This article was updated in November 2024 to reflect changes in the Blackford Centre courses, as well as amended contact details. Along with these changes, you’ll find an offer that that can save you money and, for full transparency, will financially benefits me too. Read on and all will be revealed…
You’re about to learn a lot about copywriting courses. But first, there are some things you need to know about this article.
The core lessons about how to write effective copy haven’t changed much since the 1800s. But the ways we market to people and the tools we use, have. Considerably. (AI being the recent big shift.)
Staying relevant and useful means restructuring copywriting courses so they’re up to date. Couple this with societal changes that influence how an audience thinks and interacts with marketing, and it’s clear that our craft can’t remain static.
So it’s with that in mind that I want to point out that I took these copywriting courses way back in 2014 and 2017. They’ve both changed a lot. In fact, one of them doesn’t even exist anymore. The Copyblogger Authority certification has been scrapped, replaced with Copyblogger Academy. And The Blackford Centre has made big changes too, focussing heavily on copywriting for digital mediums.
With so many differences you’re probably wondering, Is this article still relevant?
Fair question.
If you’re torn between whether to take a course or not, this article can still help. Here’s how.
- Both of the courses I talk about are online, distance learning courses. If you’ve never studied this way then you’ll get a feel for how it works.
- The thought of adding ‘must study’ to an already busy schedule of full-time work, family, and self-care activities can feel daunting. In my write up I’ll share how much time I had to set aside to get the thing done.
- Understand the benefits and drawbacks these courses may have on your business.
Right that’s the caveats done. I hope you still want to stick around and find this article helpful as you decide whether copywriting is the right career path for you.
For those of you who decide you are serious about taking a course, I’ve negotiated a discount with The Blackford Centre. I’ll explain in full later on. First, let me share what I know about online learning, how much time copywriting courses take, and the effects they’ve have had on my business.
Are copywriting courses worth the time, energy and money?
You’re thinking of a career change. Copywriting and content marketing sound like good options. I mean, you’ve always enjoyed writing. You’re creative. And your manager has had you writing the business emails and social media captions for months now.
Realising you’ve tasted something you like you’re keen to try a bit more. It’s time to get your mitts on a certification that solidifies what you already know and then progresses your skills.
Taking a course is, you think, a good way to achieve this. For 3 reasons.
- You get to be tutored by someone with real life copywriting experience.
- All your learning can be done in one place, rather than scouring the web.
- You get a swish looking certificate (or similar) from some sort of copywriting authority.
I get it. I’ve been motivated by the same thinking and attracted to courses for the same reasons. Copywriting courses are useful. But, IMHO, they’re not the be all and end all. Questioning their worth is a good idea. Especially because there are so many of the freaking things now.
Writers new and senior, often get in touch wanting to know about my experiences with these courses. Really, this article is my attempt to answer that commonly asked question:
Were they useful and worth the money?
I asked the exact same question to copywriters who were a few steps ahead of me. Mainly because I don’t like spaffing money up the wall. (Does anyone?) And trying to get my business off the ground meant every penny counted. There needed to be a clear return before I invested.
That’s the mindset I went into each course with.
One thing I want to make clear—and that I appreciated others saying to me—is that my reasons for taking these certifications may be very different to yours. So you won’t hear me say, “These are the best copywriting courses. Take them!” That’s daft. Instead, you’ll get some facts and personal insights into my experiences of them. How you use that information is up to you.
My desk used to be so tidy.
Two copywriting courses (at two very different stages in my career)
Here’s a quick outline of the courses I took and when I took them.
The Blackford Centre’s Diploma in Copywriting
Started it in: 2014
Time to complete: Too long. Took me about 18 months. But if I remember rightly, the course notes said it’s possible to complete in around 6 months.
Course qualification: Level 4 Diploma (read more here).
Course/tutors based in: The UK
I was living in: The UK
Copyblogger Authority Certification
Started it in: 2017
Time to complete: About 7 months.
Course qualification: Certificate from course body.
Course/tutors based in: America
I was living in: Australia
My motivations for taking each copywriting course
The Blackford Centre Diploma
I was working as a freelance journalist but realised there was more work and more money in writing blogs, website copy and marketing emails for businesses. What I quickly discovered was that copywriting and journalism were very different disciplines. My university degree was purely writing for media (journalism, TV, short film). It didn’t cover any type of marketing writing.
