As the digital landscape further opens up in 2024, the demand for content writers is projected to surge significantly in the next few years. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics forecasts a 4% employment growth for writers from 2022 to 2032, which is around the average for all occupations. Also, writers being able to earn up to hundreds of dollars on freelance work platforms like Upwork, shows the expanding need for skilled content writers.
But like every other industry, you need training to gain content writing expertise. Free online courses are a great way to kick-start a content writing career, especially if you can’t afford exclusive writing courses or one-on-one coaching.
In this article, we have curated five of the best free online courses you can take as a beginner content writer in 2024 to help you hone your craft without breaking the bank. Let’s jump in:
1. Technical Writing: Principles & Best Practices on Alison
This free online course will teach you the best practices for technical writing, along with its principles and processes. You’ll learn the definition of technical writing, recognize the roles and responsibilities of a technical writer, and identify misconceptions associated with technical writing.
Other benefits include learning to:
- write clear and concise technical documentation tailored to your target audience
- find out how to create high-quality technical documents such as user manuals, spec sheets, and proposals in five practical steps
- discover visual guidelines
- apply grammar rules, style guidelines, and best practices in technical writing.
This course takes between 1.5 to 3 hours to complete. It’ll benefit anyone interested in improving their technical writing skills, whether as a career writer or a professional in a technical field.
2. Free Technical Writing Courses on Google Developer
Google has some free, non-certificate courses aimed at helping software engineers, computer science students, and engineering-adjacent roles like product managers improve their technical writing skills. If you fall into any of these categories, you should find these courses fun and valuable to your career. This is because they focus on technical writing instead of general English writing or business writing. You don’t have to be a talented writer to enroll in these classes, but you will need to be able to at least write in English. It’d also help if you had some experience with coding.
For now, there are three courses, each divided into self-paced online pre-class material that takes between one to two hours to complete and virtual live sessions that run for one and a half to two and a half hours. The first and most basic one (Technical Writing One) covers the critical basics of technical writing. Then there’s “Technical Writing Two,” which explains intermediate and topics in technical writing. The final one, “Tech Writing for Accessibility,” shows how to make your documents more accessible for everyone.
3. Introduction to Technical Writing on Coursera
Published by Board Infinity, this course is a deep dive into the nuances, history, significance, and distinctions of technical writing from other writing forms. Along with learning to maintain the highest ethical standards and ensure accessibility, you’ll also discover how to become an expert at:
- crafting technical documents
- utilizing indispensable writing tools
- working efficiently with platforms like GitHub
- creating a variety of technical documents like user manuals and API docs
- developing a strong portfolio of technical writing work to advance your career
- networking within your industry
This 15-hour course is designed for beginners and includes a shareable certificate that you can add to your LinkedIn profile. You should be able to complete it in 3 weeks at a recommended speed of 5 hours per week. With its flexible timetable, you will master content management, document design and layout, and writing for upcoming technologies at your own pace.
4. E-commerce Content Writing on Udemy
This course helps newbies master the art of crafting compelling e-commerce content—from product descriptions to email marketing—that persuades potential customers to make purchases on online platforms. It also teaches you how to utilize AI tools like ChatGPT and communicate effectively to engage and convert potential customers. You’ll be able to research and identify your target audience and tailor your content to their needs and preferences.
Rated 4.6 out of 5 stars, it has 21 lectures with a total length of 37 minutes and also addresses how to:
- use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to ensure that your content ranks high on search engines like Google
- maximize best practices for writing clear, concise, and engaging content, including grammar and spelling tips
- avoid unethical practices in e-commerce content writing, like false advertising.
5. Professional Business Writing Skills on Alison
This course is published on Alison by the Workforce Academy Partnership. Its 6-10 hours of learning teaches various skills you’ll need to write important documents in the workplace, both as an individual and as a group. You will learn how to format sentences and paragraphs and prepare documents like emails, proposals, meeting agendas, letters, and reports. You will also learn how to structure and proofread them to excellence.
This course explains the various types of collaborative business writing as well as collaborative tools and processes. It teaches how to overcome barriers, deal with conflicts, and achieve success in business writing collaboration.
Wrapping Up
These free courses offer a broad range of topics and approaches to technical content writing, catering to different learning styles and preferences. Whether you’re just beginning or upskilling, these courses can provide you with the needed knowledge to succeed as a technical content writer in 2024 and beyond. As long as you set aside dedicated time to complete the courses and practice your writing skills, you’ll be able to apply what you’ve learned.
Furthermore, since you’re now armed with the knowledge of where to start, why stop here? Join the TechWriteable Community and connect with fellow writers who are just as passionate about content creation as you are. You should also subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay updated on the latest trends in the industry.You can also write about what you’ve learnt and create a solid portfolio within three minutes without stress on TechWriteable to sell yourself more impressively. TechWriteable is more than just a group—it’s a place where you’ll find the support and resources to take your content writing game to the next level.
