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Creating the perfect tagline for your business can be a real challenge, but it’s a challenge that’s worth devoting your time (or money) to. That’s because the right tagline can be a powerful marketing tool for any brand.

To give you an example, try describing your brand (or your products) in a way that leaves a lasting impression on potential customers.

The chances are that you can do this easily, but can you do it in 6 words or less?

That’s not so easy, but that’s exactly what writing a tagline involves.

In this post we discuss all things tagline-related, including what they are, why they matter and – most importantly – how you can write the perfect tagline for your business.

What is a tagline?

A tagline is a short, memorable description that succinctly and clearly communicates your brand message. It’s effectively a catchphrase for your brand that shapes your brand’s personality and, in turn, helps position your brand within the market.

Why are taglines important?

Taglines may be short, but they’re mighty. The best taglines leave a lasting impression of a brand in the audience’s mind. They can improve brand recognition, encourage brand loyalty and even influence a brand’s position in the market. That’s a lot of power for a few simple words.

5 tips for writing taglines

There’s no magic formula for writing the perfect tagline, but here are some tried and tested tips to help you along the way.

• Keep it short and memorable

The perfect tagline should be short and simple, don’t overwhelm the reader. Long, complicated taglines are off-putting and won’t stick in the reader’s mind. If you can’t explain what you do in a few words, it will be nigh on impossible to communicate your vision to customers.

• Make it relevant to your industry

Your tagline should help people understand what kind of business you are, by highlighting your offerings or values. Clever taglines are useless if they don’t reflect your sector or brand personality.

• Funny isn’t always good

Humour has a place, especially if you’re aiming for a bold, edgy brand personality. Be careful though, there’s a fine line between edgy and offensive, and humour won’t be right for every brand or every industry.

• Match it to your branding strategy

There’s no point having an edgy tagline if your market strategy aims to build a serious, professional brand persona. Equally, you could have the funniest copywriters in the world working on your website content, but your brand identity will suffer if your tagline doesn’t match the humorous tone of your other content

• Don’t overwork your tagline

It’s simply not possible to explain your products, brand mission and philosophy all in one tagline. In fact, the broader your tagline, the less likely people are to remember your product. So, pick one aspect of your organisation and highlight that. There are several different styles of tagline, which we’re going to talk about next. Selecting one of these styles will help keep your tagline focussed and impactful.

What are the different types of tagline?

Taglines typically take on one of six main styles:

• Visionary Taglines

These inspirational taglines communicate the brand vision to the target audience. One example would be “We try harder” from Avis.

• Specific taglines

This type of tagline highlights a firm’s product, or the sector that it operates in. One memorable example is HSBC’s tagline “The world’s local bank.”

• Descriptive taglines

As the name suggests, these simple taglines describe the brand product, benefit, or promise. A great example is KFC’s “It’s finger-lickin’ good”. It conveys the brand’s promise to deliver on flavour.

• Provocative taglines

These taglines are thought-provoking and stimulating. They are crafted to stir up emotions and make you stop and think. A famous example is “Impossible is nothing” from Adidas.

• Imperative taglines

These authoritative taglines – such as YouTube’s “Broadcast yourself” – often begin with a verb and instruct the reader to perform an action relevant to the brand’s vision. The overall aim is to make the brand sound bold and edgy.

• Superlative taglines

These taglines use comparison to position a brand as the best in its class. For example, Gillette has used “The best a man can get” to describe its shaving products.

Now you know what a tagline is and which pitfalls to avoid, so it’s time to get writing! Which style of tagline would best suit your brand?

Wordsmiths offers copywriting, editing, and proofreading services for the business and publishing sector. We support firms who are looking to launch new products and services, as well as those seeking to rebrand. To get in touch and talk about your needs, contact us at info@wordsmiths.org.uk, or reach out to us on Facebook or Instagram.

Should copywriters charge per word or per project?

This question is hotly debated. With the huge growth in internet use and content marketing, more people than ever are seeking to hire a professional copywriter. Businesses and organisations who lack the time and skill to write their own content understandably want assurances that they’re being charged fairly. Yet with so much conflicting information and a lack of standardised charging across the copywriting industry, it’s easy to become confused.