Apart from the occasional advertorial, my job hadn’t given me much to go on either. If I was going to spend more time writing marketing copy and make a living from it, I thought I should improve my skills and plug any knowledge gaps I had. (Which were many.)
These were my reasons for signing up. And I picked Blackford Centre because, at the time, it was the only distance learning course I could find in the UK that:
- resulted in a diploma regulated by an external awards body
- didn’t cost an absolute effing fortune.
Copyblogger Authority Certification
I took the Authority certification for two very simple reasons.
1) I’d just moved to Australia. I was relaunching my freelance business. Copyblogger is a huge platform. Being listed as one of their certified writers would bring leads.
2) Even though I was (mostly) confident in my writing skills, I didn’t know how to run a business. This course covered ‘how to run a copywriting business’ as well as teaching the technical stuff about writing conversion copy.
How was it?
The Blackford Centre Diploma
This was a really well-structured course. It made me look at different ways copywriting is used, from crafting press releases to creating scripts for radio ads and everything in between. Having the chance to try a bit of everything helped me work out what sort of stuff I liked writing and what I didn’t.
Note: There have been changes to the course content since I took it. New modules that weren’t around when I did it, include:
- SEO copywriting
- email marketing
- social media marketing
- UX writing and microcopy.
There’s also way more bonus material available compared to when I did it, fewer assignments (lucky you!), video content, and you get access to your tutor for a whole year.
As I’ve mentioned tutors let me explain how that works.
Each student has a dedicated tutor. It’s their job to mark your assessments and offer you feedback. It’s a great way to put what you’ve learned into practise.
Having worked as a journo on-staff, I already knew the mechanics of some writing techniques. Stuff like structure—headings, lead lines and placing hooks—I was confident with. But all of the marketing techniques —funnels, direct mail and site maps—were new to me.
My favourite module was writing radio ads. I loved how creative and playful I got to be.
Copyblogger Authority Certification
Resources, resources, resources! Copyblogger isn’t short of them. Worksheets and modules were PDF downloads and there were lots of links to podcasts and articles. Plus, a steady stream of emails. There were also regular live Q&A sessions and webinars, but time the time differences between the US and Australia meant I never tuned in. (And I was too lazy/busy with work to rewatch them.)
Having so much content available was… Well it was good, but fuck it felt overwhelming at times. I have no idea if this is still the case since it’s become Copyblogger Academy. 🤷
Part way through the course, I realised I could still complete the certificate without reading, watching or listening to all of the things. This was a relief. Partly because I’d been a professional writer for around 8 years by this point and had on-the-job experience. I was finding that a lot of the course content was stuff I already knew so found myself getting frustrated that I was wasting time going over old ground.
Remember, my main reason for doing this was to complete the certification and get leads.
I started cherry-picking modules that went through business processes and content creation ideas I wasn’t familiar with. And this course did really well at showing and teaching the strategy stuff. I came away feeling confident I knew how to plan, create, and use content marketing strategies that would get results.
This course doesn’t have assessments at the end of each module. But it does include useful exercises. It’s up to you if you do them or not, and it’s completely your call if you take the big certification assessment. Although you can’t (or at least couldn’t) get listed on their directory without doing it, and as that was my whole motivation I did the big cert ass at the end.
How the Copyblogger certification used to work
Note: I don’t think this exists anymore. I think it’s more of a membership that you pay for quarterly or yearly to access all of their content.
You submit three pieces of work to their certification board. At the time I took it, I was asked to show:
- a website landing page,
- a blog article
- and a sales email.
The Copyblogger team were really helpful when pulling this together. If you’re a new writer without a portfolio, they’ll give you ideas for copy you can write.
Once they’ve reviewed your work, you get a mark out of 100 (I got 94!) and if you pass you get your directory listing.
Completing copywriting courses gave me the confidence to get out and about, meeting peers at events.
How much study time you need
The Blackford Centre Diploma
The size of the modules varied. Some involved reading a 5 or 6 page PDF, whereas others were a lot longer. Generally, I took 1-3 hours to read through it all and complete any exercises.
For modules with assessments, I’d put at least 2 hours aside. Assessments that involved longer copywriting forms, would take roughly 3 hours with 30- to 45-minutes of editing time.
