of investigations: get out of the office, go and see for yourself, never take no for the first answer, develop your contacts and networks, and play a long game.
News in monthlies - an oxymoron or a lost opportunity?
Richard Sharpe analyses the winners and losers in the monthly news game and suggests possible approaches to help news pages live up to their label.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
The top 12 libel mistakes (and how to avoid them)
If you don't know about libel you increase the risk of expensive law suits. Wendy Bristowpresents an entertaining look at the 12 classic mistakes people make including via photographs, features and reviews.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Understanding digital media
Ever wondered what everyone's talking about, but are too afraid to ask? This session will demystify all-things-online and allow you to join in the conversation. We'll look at why digital media is top of the agenda and here to stay; and explain all that web-speak - blogs and forums, CMS, pod and vodcasting, SEO, Web 2.0 and more.
What the web can do for you
How on earth does the busy reporter get the time to shoot and edit video, record podcasts, post regularly to a blog, and nurture and cultivate communities? Tim Tucker uses numerous examples of good practice to show that multimedia is not a burden, but a huge opportunity. He will cover:
How to make blogging a by-product of the research and reporting process
How to gather audio and video while carrying out interviewing for text-based news and features
How communities can give you a wealth of news and other content ideas
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Why planning ahead could change your life
Because journalism is a deadline-oriented business, we tend not to plan ahead. But the consequences can be increased chaos and decreased creativity. Wendy Bristow presents easy, quick ways to plan ahead, individually and team-wise, and explains how planning produces a better quality publication than skimming along on the seat of your pants.
5 things that kill creativity - and 5 things that revive it
Wendy Bristow presents how to avoid and/or repair the former and incorporate the latter, looking at:
Things that kill creativity:
Things that revive it:
1. Stress (leading to...)
2. Burnout
3. Lack of planning (see above!)
4. Poor communication
5. Saying no/dissing ideas/criticism
1. Planning
2. Team involvement
3. Brainstorming
4. Remembering to communicate
5. Listening to every idea, however silly
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Your job on the line: getting the very best from telephone interviews
With a stubborn actor playing the heart-sink interviewee, Susan Marling presents a quickfire and fun look at how to get something out of Mr Monosyllable, Miss Shy, Sir Self-Promo, Ms Press Release...
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Yes, it's live! - 10 steps to becoming a dream interview guest
Susan Marling reveals the secrets of appearing on camera and includes essential prep, staying calm, controlled and on message, not being a rabbit in the headlights, rescuing the situation and "Do I Sound Bad, or What?"
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
English grammar - does it matter?
Leni Gillman presents an amusing and enlightening run-through of some of the hottest topics concerning the way we write - and speak - our rich and diverse language.
Corruscating, reticent, disinterested - just three examples of words that are widely misused. What, if anything, should we do?
Prepositions, from bored of to meet with - right, wrong, unnecessary?
Speech punctuation - sorting out the mess
Direct and indirect speech - does anyone still know the rules?
Text-speak - does it have a place?
Apostrophes, commas, homonyms, plus some classic proof-reading errors from the national press. All these and more in 90 minutes which will make the rules of English fun again.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
The 10 big trends in magazines right now
A provocative look at the external and internal forces shaping magazine publishing today and tomorrow. Designed to get creative teams thinking, Barry covers such areas as the death of the critic, the war of the sexes, and the rise and rise of the weeklies.
10 things you must know about front covers
Designed for magazine editors, art directors, and their teams, Barry looks back at great magazine front covers and great front cover disasters and tries to ensure that in future there will be more of the former and a whole lot less of the latter.
How I launched Zoo Weekly
A stimulating and tongue-in-cheek account of how a lively conversation down the pub one night ended up 18 months later as the biggest revolution on the newsstand in years. With unique insights into the pre-launch development process on Zoo Weekly, and informative analysis of the successful roll-out launches in Australia and South Africa.
Desert island magazines
How your favourite magazine and your all-time creative icon can help you scale new heights at work. An interactive session for anyone remotely interested in the creative process.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Think like an editor
What makes a great editor tick? What sets them apart from the pack? What skills and behaviours do I need to be one? Stop wondering and start learning. In this session you will find out what publishing execs are looking for when they recruit and what qualities editors themselves think they possess that ensures their mags fly off the shelves. David Bostock will give you the opportunity to get inside the head of our industry's top creative talent and help aspiring editors to clarify their goals and career milestones.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
Redesign programme
(2 days)
Ideal for
The editor, art editor and publisher of individual brands who are about to embark on a redesign or refresh of their magazine.
Benefits
This redesign programme will help you clarify your objectives and set a simple path to achieving them.
Content of the days
The brief
Your redesign objectives and the level of change you intend your readers to notice
The pillars
The market - target and total audience
Structured analysis of your current offering and the competition
Core content and core values going forward
The cover
What's worked and what hasn't
Cover architecture
Using the pillars
Selling the benefits
Images and colour
The flatplan
Percentage of space devoted to the pillars
Regulars and ads
Sections and pace
The new look
Choosing fonts
Furniture and colour
Design signatures
Planning
Organsing the team in relation to the pillars
Starting every issue with the cover
Next steps
For further information, click the button below. It will be added to the Information Request Form automatically.