The simple fact is that copywriting involves a lot more than throwing words onto a page. It requires research, marketing skills, word craft, and sometimes specialist knowledge of a particular subject.

In this article we’ll explain the terms “per word” and per project”, and list 5 reasons why copywriters should charge per project.

Per word

Per word payments are simple – the copywriter is paid for every word they write. So, at 50p per word, a 1000-word article would cost £500. The per-word charging system makes it easy for customers to compare copywriting quotes. What’s more, the per-word price can also indicate the likely quality of the finished product. (Pro tip: a skilled copywriter is unlikely to charge 10p per word).

But here’s the problem: higher word counts usually mean more waffle.

So, a copywriter could produce a more effective article in 500 words, but they’d be paid more for padding the article out to 100 words.

Per Project

There is a growing recognition among writers that they need to be paid for their knowledge, skills and experience. An effective landing page for your website could persuade consumers to buy your products, poor-quality content will send those customers running elsewhere. For these reasons, the copywriting industry is moving towards a per-project charging system.

Under pay per project, the copywriter charges a flat rate fee for a specific piece of work. The fee includes their research time, knowledge, and word craft. Look at it another way: if you order fries from McDonald’s, you don’t pay for each individual fry, you pay for all the work and resources that go into producing those fries.

It’s the same with copywriting – charging per-project recompenses the copywriter for every element of the work that goes into producing the words on the page. Experienced copywriters produce high-quality content that converts, and per-project charging reflects the value that copywriters bring to their customers.

So now we’ve covered the differences between per word and per project, here are 5 reasons why your copywriter should be paid per project.

1. Copywriting is marketing.

Consider the taglines used by famous brands, such as “I’m loving it” from McDonald’s or Tesco’s “Every little helps”. They may be short, but have a huge influence on brand image and consumer perception. This type of creative content adds massive value to brands, and they pay their copywriters a lot more than 50p per word to write them. In the digital world, every piece of content – from website homepages to social media posts – must be marketable. That involves the judicious use of keywords and style to please the search engine algorithms and boost SEO. It also requires the writer to engage the audience and create the desired response, to buy a product, subscribe to a newsletter, or donate to a cause.

Copywriters use word craft and marketing skills to create great copy, and that’s a lot more involved than simply putting words on a page.

2. Fixed wordcounts restrict quality

Sometimes, a piece of content does have a set wordcount, for example, an advertising article destined for a print magazine. But generally, copywriters use as many words as required to get the job done. If a compelling article can be produced in 600 words, then “padding it out” to 1000 words will dilute the quality and effectiveness. Charging per project allows the copywriter to use as many (or as few) words as necessary to produce the best-quality content.

3. Copywriting involves more than just writing.

A copywriter does a huge amount of work before they even begin to put fingers to keyboard. The copywriting process can include market research, SEO research, interviews, industry trends and more. These elements help the copywriter to understand your target audience – what appeals to them and what motivates them – and produce content that is genuinely relateable. They also have to fit their words into your overall content strategy to keep your brand “voice” consistent. This process takes time and charging per project allows copywriters to be compensated for that time.

4. Being concise takes skill.

Producing lean content that adds value to a business is harder than you think.

For example, writing a high-converting 300-word article for a firm that sells lab equipment to the pharmaceutical industry is tougher than producing a 1000-word blog about cats.

This is because the short-form pieces have to deliver a lot of detail. They must include technical information  highlight the product’s key features, explain the benefit to the customer, target the right audience, and persuade them to buy. All this in 300 words. In truth, producing short-form content takes time and experience, and per-word charging simply doesn’t reflect that.

5. Copywriters can have specialist knowledge.

Many copywriters tend to specialise in certain niches, such as education, or technical subjects. This means they can focus on researching a specific subject, and abreast stay abreast of key industry trends and developments. With this expert knowledge, the content they produce will be accurate, detailed, and relevant, and ultimately more effective.

And finally…

We hope this article has helped you understand how much goes into producing great quality content. If you’re looking for a professional copywriting service to add value to your business or organisation, contact Wordsmiths. We currently have availability for copywriting projects, so get in touch to talk about your needs. You can contact us by email at info@wordsmiths.org.uk, or WhatsApp us at +44 7743 518681. Follow our social accounts at Facebook and Instagram to keep up with our latest news and writing tips.

