Promotional Writing

The purpose of this course is to take the student who already has some familiarity with writing copy for public relations, advertising, and Web site creation and developing those skills to the solidly professional level. First, the techniques of persuasion will be discussed and practiced, including motivational sequences, the "you" orientation, big ideas, and mass psychology. Next, students will embark upon the creation of a complete "press kit" which will include copy and graphic information as well as digital media designed to promote a product, service, or idea. The press kit will be reproducible in both digital online form and as hard copy. Methods of information dissemination, to individuals, and large and small groups, will be explored as well. Finally, students will explore a solid grounding in "new media" methods of promotion and persuasion such as promotional Web sites, blogs, social networking Web sites, and real-time bulletin boards such as Twitter.