February 5, 2024

10 Free Content Writing and Copywriting Courses

By Charles Miller

If you go to college to learn writing, you'll probably pay somewhere between $50,000 and $200,000.

If you learn online, you can do it for free.

Plus, you can also:

  1. Learn more applicable writing (content and copy) that schools don't teach. Unless you're an academic or a lawyer, real-world writing advice will help you more than what you learned in school.
  2. Get that knowledge from people who have gotten serious results with their strategies. I've used writing to make over $1m in the last few years. What I teach isn't theory. It's what actually works.

Copyblogger Academy has the best marketing education on the internet, but if you need to start for $0, that's fine too.

We'll start with 5 free copywriting courses. Then we'll do 5 free content writing courses.

I've personally gone through these and can guarantee that they're useful. Check them out...

Free Copywriting Courses

Copywriting is the art of using written words to convince people to buy. If you want to use a strict definition, it only applies to writing that tries to get the sale right away: sales pages, websites, sales emails, and ads. If you loosen your definition, it can include soft-selling text like content, resumes, cover letters, and more.

1. 40 Years of Pro Copywriting Knowledge in 5 Hours

What it teaches:

  • Why copywriting is such an important skill.
  • The problem with modern copywriting.
  • Awareness stages and how to use them.
  • Doing research on your competitors.
  • Proven copywriting formulas that work well.
  • Best practices for editing and optimizing copy.

Who teaches it:

The Copy That! YouTube channel, which is a group effort from multiple great copywriters.

Who it's for:

People who want to learn everything there is to know about copywriting. With 5 hours of material, that's exactly what you get. This course is better than a lot of paid ones that I've seen go for hundreds of dollars.

Click here to check it out.

2. FREE 4 Hour Copywriting Course For Beginners

What it teaches:

  • The best mindsets for copywriters to adopt.
  • Fundamentals of writing persuasive copy.
  • Psychological principles that help you write better.
  • A ton of advice specifically for email copywriting.
  • How to use AI to write better copy, and write faster.
  • A practical guide for getting copywriting clients.

Who teaches it:

Tyson 4D. He's a "make money online" YouTuber with a lot of satisfied subscribers.

Who it's for:

People who want to learn a ton of copywriting and how to turn this skill into an income stream by getting clients. It's also especially good for email copywriters because he has a section that covers email only.

Click here to check it out.

3. Copywriting 101

What it teaches:

  • How to write good hooks and headlines.
  • The mindset behind great copywriting.
  • Keeping reader interest throughout.
  • 7 scientific tips for writing great copy.
  • A step-by-step guide for writing great copy.
  • How to adjust copy based on what you're writing.

Who teaches it:

A collection of writers who were associated with Copyblogger, including its founder.

Who it's for:

If you prefer reading text over watching videos, this is definitely the one for you. It's also good for getting a variety of advice from multiple copywriters instead of just getting opinions from one person.

Click here to check it out.

4. FREE 1-Hour Copywriting Course For Beginners In 2023

What it teaches:

  • What copywriting is and why it's important.
  • The difference between copy and content.
  • 10 lessons from classic copywriting books.
  • The 2 best copywriting formulas.
  • How to improve your skills over time.
  • The best ways to get copywriting clients.

Who teaches it:

Jesse Forrest. He has a small following but a ton of experience in this field.

Who it's for:

This is a good option if you want to only spend an hour on learning the basics. It also makes sense for people who want to turn copywriting into a freelance business, because it has a lot of instruction on that.

Click here to check it out.

5. Kopywriting Kourse

What it teaches:

  • What copywriting is.
  • The difference between selling and educating.
  • The AIDA copywriting formula.
  • How to write like you talk.
  • The best ways to appeal to customers.
  • Resources for learning more about copy.

Who teaches it:

Neville Medhora, who has been teaching copy for years and writing it for much longer.

Who it's for:

If you just want to get the absolute basics in around 35 minutes, then this is the one for you. It'll probably be nothing new if you know some about copywriting already, but if you're brand new, it'll be helpful.

