Digital Content Fundamentals: How to Stand Out Online

Data, distribution, engagement – and brilliant stories tailored to your audiences 

This one-day digital content course will develop your understanding of the digital content world and the role you can play within it. 

What You’ll Learn: Measuring digital engagement, SEO best practice, how to manage social channels

This digital content course will give you a comprehensive view of the current media landscape, from how people in different age groups get their news to which sources they trust the most. You’ll take part in discussions on the current state-of-play, covering the pros and cons of paywalls, how social media continues to change the game and up-to-date SEO advice.   

There’ll be a strong focus on engagement – examining what it means and the many ways you can measure it – and audience, as you work out who yours is and the content they’re likely to engage with.  

When it comes to digital content, your copy is only half the story. Content can easily get lost online and you’ll learn how additional extras, such as a punchy headline, intriguing social sell and effective SEO, can make a massive difference.  

You’ll cover how to use images in an impactful way and develop an understanding of when you can – and can’t – use certain pictures, as well as how to get the most out of stock images and photoshoots.   

You’ll learn about the importance of distribution and why pressing publish is just the beginning when it comes to making your content fully digital first.  

This course also covers how to make sure your content stands out across multiple platforms, and how to adapt it for use on multiple social platforms, making tweaks and changes based on what performs best on each.

How you’ll learn

This three-module digital content course will be led by an experienced editor who will share their knowledge and expertise through presentations, discussion and practical exercises. 

Who the digital content course is for

This course is for content creators who are looking to take their work to the next level. Whether you’re a journalist, blogger or business owner, Digital Content Fundamentals will give you the tools to think strategically yet creatively about what you publish and when. 

This is the perfect course for an overview of the digital landscape as a whole and we also offer courses which hone in on specific areas: Editorial Planning for Digital Teams, a Social Media Masterclass and How to be a Brilliant Editor.

We currently offer this course as bespoke training for teams and can deliver it remotely or in your offices. Get in touch using the button below to discuss times and dates, as well as how we can tailor it to your needs. 

If you are an individual looking for training, you can find all our scheduled courses here

Course Modules

Audiences and Engagement

  1. Publishing and audience trends
  2. Enduring media truths
  3. How to focus on engagement
  4. How to be findable
  5. How to be accessible

How to Make Your Content Digital First

  1. Figuring out your audience
  2. What to write for digital – and how
  3. Finding your lane and adding value
  4. Impactful images: the basics
  5. Why it doesn’t end with hitting publish

How to Stand Out Online

  1. Talk to me: Make a story personal
  2. Punchy headlines and intriguing sells
  3. SEO best practices
  4. Adapting content for socials and managing your channels
  5. Building loyalty
feature writing course for freelancers - man at laptop

Digital Content Fundamentals: How to Stand Out Online

Data, distribution, engagement – and brilliant stories tailored to your audiences 

Get in touch

What our students say

View all testimonials

My time at PA Training was a whirlwind of fun and excitement. The full-time NCTJ course in London is fast-paced and hard work but perfectly sets you up for what to expect in a reporter role.

Camilla Foster
, Reporter
, Newsquest

I honestly thought that the whole day was fabulous!!! You really couldn’t have done anymore for us. The combination of practical exercises and feedback was particularly useful, it was a challenging day (in a very good way) in that we really had to think, learn and adapt quickly. I know the team are significantly better prepared for media interviews after this training.

Fragile X Society
, Managing Director

I really could not recommend Press Association enough to anyone who is looking to jump into the fascinating world of journalism. The course equips you with all the necessary skills you need to enter the industry and the wide range of topics covered leaves it hard for you to ever feel bored.

Holly Bishop
, Digital Reporter
, GB News

I learned to write concise articles and features, while developing my skills in social media, interviewing sources, and producing stories for an increasingly online audience. The course has allowed me to start a full-time journalism career.

Jonathan Moynihan
, Social Media Producer
, Forces News

The methods and techniques you learn (and apply) on a daily basis through teaching, coursework and eventually exams crop up again and again in both job applications and jobs themselves – the course content is directly relevant to the realities of the industry. 

James Saunders
, Digital News Reporter
, GB News

The training scenarios are as real to life as you could possibly get. They took considerable time to research our current plans and issues and used these to design a series of true to life radio and TV interviews. The team is outstanding, and their expertise and knowledge has been invaluable. Book them – you’ll be glad you did.

NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group
, Communications Manager

Contact us

Do you wish to train on one of our specialist courses? Start by filling in the application form – we’ll ask you for some important information such as your education and employment history.

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For more information , simply fill out the form and a member of our team will be in touch.

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