Course Outline

Get that blog written! This four-week course will take you through all the nuts and bolts of how to write a blog. The course has a strong practical element and there will be a chance for participants to get feedback on the writing tasks that are set. The course will cover:

• Defining your target audience
• Working out what it is you have to say
• Creating a content calendar which will make your blog sustainable for the long term
• How to research, structure and write a blog
• Exercises around headline-writing, lead-writing and editing
• An introduction to optimising your blog for search engines (SEO)
• Ways to distribute your blog
• Workshopping and providing feedback on a blog that you've written
• How to adapt what you've learnt to other forms of content

Please Bring

• laptop, tablet or smartphone with internet access
• pen and paper

About the Tutor

Alexandra Vanags' 15-year career has taken her from London to Sydney and several places in between. She has done everything from interviewing high-profile sources about exciting M&A deals to writing blogs on behalf of CEOs. After completing her degree, Alex began her career as a financial journalist, writing about large financing and M&A deals. Always determined to get the best story, her exploits included chasing an executive across a carpark, flying to Iceland to interview a source with half an hour notice, and meeting a contact at Lehman Brothers on the day of their collapse. Since then, she has also worked in the corporate world, writing content and communications materials on behalf of some of the world’s largest brands in industries including financial services, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. These days, Alex straddles several worlds, working as a journalist, a content creator for large, complex corporate clients and a writer for small businesses. She also dabbles in fiction writing. As well as being a highly skilled writer and editor, Alex is known for her ability to interpret and communicate complex information. Alex lives footsteps away from the golden sands of Sydney’s Northern Beaches, but keeps her eye on international markets and travels regularly to London for business and leisure.