FREE Trial with Benzinga Pro happening right now!
Public relations can make or break a company large or small. PR skills are also hugely important to politicians, TV, radio and web presenters, and everyone else trying to promote an idea or product.
A good online course can help you improve your PR skills and grow your company. Luckily, there are many good courses available. Before we get to that, let’s go over the selection process.
- How to Write a Feature Article Story about Someone from Udemy - Get this course
- Startup Attention PR 101 - Get this course
- The Ultimate Public Relations Masterclass from Udemy - Get this course
- How to Get Featured on CNN, ABC, and NBC for Free from Udemy - Get this course
- Startup PR: Getting Press on a Tight Budget from Udemy - Get this course
- Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations for Branding from Udemy - Get this course
- Modern PR – How to Get Press Coverage for Your Business from Udemy - Get this course
- Business Coach Certification #9 Public Relations from Udemy - Get this course
- Media Training Public Speaking Training for Candidates from Udemy - Get this course
What Makes a Good Public Relations Course?
We considered 3 key aspects in coming up with this list of best PR courses. They include the skills taught in the course, the teacher’s reputation and knowledge, and the price or relative value of the course.
Specific Skills Taught
PR can cover pretty much anything so it’s crucial to determine which skills you are looking to learn or improve. If you need to improve your copywriting skills, going with a course that focuses on audio and video presentation would probably be a waste of your money. On the other hand, don’t hesitate to browse online courses to find out what skills to work on. You don’t have to limit yourself to one or two courses either.
Teacher Knowledge and Reputation
As always, the teacher’s knowledge and reputation matter. When you come across a promising course, make sure to check up on the instructors behind it. Look into their previous experience and reputation in the field of PR. Additionally, it would be a good idea to see what previous students have to say about them.
Price
Finally, you should take into
The Best Online Public Relations Courses
The courses featured here have been picked according to the above criteria and more. They are grouped under beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Best Online Public Relations Courses for Beginners
1. How to Write a Feature Article Story about Someone from Udemy
Conducting interviews and writing feature stories are near everyday tasks for those in PR. How to Write a Feature Article Story about Someone is a beginner-level course that goes over the nuts and bolts of feature story articles.
This hugely popular course was created by Jewel & Auret. It has over 8,000 enrolled students and an average rating of 4.3 stars out of over 170 ratings. You can find it on Udemy under the Storytelling label. The main topics include conducting interviews, asking the right questions, and the differences between a story and a news report.
The course is made up of 60 minutes of online video lessons with you can access it on your cellphone, TV, and other devices. The course costs $19.99 and you get a certificate of completion at the end.
2. Startup Attention PR 101 from Udemy
A new startup can use a good PR strategy right from start to attract and keep the public’s attention. And that’s where the Startup Attention PR 101 course on Udemy comes in.
It was created several years ago by Ben Parr and has since garnered an average rating of 4.1 stars and more than 2,600 students.
This is a short and concise course consisting of 60 minutes of online video instructions and 19 downloadable resources. The major topics include how to work with instead of against the press, how to attract journalist attention, and how to keep users interested in your product.
3. The Ultimate Public Relations Masterclass from Udemy
Many people would count radio DJ as a pretty cool gig. However, you’ll need some serious PR chops if you’re to survive and thrive as a DJ, not to mention landing a paid job in the first place. Check out the Discover the Secrets of Being an Awesome DJ course if you are just starting out.
Radio trainer Ashley Cowan conducts this highly acclaimed course. It is the highest rated Udemy course in its niche with an average rating of 4.7 stars out of over 80 ratings. Thus far, almost 500 students have taken the course.
During the course, you’ll learn how to organize your ideas, how to prepare and plan a show, write your lines and sound natural, mix sound, interview your guests, and much more. A sizable section is also dedicated to media law.
The course is made up of 5 hours of video lessons and 54 downloadable resources.
Best Intermediate Online Public Relations Courses
1. How to Get Featured on CNN, ABC, and NBC for Free
If you’re aiming to get coverage from the major broadcasting networks, you’ll need to learn how to craft content that appeals to them. How to Get Featured on CNN, ABC, and NBC for Free is a good start.