“What pages should my business website include?” That’s a question all business owners ask at some point. From startup firms building their first website to established companies who are rebranding, getting your website content right is key.

Research from the Welsh government suggests that over 90% of all purchases now begin with an online search. That’s a lot of potential sales leads.

To capture some of those leads you need a website that tells potential customers what you do, who you help, and why they should choose YOU over the competition.

This may sound daunting, but don’t worry, we’ve compiled a list of the 6 must-have pages that every business website needs.

1 Homepage

Your business website is your shop, and your homepage is the window display that draws customers inside. It’s the most important page, and usually the one that most people see first. Crucially, the homepage is also the page that everyone links to, meaning it usually receives more traffic than any other part of your website – so you’d better make it good!

Internet users have a short attention span – some studies suggest that firms have less than 3 seconds to convince customers to stay. The content on your homepage should be intriguing enough to capture the attention of your visitors and encourage them to stay a little longer.

It’s tempting to start telling your business story in the homepage, but control yourself. New visitors don’t want to trawl through 6 paragraphs of your firm’s backstory, no matter how compelling it is. That information goes on the “About” page (see below).

So, what SHOULD the homepage include? All you really need is a short, clear description of who you are and what your company does. Keep it customer-focussed by adding some quick details about how you can help your potential customers, and possibly add a brief summary of your services and products. Clear, concise, and catchy content wins every time.

2 About page

The about page is the second most-visited page on most business websites. It’s also the most awkward one to write, and as a result it’s the page that most business owners shy away from. That’s because it’s hard to strike the right balance between talking about yourself and maintaining focus on the customer.

Yet sell yourself you must. Modern consumers are savvy, and they usually want to know a bit more about who they are buying from before deciding to make a purchase. So, your about page needs to give a brief summary of who you are, your company history, your values, and what sets you apart from your competitors. You could also include a profile of your staff team (with photos and biographies of key employees), and highlight any notable awards or accolades you’ve received

Whatever you write, keep it jargon-free, natural sounding and make sure that the tone matches your overall branding. Consistency helps develop a positive business persona and the consumer trust that goes with it.

3 Products and Services pages

If the homepage is your shop window, the products and services pages are the shelves where customers view your stock. These pages tell visitors a little more about what you provide, so they can decide whether what you’re offering is right for them. And for those visitors who are already committed to buying from you, it’s where they get to choose which of your items they actually want.

If you’re an e-commerce or product-based business, begin your products page with a short summary of your products before listing them. Then give a brief description that explains what the customer can expect from each product

“our Bodyboost shampoo adds volume to fine hair”.

If you have multiple products, divide the information into categories and put each category on a separate (linked) page, exactly as you’d see in a traditional catalogue.

Service-based firms should also begin with a summary before outlining their individual services in more detail. You don’t need to list every single task that you’ll complete, but clients do need sufficient information to decide whether your service can solve their problem. Try using bullet points and short explanations, as we’ve done in the example below.

“Our editing service:

• Corrects spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors
• Rewrites problematic sentences and re-orders paragraphs
• Improves the readability and flow of your content.”

If your service portfolio is extensive, consider dividing it into sections and assign a separate, clearly-linked sub-page for each section. This gives interested customers the chance to learn more without overwhelming those who are still at the browsing stage.

4 Contact page

The easier it is for customers to contact you, the more likely they are to buy from you. That’s especially true if your business model involves fact-finding discussions and quoting for services.

Your contact page should show potential customers all the ways they can get in touch with you. Include your mailing address, phone and fax number, and even your business hours. Spam emails are a problem for many companies so consider using a contact form instead of listing your email address. Don’t forget to include links to all of your social media accounts too – if customers follow your social profiles, they are more likely develop trust in your brand and buy from you.

As we mentioned above, internet users have a short attention span – not everyone has the patience to click through to the contact page. So, include your contact details on all of your business website pages, on a footer, side bar, or in the top right corner.

Essentially, you should aim to give your customers every opportunity to communicate with you on their terms. Don’t lose a customer just because it was hard for them to get in touch with you.