Today, the course creators tell me changes to the format have been made. You’ll now find more videos and online quizzes to test your knowledge, making the whole thing a lot more interactive compared to when I did it.
Copyblogger Authority Certification
Given that most of the PDFs were 5-10 pages, I could get through them in my lunch hour. Sometimes I’d need an extra 30-90 minutes after my working day but the bottom line was that it was really manageable. (Once I realised I didn’t need to consume every little thing published.)
Impact on my business
The Blackford Centre Diploma
Although there is some crossover between copywriting and journalism, ultimately they’re 2 very different disciplines.
The diploma delivered much-needed confidence during the very early days of my copywriting career. Even though there was a fair bit of the course content I knew from holding professional writing jobs, having a certification stopped me from feeling like a total newbie and went some way to putting a lid on imposter syndrome.
Copyblogger Authority Certification
Impact = huge. This certification achieved exactly what I wanted. It brought more leads to my business. Most of them quality leads.
I kept paying the annual fee for the first 3 years of my business so I stayed registered as a Copyblogger Certified Marketer. This wasn’t cheap. However, I only needed to convert one lead each year to cover the cost. Having my profile on Copyblogger was also a great backlink, bringing a healthy amount of traffic to my site.
Why I left Copyblogger
I got what I needed from it. My business is now settled, has evolved, and my profile has grown in other ways. Leads and jobs now come from places more specific to my niche and interests.
Final word on copywriting courses
Before investing in a copywriting course, get clear on what you want out of it. There are many free and very affordable resources you can check out before investing in a course.
A couple of examples I’ve found helpful (and still use) are:
The Art of the Click by Glenn Fisher
Read Me by Roger Horberry and Gyles Lingwod
Marketing Examples by Harry Dry
I suggest getting stuck into these and seeing how far you get before plunging into a course. You may surprise yourself.
3A special treat for those who are course-ready
🎁 I’ve wrangled an arrangement with The Blackford Centre.
One that saves you money on their Diploma in Copywriting course.
And, for full transparency, earns me a few quid along the way.
(More on that in a mo.)
So what’s the offer?
So instead of paying £690 for the online edition, you get it for £517.
If you prefer it in US dollars…
Rather than a hefty $1,254, it’s all yours for $630.
You can enrol and get the discount by following this special link.
Alternatively, you can phone 01373 800 815 (+44 1373 800 815 outside the UK) and say Rose Crompton sent you, to secure your discount.
But before you do one of those, you should read the course contents and understand what you’ll learn. This is a big investment—of time and money—so it’s important you feel confident the course will give you what you want.
That said, signing up to the Blackford Centre is a pretty safe bet.
It comes with a 30-day, no-quibble refund. This was one of the qualities that caught my eye. (Along with the fact it was the only course I could find that offered a recognised diploma.) I felt safe that if it wasn’t for me, my money would be refunded within 30 days.
Having read this, you know I didn’t take them up on that guarantee.
What do I get out of you signing up?
I’ve written this article to help other copywriters. I’ve felt that torn, confused feeling as you weigh up whether the course is going to be worth it or not.
All I wanted was share my opinion in the hope it helps you.
But I was getting contacted a lot by people wanting to talk more about studying copywriting, with most people interested in my experience with The Blackford Centre. After our discussions, some of those folks went on to sign up. So then I wrote this article. And heard that more people signed up. So then I thought, well why not see if I can strike with the Blackford Centre that benefits you, me, and them.
The Blackford Centre get a fab new student (that’s you) who’s coming to them informed and confident.
I get a small monetary kickback for sending you their way.
You get the copywriting training you’re searching for and money off.
And the positive comments I’ve made about the course aren’t based on me trying to make money.
In fact, I’ve previously warned new copywriters away from signing up.
One example was a woman who was looking to change careers. She asked if she should do the course, and I said, No. At least, not yet. Then I sent her towards the free resources because that made more sense. (Remember, no one likes spaffing money up the wall.)
So I’m not going to push you into something just because I get a few quid from it. Far from it. I’m not that type of person. I can’t be that type of person. I’m the type of person who wants to help and see you do well, just as others have helped me through my career. (And goodness knows I’ve needed that guidance at times!)
This special offer is if you know, for sure, that taking a copywriting course is exactly what you want.