This course was made by Alex Cequea, who has contributed to the New York Times, Huffington Post, Forbes, and other major media outlets. The Udemy course has an average rating of 4.3 stars.
The course is made up of 4 hours of video instructions and lessons. It covers the most important story-telling formats, the dos and don’ts of PR writing, building stable and strong relationships with journalists, and so on.
2. Startup PR: Getting Press on a Tight Budget from Udemy
Even though money plays a big role in public relations, you can still get a lot of coverage with a small budget if you’re smart about it. The Startup PR: Getting Press on a Tight Budget course will help you get more coverage for every dollar invested.
In this course, Erica Swallow details how to properly pitch your startup and how to talk to journalists to not just catch their attention but get them to write about you. As you can imagine, there are no prerequisites to taking this course.
The course contains 37 minutes of online video instructions, 1 downloadable resource, and 2 articles.
3. Press Coverage, Publicity & Public Relations for Branding from Udemy
PR is an indispensable component in any company that plans to go places. If you’re interested in learning how to use PR to your advantage and reach a large number of potential clients, you might not have to look any further than this Udemy course.
The course contains 4.5 hours of video instructions, 17 downloadable resources, and 7 articles. You’ll learn about getting publicity and exposure for your business, pitching to journalists, scoring mentions and appearances on podcasts, radio shows, and blogs, and so on and so forth.
The best-selling course has an average rating of 4.5 stars and more than 3,000 enrolled students.
Best Advanced Online Public Relations Courses
1. Modern PR – How to Get Press Coverage for Your Business from Udemy
PR is a case of the wild west and it is all too easy to get hopelessly lost (and that’s a good thing compared to death – of a company, not necessarily the principals). The Modern PR – How to Get Press Coverage for Your Business course can help you create your PR strategy to maximize your chances of success.
You will learn in this course how to create and leverage good relationships with important journalists, create a story around your brand, get featured in mainstream and alternative media, write a quality email pitch, and handle negative publicity.
The course has an average rating of 4.4 stars on Udemy and more than 2,800 enrolled students. The curriculum consists of 60 minutes of online videos and 1 article.
2. Business Coach Certification #9 Public Relations from Udemy
Business Coach Certification #9 Public Relations is part of a much larger Business Coach Certification program. It is available on Udemy to help you learn how to handle PR duties, create media kits, and develop publicity strategies.
It has an average rating of 4.3 stars and more than 650 students have taken it thus far. Louise Anne Maurice of Fearless Entrepreneur Academy is behind this course.
The syllabus is made up of 4.5 hours of online video lessons, 31 downloadable resources, 3 articles, and a certificate of completion.
3. Media Training Public Speaking Training for Candidates from Udemy
Those involved in politics know the import of PR. A powerful speech can not only save your campaign but may go down in history for all posterity. You don’t have to be a politician to take the Media Training Public Speaking Training for Candidates course on Udemy. Most of the materials can be applied to business and public speaking
Want proof? You’ll learn how to write and deliver moving speeches, have confidence in front of the microphone, address big and small audiences, improve your slogans, and a whole lot more.
This course consists of 4.5 hours of video instructions, 5 downloadable resources, and 4 articles. It has an average rating of 4.3 stars.
Final Thoughts
Investing in a quality online PR course can help you boost your career and lift your company or organization. May you enjoy your next adventure in public relations.
Looking to take your business and marketing skills a step further? Check out Benzinga's guides to the best email marketing courses, the best presentation skills training and the best business English courses.
See also: BEST MEDIA TRAINING COURSES
Southern New Hampshire University Online
SNHU Online Offers:
- Flexible schedules
- Affordable tuition
- Online tutoring
- Access to electronic research materials
- Specialized academic advising
- Supportive online community
About Luke Jacobi
Luke Jacobi is a distinguished professional known for his role as President at Benzinga, a renowned financial media outlet. With a background in business operations and management, Luke brings valuable expertise to his position, overseeing various aspects of Benzinga’s operations. His contributions play a crucial role in the company’s success, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness across different departments. Prior to his role at Benzinga, Luke has held positions that have honed his skills in leadership and strategic decision-making. With a keen understanding of the financial industry and a commitment to driving innovation, Luke continues to make significant contributions to Benzinga’s mission of providing high-quality financial news and analysis.