5 Customer testimonials

Strictly speaking, customer testimonials don’t need a page to themselves. They can appear anywhere on your business website – in a footer or a sidebar, or as a highlighted feature on your services page. But they DO need to appear somewhere. That’s because feedback from other customers encourages potential customers to build trust in your firm.

Think about your own purchasing behaviour: you check the reviews of a product before buying it, you ask for recommendations when choosing a service provider. Your new clients will do the same, so highlight the positive feedback your company has received. If possible, add authenticity to this feedback by including a photo, screenshot, or link to the customer’s social profile. Authenticity is fundamental to your credibility, and feedback that can be traced to an actual source helps establish trust.

Some firms include case studies on their website. These studies provide detailed account of how a firm works with their customers, and offer businesses the chance to showcase the results that they deliver. Case studies aren’t essential though, and customer feedback doesn’t need to be long to be effective. A short paragraph of praise, or even a sentence or two is enough.

6 Blog

Anyone who says that blogging is dead is lying. In fact, a well-written business blog is one of the most lucrative marketing tools out there. HubSpot suggests that 57% of businesses who blog have generated a lead from it. A blog gives your company a voice, it creates a place where you can tell your company’s story, share your expertise, and engage with your customers. It can also drive traffic to other pages on your website and improve your ranking with search engines such as Google.

Content matters though. Low-quality, irrelevant articles won’t attract new customers. Think about why you’re writing the blog, and who you’re writing it for, and be careful to strike the right tone – not too stuffy or informal. Readability and relevance are the bedrocks of successful business blogging. Check out our handy guide for more tips on what to include (and what NOT to include) in your business blog.

And finally…

Why not let the professionals write the pages for your business website? Wordsmiths provides paraphrasing services to rebrand your website content and boost its SEO. We also offer SEO copywriting for solopreneurs and startup firms. To get a free, no-commitment quote, DM us at Facebook or Instagram, WhatsApp us on 07743 518681, or get in touch via our website. 

Crises are unavoidable, so prepare yourself to manage them with a carefully-written official statement. 

A crisis can happen in any industry. In our digital world, bad news spreads like wildfire, and the effects on your business can be just as damaging. Reactions are heightened in times of crisis, so what you say, and how you say it, matters just as much as any actions you take. A well-written official statement can help you weather the storm and protect your business from reputational harm. But writing a public statement is a balancing act between damage limitation and transparency, and it’s not always easy to find the right words.

So this month, we share our top tips for writing a professional, timely response to keep your stakeholders informed and reassured.

1. Be honest

We can’t stress this point enough; honesty is always the best policy. Being truthful minimises any damage to your credibility. Trust is a precious commodity for any business, and repairing broken trust can be an impossible task. And while we’re on the subject, never try to hide information. Modern consumers are wise to corporate double-speak, and they’ll spot any attempts to bend the truth. If customers or the media discover any dishonesty, your business could face intense criticism and catastrophic reputational damage. If your firm is at fault, admit it, avoid blaming other parties, and emphasise your organisation’s commitment to openness and transparency.

2. Empathise and reassure

Official statements rarely contain good news, but avoid using negative language. Negativity will create a divide between your company and your key stakeholders: the public, your customers, and your employees.

Empathetic writing helps limit negativity: include words like “we understand” and “we acknowledge” to show people that you understand their concerns. It’s tempting to try and strike a reassuring tone, but avoid phrases like “these things happen”. It sounds patronising, and what’s worse it gives the impression that you’re trying to minimise the impact of the problem. In the same vein, don’t make defensive remarks either, as they sound seriously unprofessional and can damage your credibility.

Lastly, if you’re working to resolve the problem, then say so. Nothing is more reassuring than knowing that action is being taken. Useful phrases to include are “working closely with affected parties”, “taking appropriate measures”, and “taking immediate action”.

3. Discuss negatives in a wider context

You can use this tactic to discuss incidents with a lesser impact. Let’s take late deliveries as an example: if a small number of deliveries were late, your statement could emphasise that your organisation has completed hundreds of other deliveries on time. You could also try to isolate the event by stating that it’s extremely rare for your customers to experience problems with your customer services team. Try using words like “isolated event” and “very rare”, but avoid negatives like “another issue” and “frequent mistakes”.

