Writing Certificate Course
September 10, 17, & 24 1-3 p.m. ET
Three consecutive modules
Kill the Clichés. Shape Your Voice. Command Attention. Incite Action.
If you write anything, from memos for the C-suite to “all staff” emails, social captions, internal FAQs, or crisis updates, your words are your influence. Inbox overload and shrinking attention spans make strong, concise and effective writing your sharpest tool for clarity, credibility, authority and influence.
This live, three-week course is built for communicators, marketers, HR pros, and PR strategists who need to write fast, adapt tone on the fly, and get messages across with precision in high-stakes situations. Each session blends expert instruction, real-world scenarios, and smart, ethical uses of AI to supercharge your workflow. Each session will blend professional instruction, real-world writing scenarios and AI-supported strategies to future-proof your writing and comms practice.
You’ll learn how to:
- Sharpen every sentence. Cut the fluff and deliver crisp, focused writing across formats, from emails to company-wide announcements.
- Tune your tone. Shift your voice to fit the audience, the moment, and the medium.
- Make complexity digestible. Break down jargon-heavy topics into content that’s clear, concise, and skimmable.
- Write like a leader. Communicate tough news, like reorganizations, policy changes, or crises, with confidence and care.
- Strategically and ethically collaborate with AI. Use AI to draft faster, explore tonal shifts, and boost clarity without losing your human touch, and do so without risking your organization’s reputation, credibility, or data security.
CURRICULUM
Hone your writing skills in just a few short weeks. You’ll receive assignments, a certificate of completion and a writing style guide you can tailor to your organization.
These days, you’ve got eight seconds to capture and retain your average person’s attention, and in many cases, less than that. Company-wide announcements, social captions, video messaging, and newsletters have to land fast and stick. In this session, you’ll learn how to write with razor-sharp clarity for any platform and edit with ruthless precision.
You’ll Learn How To:
- Cut the clutter: Rewrite bloated updates into tight, punchy messages that earn attention.
- Ditch the corporate clichés: Say what you mean, skip what you don’t, and leave buzzwords behind.
- Structure for skimming: Use clear headers, bullets, and sentence flow that makes information pop.
- Use AI wisely: Draft, edit, and simplify with generative tools, without crossing ethical lines.
Homework:
- Rewrite a recent company message to be 50% shorter while retaining its core meaning.
- Complete an AI-assisted editing challenge.
Not all messages wear the same suit. Comms pros are expected to write for both leadership, frontline staff, and external audiences, and for each one your tone and message to shift without losing clarity or brand voice. This session gives you the tools to do just that.
You’ll Learn How To:
- Stay on-brand: Adapt your style while keeping messaging consistent with your voice and values.
- Write up, down, and laterally: From boardroom briefs to breakroom shout-outs, match your language to the moment.
- Format for the feed: Switch between channels like press releases, social posts, and Slack updates without a hitch.
- Make it human: Weave storytelling into business messages to spark interest and boost retention.
- Write for everyone: Use language that’s inclusive, accessible, and resonant across roles and regions.
- Test the tone: Use AI to explore how your writing feels, and adjust until it hits just right.
Homework:
- Draft a single message in two styles: one formal (internal), one informal (external).
- Use an AI tool to analyze tone and note the key differences in approach.
In a moment of crisis or change, the right message can make all the difference. This final session focuses on writing with authority, empathy, and clarity when your audience is anxious and your brand reputation is on the line.
You’ll Learn How To:
- Compose in crisis: Write in-the-moment communications that guide, support, and reassure.
- Take control of the narrative: Ensure your message is the one your audience hears, understands, and remembers.
- Get it right the first time: Fact-check and polish mission-critical content with zero tolerance for error.
- Anticipate the questions: Build messaging frameworks that include talking points, FAQs, and clear next steps.
- Use AI to accelerate and refine: Speed up drafting, triage, and tone-tuning—while keeping the final word yours.
PRESENTERS
Top 8 skills you’ll master:
- Impact editing. Ruthlessly trim the excess while keeping your meaning razor-sharp.
- Tone agility. Master the art of switching gears—executive to casual, internal to public-facing—without losing your message.
- Jargon detox. Say goodbye to “synergy” and “solutioning.” Learn to write plainly, powerfully, and persuasively.
- Skimmability. Structure content for screen-weary readers who need the “so what?” as soon as possible
- Message-forward storytelling. Use narrative elements to humanize your content and keep readers invested.
- Crisis clarity. Deliver updates that are calm, clear, and impossible to misread.
- Inclusive writing. Communicate across cultures, generations, and roles with precision and respect.
- AI fluency. Integrate tools that help you write better, faster, without sacrificing intention or integrity.
Top reasons to attend this virtual course
- Learn from expert instructors with decades of experience in comms, HR, and marketing.
- Get real-time feedback on your writing from instructors and peers.
- Walk away with AI tools and editing workflows that save time without cutting corners.
Secure your seat today for this exclusive writing course offered by Ragan and PR Daily, and become the writing expert you dream of being!
Regular Rate
$1699
Ragan Insider Member
$1599
Nonprofit/Gov
$1549
Group pricing for 3 or more is available when going through the registration process!
If you can’t attend one or more of the modules live, you will receive the on-demand versions to complete the course.
WHO ATTENDS
Communications and marketing professionals from these organizations have earned certificates:
WONDERING IF YOU SHOULD ATTEND?
Here’s what past attendees say about the Writing Certificate Course!
This course is like getting a master's in writing in three weeks, taught by professionals who know the goals and constraints that come with business writing. Grab your pen and get ready to impress your boss.
Ragan's virtual Writing Certificate Course for Communicators was time well spent. Along with knowledgeable and engaging speakers, the participants shared great ideas in the chat. I never lost interest, which is saying something for a virtual course.
This workshop inspired an immediate change in my writing -- the emphasis on clear, concise writing while retaining "heart" when appropriate. For that, I am very grateful.
I thoroughly enjoyed this three-day course. It went so quickly! Jam-packed with insightful nuggets and useful resources. Great instructors, content packaged in a useful way. Will be back for more courses!
It's hard to find good writing workshops. This course was an excellent review of the best business writing concepts and provided lots of good information on how to make your business writing entertaining.
Even after years of writing experience, in print and as a communications professional, I still learned new techniques.
Ragan is committed to bringing the most current best practices to communicators. They fold Generative AI into their workshops seamlessly and tie it back to real-world communications deliverables and story telling.