If that’s you, then I’d love it if you sign up through my special page or phone 01375 800 815 (+44 1373 800 815 outside the UK) and say Rose Crompton sent you to secure your discount.
Thanks in advance if you choose to do this. And as one of my people, please let me know how you go on the course. Email me any time.
Hello, Thank you for this review. Unfortunately, they just stopped offering the Copyblogger certification to revamp their biz model or something….however, I am wondering about the Blackford Centre Diploma….were you able to use a lot of the assignments as portfolio pieces? Was that generally the goal of the tutor-marked assignments — to help you polish your assignments to a level that you could show when looking for work? If so, about how many portfolio-worthy pieces did you get out of the course? Thanks in advance!
Hi Aimee, cheers for stopping by and taking the time to read. I did hear that Copyblogger have closed their doors for the time being.
With the Blackford Centre Diploma, I personally didn’t use the assignments in my portfolio. Or I think I used one for a short while: the radio script. Reason I didn’t use more was because I had a heap of articles and bits from my magazine days, plus a couple of early freelance copywriting projects I’d done.
I did see discussions between other course members about using the assignments in portfolios. Or taking the general theme for an assignments and setting their own briefs so they could build up more of one style of copywriting. You absolutely could use the tutor marked assignments for this. Although each assignment is only marked once, or at least it was when I did it. So it didn’t feel like there was room to keep polishing and refining a piece with the help of your tutor.
Hope this helps and good luck!
Hi Rose
Your information is very useful. I’m looking at signing up for the Blackford course because I like the idea of the module assignments and feedback. I have done some copywriting and have completed a course but I want more repetition to create a decent portfolio. I have access to a Facebook group I could use for on going feedback to polish up my Blackford assignments. Does that sound like a good plan based on your experience?
Regards
Mike
Hi Mike,
Thanks for stopping by and reading. Yeah, if you want to keep working on Blackford assignments so they are polished up to become portfolio pieces, you could totally do that. You could redraft based on the initial feedback you get from your tutor and then if people in your FB group are kind enough to give extra feedback then that’s a great opportunity.
Only word of warning I can think of with getting feedback from a FB group is remember you don’t want too many cooks in the kitchen. And also bear in mind they may not have seen your entire brief. Just something to consider. Good luck with the course and hope you enjoy it.
Thank you for writing this. As a journalism major in a Jr. Copywriter position, I definitely feel “imposter syndrome”. Because I’m not so experienced in the field, I was pretty unhappy to see the options for continuing education: daytime ad schools, shady online courses, both for thousands of dollars. I appreciate you breaking down exactly how you benefited from Blackford, it helps me realize it may not be funds wasted. Thank you!
Hi Kromaly, no worries. Thanks so much for stopping by and taking a read. Glad you found it helpful and good luck with your onward journey into copywriting 🙂
How you get a copywriting course I would like to join can you send me a course join links
Hi Ravindra, there are lots of courses out there but you can find more information about the two that I did by heading here for the Blackford Centre and here for Copyblogger. Good luck! Rose
Hi Rose,
I feel the truth in your review, so thank you for that. I have no experience in copy writing or writing, other than helping to proof read or sharpen up co-workers written work. But I really perk up when I have the opportunity to do that and I like to write and speak correctly. Nor am I super savvy with the computer. I am not looking to be a high powered copy writer but I would like to have an income once I retire. Would the Blackford Centre Diploma course be a good fit for someone who had to Google “copy writing” to find out exactly what it is?! Thank you.
Barbara Lee
Hi Barbara,
Cheers for taking the time to read my article and comment. Also good to hear my SEO is working on this one 🙂
Yes, the Blackford Centre would be a good fit. When I took the certificate it started with the basics, so you can certainly come to it knowing little to nothing about copywriting and learn the skills.
That said, if you’re completely box fresh and only want to dabble in it part-time – perhaps more from an editing and proofreading role – you might choose to save your money to begin with and invest in a few affordable books and a bit of time. I highly recommend grabbing a copy of ‘The Art of the Click’ by Glenn Fisher to get a good overview of copywriting practices. Also, look up Drayton Bird, The Hot Copy Podcast and The Copywriter Club Podcast. All of these will give you a solid starter understanding of copywriting and content marketing, without having to spend out hundreds of pounds.
Good luck! Rose
Excellent advice. Thank you very much, Rose. I will do that.