4. Use three key messages

These key messages will become the basis of your statement. The following example uses facts to inform stakeholders, distance the firm from the investigation, and reassure both staff and customers.

“This morning, West Mercia Police sent us an official statement informing us that a member of our board has been arrested on suspicion of fraud”.
Key message: we are not in charge of the investigation. Questions about the investigation should be directed to the police.

“Our company has agreed to cooperate fully with the official investigation to provide any and all information that can help to reveal the truth.”
Key message: we support the investigation and want the truth to be revealed.

“To protect our customers, shareholders and staff, the board member has been suspended with immediate effect, and his access rights to company files and systems have been removed.”
Key message: protecting our customers and our staff is our first priority, and we have taken immediate action to do this.

5. Use verified information and don’t get defensive

It’s natural to want the full facts before you comment publicly on a situation, but sometimes that’s not an option. News and gossip spread like wildfire online, and sometimes it’s necessary to put out a holding statement while a situation is still unfolding. Don’t be tempted to speculate at this stage, it will only bring trouble later on if your information turns out to be wrong. Stick with official, verified facts. A simple, generic statement will let your stakeholders know that you’re aware of the situation and are addressing it, and that you’ll release more information when you have it.

“We understand that a few of our shipments failed to arrive yesterday. We are looking into the causes of this, and will keep you informed of our progress.”

Once you’ve investigated further and can answer the “w” questions – who, what, where, why, when – you can release a comprehensive statement to replace your holding statement.

“On Thursday, July 16^th, we learned that several orders of face masks failed to arrive. We investigated and swiftly discovered the cause of the problem – the breakdown of a delivery truck operated by our haulage partners. The delayed items are undamaged, and will be delivered this week. We will contact all affected customers individually to arrange a convenient delivery time.”

And finally…
Hopefully, you won’t need to write many official statements, but if you do, use this post as a guide. If you’re still struggling to find the right words, don’t panic. Wordsmiths offers editing and copywriting services for businesses, and we can help you craft the perfect response to any situation. Our team can take on assignments at short notice, so if you’ve got an urgent problem please get in touch. You can contact us through our social accounts at Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Alternatively, email us at info@wordsmiths.org.uk, or WhatsApp us at +44 7743 518681.

Writing a business blog can boost your online presence and become a lucrative marketing tool.

But blogging is just for lifestyle brands and mommy influencers, isn’t it?

Actually, no. When done properly, a business blog can improve your website’s ranking in search results and drive traffic to your company’s website. This gives you the opportunity to advertise your products and services, and engage with your target audience – which will inevitably lead to more sales. In fact, blogging is one of the most cost-effective ways to promote your brand.

That’s great news. But when it comes to blog content, quality matters. You won’t attract new customers by posting random, hastily-written articles. So, if you’re wondering where to begin, we’ve put together 6 tips to help you get started with business blogging.

1. Post consistently

This is important. Don’t post five blog articles one week and nothing for the next few months. Your audience will disengage if you disappear.

Some studies indicate that posting four or more times a week will bring the highest increase in website traffic. That’s a lot of articles, especially if you’re new to writing and you’re trying to run a business. Our advice is this: don’t panic, set a schedule that works for you, and be consistent. That might mean posting weekly, or even monthly. Try keeping a content planner to help you plot out future topics, so you aren’t left wondering what to post about. You can store useful links and make notes in your planner too, to give you a head start when you sit down to write.

Many blogging platforms will also let you schedule posts in advance, so if you have a good writing streak, you can set your posts up to go live at regular intervals ahead of time.

2.  Quality over size

Although longer blog posts tend to rank best in search engines, the key is quality. Your blog posts need to be long enough to explain all the key information you want to share with your readers. And they want material that is interesting, informative, and possibly entertaining. Sometimes that takes 2000 words, sometimes you can do it in less. (Fun fact: shorter articles are often harder to write. There’s an art form to explaining key information clearly, in an engaging way, in less than 500 words.)

