This Summer, Try An Online Public Relations Course

Public relations can make or break a business – large or small. Good PR skills are also a vital tool for a range of professions, from politicians to radio presenters, or anyone trying to promote an idea or product.

The internet is packed with bursting with online courses offering to help you improve your PR skills and grow your company. When sorting through what’s on offer, consider the following: be sure that the specific set of skills in the course outcome is truly what you’re after- don’t do a video editing course if what you really want to improve are your copywriting skills.

Furthermore, as with any course, a teacher’s knowledge and reputation matter. Before signing up to a course, check out the experience and reputation of the teacher. You might also like to check out what previous students have to say about the course.

Finally, be aware of the cost of a course before signing on the dotted line. It is easy enough to compare a range of courses to get an idea of what you should be paying- don’t get caught out!

Before you wade in, however, we’ve done the dirty work, and compiled a list of the top courses available on online academy Udemy.

• How to Write a Feature Article Story about Someone (Udemy link)

Writing feature stories and conducting interviews are everyday tasks for those working in PR. This course is a beginner-level online course that takes the student through the nuts and bolts of feature story articles.

This course has turned out to be hugely popular with budding PR fanatics. The course has an average rating of 4.3 stars out of over 170 reviews and covers topics like conducting interviews, asking the right questions, and the differences between a story and a news report.

• How to Get Featured on CNN, ABC, and NBC For Free (Udemy link)

If you’re hoping to get coverage from the major broadcasting networks, you’ll need to learn how to craft content that appeals to the big leagues. This course is a good start.

The course was compiled by Alex Cequea, who has contributed to the New York Times, Huffington Post, Forbes, and other media outlets. His course covers storytelling formats, the dos and donts of PR writing, and how to build strong relationships with journalists. The course has an average rating of 4.3 stars.

• Modern PR – How to Get Press Coverage for Your Business (Udemy link)

The world of PR can all too often be a wild west of communications, with businesses scrambling not to get lost in the mess. The Modern PR – How to Get Press Coverage for Your Business course can help you create your PR strategy to maximize your chances of success in the PR world.

In this course, students learn how to create and leverage good relationships with journalists, how to create a story around your brand, how to get featured in mainstream and alternative media, how to write a quality email pitch, and how to handle negative publicity. The course has an average rating of 4.4 stars, and more than 2,800 enrolled students.