Your ultimate guide to online courses

by Rachel Smith
22 May 2020

Updated Feb 2024

Got some time on your hands and thinking about upskilling? The good news is, there are millions of online courses out there to suit. And whether you want to do an hour-long seminar, a part-time intensive course or a full university degree, you’ll find all of that and more online.

We’ve searched high and low for the best resources, courses and e-learning platforms to get you started. Feel free to contact us if there’s a great course we should add to this list.

Writing / copywriting

• Australian Writers Centre has a heap of industry-relevant courses in everything from creative writing to business writing skills.
• Belinda Weaver’s excellent Copywriting ‘Inkubator’ course is worth a look.
• Try Alan Sharpe’s 24-hour Copywriting Masterclass (now with ChatGPT tips) at Udemy.
• UK’s College of Media and Publishing has an accredited, self-paced copywriting course and other writing-related courses.
• Centre for Adult Education in Victoria has a whole range of online courses on subjects such as copywriting, blogging and screenwriting.
• Writing NSW occasionally offers online courses, including on self-publishing and narrative journalism.
• Kirsty Fanton’s Brain Camp is super popular but often waitlisted.
• Crisp Copy offers lots of courses and resources for copywriters.
• CopyHackers offers on-demand copywriting courses and some free courses too.
• If you’re interested in UX writing, the UX Writers Collective have courses that might interest you, too.
• For a full suite of UX copywriting courses, try Susan Reoch’s group coaching and online resources.

Editing

• Foray into fictional editing with Nicola O’Shea’s 8 week online course.
• The Editing Essentials online-live workshop from Australian Writers Centre is all about learning to edit business documents.
• Open Universities has a 13-week Advanced Editing & Publishing program that you can do without enrolling in an entire degree
• On Rachel’s List, Carrie Hutchinson’s 2020 masterclass, Editing fundamentals every writer needs to know, is available in the Toolkit.

SEO

• The Recipe for SEO Success with Kate Toon is not the cheapest but it’s comprehensive and regularly updated.
• Try SEO Bridge Builders from Inkwell Content.
• University of Sydney’s Introduction to SEO (part of the Centre for Continuing Education) has moved online for the time being – a great resource for learning SEO strategy.
• The Moz Academy has released a heap of free SEO courses for free.
• You also might want to check out the SEO courses on Udemy.com
• On Rachel’s List, Rashida Tayabali’s very popular masterclass, A starter guide to keywords and SEO for content writers is available in a video version. There’s a follow-up masterclass, too.

Digital marketing

• General Assembly offer an online digital marketing course for 10 weeks (evenings) or a one-week intensive.
• There’s an extensive list of affordable online courses on Udemy in digital marketing to check out.
• Open Universities offers the opportunity to study standalone digital marketing subjects.
• Delve in deep with a Certificate in Digital Marketing from IDM (Institute of Digital Marketing).
• ADMA also has a Digital Marketing Essentials course.
• The Digital Picnic also offer courses on social and digital marketing.
• Google’s Digital Garage courses are free if you’re on a budget.
• Paul Jarvis runs Chimp Essentials a few times a year if you’re looking to turbo-charge your EDM knowledge.
• Seth Godin’s Modern Marketing course on Udemy also gets a good rap.

Lead generation, running a business

• Ed Gandia’s Hidden Gold: 39 Proven (yet overlooked!) ideas for landing profitable work quickly is super affordable. Ed’s podcast is a great one to subscribe to, as well.
• Paul Jarvis’ runs Creative Class which is all about running your freelance business better. You currently have to join the wait-list.
• Blogging for Business is an intensive course run by Hustle + Heart that’ll teach you how to get found on Google, educate your prospects and illustrate your expertise.
• The Freelance Jungle Patreon (costs from $3.50/month) includes a private jobs group and a heap of educational resources for running your own business – exclusive to Patreon members.

Content marketing

• Australian Writers Centre’s content writing course is online and self-paced.
• You’ll find a Content Marketing Strategy intensive with ADMA.
• Try Copyblogger’s Content Writing Masterclass – it’s a short course.
• Contently run a Content Strategy course covering brand awareness and thought leadership.
• On Rachel’s List, content marketing specialist Rob Johnson’s masterclass, The Secrets to Getting Consistent Content Marketing Work, is available in the Toolkit as a video version.

Online course platforms

• Coursera is a great go-to learning platform, with many of the units and modules offered for free.
• Future Learn offers a  whole gamut of subjects, all online, including science writing, digital marketing and podcasting.
• LinkedIn Learning has an almost endless list of courses relating to writing, SEO and marketing. You may find it’s free if you have a membership to your local library – check with yours to find out.
• EdEx offer a range of online courses from around the world.
• Open Universities offers the opportunity to study stand-alone subjects.
• The Great Courses is a platform offering university-level short courses of almost any academic subject.
• Poynter’s News University offers free and low cost programs including Journalism Fundamentals, Advanced Editing and Interviewing. A really great resource with hundreds of courses and subjects. 

Many of the listed resources are paid courses, however you will find several low cost and even free gems in the options above.

Rachel’s List masterclasses

And if you’re wanting to hone your current skills and aren’t sure where to start, check out our video masterclasses:

• Beyond Journalism: How to survive and thrive with new income streams
• Pitching! Secrets from editors in print, digital and custom media, plus how to pitch your services to corporate clients
• Visibility: Tips, tricks and strategies for landing clients online and offline
• Turbo-charge your money-making skills as a freelancer
• The secrets to getting consistent content marketing work
• How to confidently manage your freelance clients
• The art of the interview: Expert tips, techniques and lessons from the trenches
• Your essential guide to quoting freelance projects
• A starter guide to keywords and SEO for content writers
• Your essential guide to self-publishing a non-fiction book
• Editing fundamentals every writer needs to know
• How to create an effective content strategy, with Lauren Hamilton from Digital Narrative
• A starter guide to UX copywriting, with UX copywriter and strategist Susan Reoch
• Using keywords and metrics in content creation for strong SEO, with copywriter Rashida Tayabali

Or, come along to this year’s bonanza content event for writers, copywriters and content producers – The Content Byte Summit 2024.

Got a recommendation for an awesome online course? Let us know about it in the comments, as we’ll be updating this resource regularly.