Whatever the length, your articles should be clear, detailed, and free of waffle. If you’ve repeated the same information several times, go back and remove the repetition so the article reads better. Ask yourself if you would want to sit and read the post you’ve just written. If the answer is no, chances are your audience won’t want to read it either.

3. Strike the right tone

The tone of voice that you write in affects your business image. Your business blog isn’t a textbook, nor is it a text message to your mate. When you write, you need to strike the correct tone. Aim for friendly, professional, not overly formal, not too informal either. Unless you’re a niche b2b (business-to-business) company, some of your readers may not understand industry jargon. So keep the language simple and clear, and explain any industry-specific terms.

It may help to read your article out loud and imagine that you’re talking to a customer. If it sounds too stuffy, or too colloquial, adjust the tone until you’re happy with it.

4. Use keywords to improve search rankings (but don’t overdo it)

To read your article, people must be able to find it when they use a search engine (such as Google). As a rule, your article needs to appear near the top of the search results on page one; customers won’t trawl through 3 pages of results to find it.

One way to improve your search ranking is to use keywords in the title and body of your blog. Keywords are the words that people type into a search engine to find articles on any given topic, for example “how to grow tomatoes”. Certain keywords will be more popular (and more competitive) than others. So, spend a little time on keyword research to identify the most promising keywords associated with your topic. There are several free keyword research tools available online – try them out and see which one suits you best.

Including keywords in the title of your article helps grab the attention of the search engines, while using questions and action verbs (like plan and solve) attracts readers. Aim for a short, catchy title that captures the meaning of the post, around 6-12 words is usually best.

Remember, your article should be relevant to your industry, but it needs to be relevant to your target audience too. There’s no point writing an article if nobody wants to read it. For instance, people may search “how to grow tomatoes”, so if you sell plant pots your title could be “learn how to grow tomatoes in a patio tub”.

Include keywords in the body of your article too, after all your article should deliver the information that your readers searched for. But don’t overdo it – your words need to flow. The road to hell is paved with articles that are so packed with keywords they are virtually unreadable. In the early days of the internet, search engines were easily fooled by poor-quality articles stuffed with keywords and awarded them high search rankings. Those days are thankfully behind us. The algorithms now reward quality, readability, and relevance. Which brings us to our next point…

5. Post relevant content

Think about your business, but don’t forget about your target audience. Try and focus on writing articles that will interest them. Keyword searches may help you think of blog topics, but your business itself is a plentiful source of material. Try using your blog to share insights into your company, introduce new products, and promote your business culture. These “behind the scenes” posts allow customers present and future to get to know your business personally. That personal connection will generate customer loyalty, which underpins a successful marketing strategy.

Your customers provide another source of blog content through their queries and frequently asked questions. If one person has asked a particular question, you can be sure that others will be interested in the answer. So, keep a note of customer questions and queries to use in future articles. Answering customer questions through your blog offers numerous benefits. It adds a personal touch, it delivers actionable content for other readers, and most importantly it allows you to position yourself as an expert in your field. This in turn builds a positive reputation for your business and improves customer confidence, which can ultimately convert to increased sales.

Lastly, if you’re stuck for ideas, publish a roundup of recent articles that your target audience would be interested in. Don’t just share the articles though, offer a quick summary of each, and explain how they could benefit your audience. These roundup posts represent a fantastic networking opportunity, as the authors of the articles you share will appreciate the extra exposure, and may even return the favour.

6. Proofread before you post

Well we would say this, we’re an editing service. But it’s sound advice nevertheless. You could have ground-breaking information, a hot new product, a relatable writing style, and those trending keywords, but the quality of the finish matters. If your article is littered with typos and poor grammar, it makes you and your business look careless and unprofessional.

Automated spelling checks are helpful, but they are no substitute for reading the article through yourself. The most effective proofreading is done with fresh eyes, so leave your article for a few hours, preferably overnight then read it through carefully to catch those last lingering mistakes before you post.

And finally….

Hopefully you’re bursting with ideas for your business blog. However, if you lack the time or confidence to write your own articles, contact Wordsmiths. Our experienced copywriters can provide quality articles tailored to your business needs. Alternatively, if you’ve written your own articles and want to give them a professional polish, ask about our business editing services. More information is available on our website. You can contact us by email, or catch us on social at Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Don’t forget to sign up to our mailing list to hear our latest news and offers first.