Click here to check it out.

Free Content Writing Courses

Content isn't quite copywriting, though it's close. The purpose of content is more to generate attention, create reciprocity, and build trust. It still sells softly, but the primary goal if content is not convincing somebody to buy right now. Common examples are social media posts, newsletters, and blog posts.

1. How to Start & Scale Your Personal Brand

What it teaches:

  • What to do before you start your personal brand.
  • How to create a clear and persuasive profile.
  • The kinds of content that spread on social media.
  • Ways to turn attention into profit.
  • Templates that help you create content better and faster.
  • A step-by-step guide to go from zero to growing.

Who teaches it:

This really smart and charming guy named Charles Miller who I see in the mirror every day.

Who it's for:

If you're interested in personal branding and/or social media growth, this is definitely the course for you. Most content courses focus on blogging. Social media content is similar, but it has a few crucial differences.

Click here to check it out.

2. Content Writing Tutorial For Beginners

What it teaches:

  • Why good content writing is so important.
  • Which content formulas are most effective.
  • The how and why of building customer personas.
  • How to research your customers/readers.
  • Writing compelling headings and subheadings.
  • Best practices for editing and optimizing.

Who teaches it:

Simplilearn, which is one of the leaders in free education on YouTube.

Who it's for:

This one is for absolute beginners and probably nobody else. If you're more advanced, you should probably skip it. It's also for people who'd rather watch for 45 minutes than spend over an hour learning.

Click here to check it out.

3. Blogging For Business

What it teaches:

  • Why blogging is so useful for businesses.
  • Strategies for growing your blog.
  • How to find content ideas and do keyword research.
  • Best practices for grabbing and keeping interest.
  • Various ways to build backlinks for your blog.
  • Many topics in its bonus guest interviews.

Who teaches it:

Multiple people at ahrefs, which is one of the biggest companies in SEO.

Who it's for:

This one is less about writing well and more about the entire game of SEO. It's a great choice if you're serious about getting attention on search engines and monetizing that attention effectively.

Click here to check it out.

4. The Strategy of Content Marketing

What it teaches:

  • An overview of the content marketing ecosystem.
  • The 7A Framework for creating effective content.
  • How to craft a content marketing strategy.
  • Different types of content and how to create all of them.
  • Managing and optimizing your content over time.
  • Tips on making your audience take action.

Who teaches it:

Sonia Simone. She's a popular marketing professor at UC Davis.

Who it's for:

People who want to get a ton of education in a formal university style. Though colleges are often a bit behind on the latest tactics, this has around 20 hours of instruction and quizzes that help you retain what you learn.

Click here to check it out.

5. The Complete Content Marketing Guide For 2024

What it teaches:

  • How to write blog posts to attract attention.
  • Ways to turn that attention into clients and customers.
  • Tips for creating good social media posts.
  • All the technical aspects of SEO.
  • Building a unique and authoritative voice for your brand.
  • Tons of general tips on persuasion and writing.

Who teaches it:

Copyblogger, which is one of the biggest names in content marketing.

Who it's for:

This guide is entirely written and it doesn't require an email to read it. If either of those sounds preferable to you, then pick it. It also has a lot of personality and a more unique perspective throughout.

Click here to check it out.

How To Use These

Don't take all of these.

That'll just overwhelm you.

Instead, pick one or two that fit your goals, start them, finish them, and apply them. I'm biased toward mine, but choose based on what looks best to you. Most importantly, take action.

That's how you turn free education into real results.

P.S. Whenever you're ready, I can help you in 3 ways:

1. Copyblogger Academy - This is my content marketing community. It comes with 9 full-length courses, Q&A, and a lot more. Join 1,500+ members inside.

2. Personal Brand Growth - My services help you grow your audiences and earnings for $300-$497 per month. Fill out the form to see if we're a good fit.

3. Personal Brand Audit - If you want personalized advice, I do four 1-hour sessions per month. Check my calendar to see if I still have availability.