10 Public Relations courses to develop your PR skills from scratch
Are you good at communicating with others? Do you always keep tabs on what’s happening around the globe? Then you can opt for online courses in Public Relations (PR) to hone your skills so as to mould public opinion through your connections in media. What’s more, it’s a massively rewarding career — once you get a breakthrough, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.
Why online courses are perfect for a successful PR career
PR professionals use thought leadership pieces, influencer connections and networking methods to facelift the image of their clients. With online PR courses you can learn these skills without being entangled in a classroom routine. These courses can teach you important technical skills and the art of persuasion communication. Moreover, you can study from the comfort of your home and amble along at your own pace.
Here are the 10 best PR courses available online:
Public Relations — by LinkedIn Learning
If you want to start a career in public relations or advance your career, LinkedIn-led PR courses can help you reach your goals. For today’s PR practitioner, “Public Relations Foundations” presents an effective eight-step process. The basics of creating a press release are covered in the “Writing a Press Release” course. Selecting a spokesperson, preparing for interviews, and conducting interviews through Skype and social media are all covered in “Public Relations Foundations: Media Training”. These courses come with a Certificate of Completion. You can download the lessons and read them offline if you don’t have access to the Internet. Quizzes and tasks are included in the classes to help you remember and apply what you’ve learned.
The Ultimate Public Relations Masterclass — by Udemy
Designed for beginners, this course teaches everything you need to know to become a PR expert in the digital age. It’s jam-packed with case studies, statistics, checklists, templates and hands-on exercises to help you put the theory into practice. It covers everything from media relations to social media, awards, events and video content to ensure that your stories get to the appropriate people. The course also covers crucial topics such as ethical and legal considerations.
Public library marketing and public relations — by edX
Part of the Public Library Management Professional Certificate programme, this course teaches how to use graphic design, media outreach and paid marketing to promote content. It also explores social media aspects of PR by offering insight into building better conversations and relationships with patrons. It focuses on how to differentiate between marketing, branding, and PR. Here you can learn how to create DIY marketing solutions and collaborate with professional designers. After completion of the course, you would be able to expand your media outreach and sharpen your PR techniques.
Public Relations Courses — by Coursera
The PR courses on Coursera are specifically designed for today’s digital marketing environment. They will teach you how to use influencer marketing, content marketing and social media sentiment analysis to build and maintain a positive public image for your brand. IE Business School’s Integrated Marketing Communications: Advertising, Public Relations, Digital Marketing, and More delves into the details of developing and analysing marketing communications plans and tactics. Rutgers University’s Influencer Marketing Plan course will educate you on tailoring an influencer marketing strategy for B2B, B2C and non-profit businesses. The Strategy of Content Marketing, published by UC Davis, examines the fundamental strategies used by content marketers.
Introduction to Public Relations — by Alison
Offered by Saylor Foundation, this course covers the fundamental principles of PR. Here you can learn about real-world PR management models and tactics. Grunig and Hunt’s four models of PR practice, the press agency model, the public information model, and the symmetrical and asymmetrical models are among the PR models covered in the course. Apart from that, it also describes the various functions and sub-functions of PR.
Startup PR: Getting Press on a Tight Budget — by Udemy
This course, instructed by the tech journalist Erica Swallow, offers essential, how to craft an incredible pitch, which assets are valuable for journalists and what not to do. Several case studies are covered in the course.
Public Relations: Use Your Networks to Build Buzz — by Skillshare
Offered by entrepreneur-cum-author Peter Shankman, this course teaches you about creating a successful PR plan for yourself. By the end of this session, you will be able to create a PR and media strategy for any company that can be tied to increased sales. Here you will learn how to utilise all the outlets available to you to expand your business. The course teaches how to leverage all the outlets available to you in the best possible manner to promote a business.
Modern PR: How To Get Press Coverage For Your Business — by Udemy
This course will show you how to gain press publicity for a business or product. It teaches you how to find the reporters who are most likely to be interested in your client, how to create a story around your brand, how to make a killer email pitch that catches the attention of media persons and how to deal with bad press. The course provides a practical approach to PR and its fundamentals.
Public Relations: Best Practices and Ethics — by Alison
This course, offered by Saylor Academy, will teach you the finest practices and ethical guidelines required for success in the field. You’ll learn how to do research, develop strategic actions, communicate effectively and evaluate results. The course will also walk you through the RACE process in PR, teaching you how to put these best practices into reality through case studies.
Public Relations Foundations: Media Training — Linkedin Learning
With traditional media outlets, 24-hour news sites, Twitter and Facebook all competing for attention, it can be difficult to get your message broadcast and received the way you want. In this course, the PR expert Deirdre Breakenridge identifies the characteristics of a good media spokesperson, what to expect from interactions with journalists, how to enhance your message with stats and sound bites, and how to tailor your delivery and message to specific media outlets and audiences.