If you want to pass your online courses you need effective study techniques.

Thanks to social distancing measures, more adults than ever are enrolling for distance learning – and it’s not just college students. Ambitious professionals, determined jobseekers, and smart business owners know one thing: online study can help you diversify and gain an edge in the jobs market.

Unfortunately, many people fail to complete their online courses. Not because they lack intelligence, but because they lack the right study techniques. Distance learning requires discipline, the right mindset, and a plan. Without these it’s easy to become overwhelmed. That’s especially true if your study skills are rusty, or you’re trying to balance study with work and childcare.

Giving up is the easy option, but that means wasting opportunities as well as your money – so what can you do?

The good news is this: effective study techniques can be learned. So read on to learn our top 5 study tips that can help you pass your online course with flying colours.

1. Organise your study time

Organisation is the key to effective study, and the first thing you need is a study timetable. Online courses allow you to learn flexibly at a time to suit you, so work out when that is: are you a night owl or a morning person? Once you’ve worked that out, arrange your timetable so you study when you’re most alert, but don’t forget to factor in work and parenting responsibilities. Even if you’re a morning person, you can’t study effectively at 7am with a toddler crawling over you.

2. Your coursework needs structure

Coursework is a key component of many online courses, and well-structured answers are key to getting the highest marks. Write a clear introduction, a thorough analysis, and a conclusion that highlights your key points. Consider your language use too – keep it short and simple. Rambling, disjointed answers are not your friend. When you’re studying online courses, it’s easy to forget that a human has to read your work. Your examiners won’t waste their time wading through overly-complex prose to search for your key points, they’ll just downmark you.

3. Get the right content

Examiners don’t mark your conclusions, they mark your delivery and analysis of the information. Most online courses require you to demonstrate critical thinking – a simple explanation of your ideas won’t be enough. Instead, you’ll need to argue the case for and against your theories, and offer some supporting evidence. Professionals who are taking CPD courses may be required to reflect on a learning experience, and constructive reflection requires a certain technique; it’s not sufficient to state what you did or what you learned. Instead, explain why you took certain actions, what the outcomes were, and how the experience helped you to develop – this will demonstrate your learning.

4. Revision

Online courses often include an exam, and being well prepared for these tests is essential. Try to access past exam papers – studying these will help you to target your revision time effectively. Is there a certain topic that always comes up? Are they multiple choice questions, short questions, or essay-style answers? When you’ve done this, timetable your revision so you allocate enough revision time for each topic.

Exam technique

So it’s the day of your online test, and the fact that you’re taking the exam in your kitchen rather than a school hall doesn’t make it any less stomach-churning. You’ll need the right approach to manage your nerves and perform well. Read through the paper before you begin writing, so you know how many questions you have to answer. That way you’ll avoid spending too much time on one answer and rushing the others.

If your exam requires essay-style answers, take a minute to plan them. It’s important to answer the actual question – churning out reams of irrelevant information will affect your grades. Give structured responses, provide evidence, and demonstrate critical thinking. Lastly, if your exam has flexible start times, take the test at a time that works for you. The more alert and less distracted you are, the better your performance will be. Finally, make time to eat well and rest in the days before your exam – your performance will suffer if you’re running on empty.

Need more support with your online courses?

Our study tips are a good introduction to effective study techniques, but if you need more help, Wordsmiths have you covered. We produced Mastering Study – our downloadable studying techniques manual – with distance learners in mind. The comprehensive course contains 5 PDF workbooks and 23 short tutorial videos. The modules are:

1. Get Organised: Timetable Tips
2. Structuring an Essay
3. Revision Tips
4. Exam Technique (Humanities: essay writing)
5. Exam Technique (STEM)

It’s the only study skills programme you’ll ever need.
You can access Mastering Study by clicking on the following link:

https://www.udemy.com/course/universitysuccess

We sometimes offer discounts on our course. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to catch our special offers early.

And remember, our academic editing service is available to all students. So get in touch if you’re concerned that your language and writing skills are dragging your grades down. You can email us at info@wordsmiths.org.uk.