Hi Rose
I just wanted to stop by and say thanks for your lovely feedback on the course, and congratulations for all you have achieved!
I am so pleased to hear how much you enjoyed studying with us, and to see your success and progress.
If ever you need anything, do let us know, and similarly, anyone interested in the course who has any questions, please do get in touch! Our support team can be reached at: support@inst.org.
Congratulations from all of us at the Blackford Centre, and the best of luck for the future.
Best wishes
Emma
Support Coordinator
The Blackford Centre
Hi Emma,
Thank you so much for the kind words and for taking the time to reply. As the course has changed since I completed my diploma I also love that anyone who stops by here now has a chance to email you directly. I know that’ll be a big help to many.
Thanks again!
Rose
Hey Rose, I’m so glad I came across this. Thank you so much for selflessly putting this out here. Like you said about the ‘torn and confused feeling’, so do I feel! Reading this clears up so much in my head. I also followed you on twitter 🙂 Again, I say A very heartfelt THANK YOU!
Hi Lee-Anne,
Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to read my article. Really glad to hear you found it helpful. What conclusions have you come to?
Thank you also for the follow on Twitter. Right back at you! Have you discovered the #ContentClubUK chat on Twitter yet? I reckon you’d find a lot of value in it.
Take it easy,
Rose
Hey Rose, I will be taking the Blackford Centre’s diploma. I’m looking to practice more and I guess the feedback would help a lot. The biggest bonus would be the certification, it will boost my confidence. I’m grateful for your advice, I’ve made up my mind and I’ll be going through the link you provided. Thanks so so much! 🙂
That’s brilliant. Really great to hear you’ve decided to move forward with the Blackford certification. And any time. Keep me posted on how you get on rosemcrompton@gmail.com Good luck!
Hi Rose. This was so helpful. I have a degree in Journalism and I didn’t want to go over everything I already knew with a copywriting course. I am specifically looking at the Black Centre so this has been great. Thanks.
Hi Rebecca, cheers for stopping by and really glad to hear you found it helpful. Keep me posted on how you go and what you decide 🙂
Thanks for this Rose – super helpful. Interestingly, I’d already narrowed my choices to Blackford and Copyblogger before I found your article, so I definitely feel I’m on the right track. Cheers!
Hey Deb, no worries. You’re definitely on a good track and best of luck with whichever course you go for 🙂 Happy copywriting.
Hi Rose, your blogs are a wealth of information!
I have worked as a translator for years and studied a copyediting diploma at University of California San Diego, but I am at a point in my life where I want to work in my true passion: erotica (particulary related to midlife as I run a perimenopause group but that’s an aside).
I already self-publish erotic fiction on Amazon but would love to get into copywriting or similar in the adult sector. I am familiar with and engaged with the polyamory and kink communities, so I am familiar with terminology and the ethical aspects.
I don’t have a completely firm idea yet of where I would end up but given my background, copywriting would seem like one possible step in the right direction. I don’t have training in it and wanted to ask if you recommend deliving into the free material first, or if I should dive in and do one of the courses (Blackford)? Many thanks!
Hey Ana,
Thanks so much for stopping by and reading my article.
Wow! What a background. And I think (eventually) niching for poly and kink businesses would be great.
If you’ve not got any copywriting experience so far and coming to the discipline completely fresh, I’d say check out the free resources first. From the reading/listening of these resources you may even start to get ideas on how copywriting may work for the industries you’re interested in servicing. If it seems viable/workable then I’d say dive into a course.
Exciting times ahead for you Ana. Keep in touch and let me know what route you decide to go.
Cheers!
Rose
Many thanks Rose, I only saw your reply now! I had one or two questions as I go more in-depth into my research into niche areas and how to start out approaching companies. Would it be ok to post here or send a quick message?
Kindest regards! Isa
All good, Ana. Probably easiest if you shoot me a quick email to rosemcrompton@gmail.com I’ll pick it up more easily 🙂 Although, saying that the next week or two are busy with Christmas and family commitments. But I WILL get back to you 😀 Cheers, Rose
I learned allot from copyblogger, they jumpstarted me in copywriting. Thanks for this great info
Hi Lincoln, thanks for reading and great to hear about your positive response regarding Copyblogger. Good to hear from someone else who went through their resources/course. There certainly was a lot to go through.