Five ways to receive fantastic free training in Manchester
A lot of what I’ve learnt in my role as an Account Exec. at Brazen has been learnt on the job. In an industry that is so fast paced and dependant on the news agenda, some elements of PR simply can’t be pre-taught.
However, in order to broaden my knowledge and add another string to my bow, I have made use of a number of training platforms, both locally and digitally, that provide high level training for free.
No matter how you learn best, there is definitely a platform that suits everybody; here are my top five:
Google Garage:
Google has a very handy Digital Garage right here in Manchester. It’s a space where anybody can access digital skills and technology, enrol in career relevant courses, and speak face to face to a digital expert and learn, for example, exactly about what traffic is coming to a website and how it got there. Courses are popular so you need to book in advance, or, if you’re like me and just want to learn a bit more about Google analytics, you can just pop in for a chat.
Attend industry events:
Last month I attended broadcast consultancy, Good Broadcast’s talk with Channel 5’s Planning Editor, to learn what it’s like to be on the flip-side of a pitch, and learn specifically how stories are perceived in newsrooms. The Q&A was not only hugely insightful, but now shapes the content ideas I pitch to my team and clients. Read more of what I found out here.
E-books:
Over recent years, the crossover between SEO and PR generated content has become increasingly overlapped, meaning that knowledge on backlinks, keywords, and Google’s algorithms are vital. Well, not quite, not even experts at the Google Garage know what makes up the algorithms, but understanding what goes into improving a client’s SEO is invaluable.
E-books, like Moz’s 10 chapter Beginners Guide to SEO are a great way to educate yourself about it, at a pace that suits you.
Online courses:
Google also offers digital training in a range of topics, and then rewards you with a certificate at the end of it – wahoo! Its Analytics Academy is completely free, and the beginner’s course can be completed in a few hours. These units cover everything from basic analytics, to reporting the results of a campaign.
Social Media:
Last, but certainly not least, an increasing number of campaigns we run can be social led, meaning that understanding the benefits and outcomes of these are key. Facebook Blueprint is an e-learning platform that offers marketing courses in Facebook, Messenger and Instagram. You can learn how to boost posts and increase video views for you client, making sure that you are driving the right people to its page and engaging with them.
So there you have it – the best things in life really are free!
Want more information? Contact us here