Event Postponed
The AMA Marketing Writing 101 training session scheduled for May 5-6 in Chicago, IL, has been postponed due to the rapid developments regarding COVID-19.
Your Options
Move to a different event. We’re working to find new dates for this event. Until then, we hope you’ll consider attending a different AMA Training Series or AMA Bootcamp event.
Our AMA Support Center Team would be happy to help you move your registration. You can email them at customersupport@ama.org.
Registration refund. You can also choose to get a full refund of your event registration.
Our AMA Support Center team can help you rebook for the new date or issue you a refund. You can email them at customersupport@ama.org. Please know due to increased volume, it may take us 3-5 business days to process your request.
Engaging and Moving Customers Into Action
You need to create messages that are extremely clear, instantly engaging and relevant across an array of formats from websites and email to sales sheets and tweets. This two day, classroom style event will let you share your writing samples and learn how to be a more efficient writer. Best of all, you’ll leave better equipped to engage your customers.
Pricing
| Early Bird (Before 04/05/20) | Standard Price | |
| AMA Member | $1,395 | $1,495 |
| Non-Member | $1,745 | $1,869 |
“Marketing Writing 101 was a great place to learn new skills and brush up on some forgotten ones. No matter how much of a marketing pro you are, this workshop will re-energize your writing.”
Past Attendee
What to Expect
Throughout the two days, you’ll learn and practice skills that result in excellent marketing writing. Plus, you’ll create a customized action plan for continued improvement in your writing.
Day 1 Covers:
- Concise, clear and compelling writing
- Streamlining your writing process
- Crafting attention-grabbing headlines, titles and subject lines
- Weaving words and images for deeper storytelling
- Writing improvement exercises
Day 2 Covers:
- Major writing exercise: crafting two marketing pieces as part of a unified campaign
- Honing editing skills
- Grammar and punctuation rules for marketing writing
- Enhancing proofreading skills
- Creating an action plan for continued improvement
Breakfast, lunch and breaks are provided each day of the event.
AMA Event Policies
Tuesday, May 5
Registration and Hot Breakfast
We’ll kick off the day with breakfast. You’ll also get lunch and breaks throughout the day.
Getting Ready to Write
- How today’s readers scan
- Key writing skills and how to integrate them
- How to link writing’s core phases:
- Planning
- Drafting
- Editing
- Proofreading
Reviewing Broad Range of Marketing Writing
Discuss several marketing writing types. As a group, you will pick 2-3 from the following for your writing exercises.
- Ad copy
- Emails
- Press releases
- Presentations
- Elevator pitches
- White papers/e-articles
- Video scripts/YouTube
- Blogs
Refreshing Your Writing Toolkit
- Improving your drafting
- Initial tips
- Hooking scanners with headlines/titles/subject lines
- Engaging readers with dynamic openings
- First few words: do they reach (or miss) the reader?
- Main point: is it super concise and focused?
- What’s in It For the Reader (WIFR) and WIFR sandwich
- Body: sharing details in easy bites
- Closings and calls to action (CTA)
- Improving your marriage of words and images
- Improving your planning
- Brainstorming: Picturing audience needs, fears, triggers
- SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) Analysis
- Personas and reader/audience analysis
- Formal and informal
- Identifying key reader characteristics
Wednesday, May 6
Hot Breakfast
Breakfast will be waiting for you when you arrive for day two. Lunch and breaks will be provided throughout the day.
Refreshing Your Writing Toolkit (Continued)
- Major writing exercise: crafting and discussing two linked marketing pieces
- Improving your editing
- Shorter is better
- Ease of reading
- Better branding
- Better word choices: two templates
- Better sentences
- Punctuation/grammar
- Improving your proofreading
- Why is proofreading well so difficult?
- Using a tailored approach
- Creating an action plan for continued improvement
- Taking a snapshot of reference materials
Ben Shank
Owner, Writing Consultants, Inc.Ben Shank works enthusiastically to help professionals identify what’s needed to raise the impact of their words. His marketing writing classes are comprehensive, fun and loaded with opportunities to try out new techniques. Shank’s company, Writing Consultants, Inc. (WCI), provides writing training nationally on a wide range of topics. Beyond corporations, WCI’s training extends to offering classes for universities, government, and non-profit organizations.
Training Series Location
AMA Support Center
130 E. Randolph St., 22nd Floor
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.542.9000
The AMA Support Center is right in the heart of Chicago. We’re nestled between Millenium Park and the Chicago River meaning you are just steps away from premier hotels, shopping and world-class dining. While you’re at our office, you’ll have access to work cubbies in case you need to step out and take care of something back at your office.
Recommended Hotels
Hyatt Regency Chicago
151 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.565.1234
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (5 minutes)
Swissôtel Chicago
323 E. Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.565.0565
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (8 minutes)
Fairmont Chicago
200 North Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.565.8000
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (5 minutes)
Club Quarters
75 East Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.601.3400
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (8 Minutes)
theWit Chicago – a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
201 N. State Street
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.467.0200
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (7 minutes)
Homewood Suites Downtown Chicago
40 E. Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Hotel Direct: 312-644-2222
Reserve a room now and receive a 10% discount
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (15 minutes)
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
540 North Michigan Avenue, (Driveway Entrance on 541 North Rush Street)
Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: 312.836.0100
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (14 minutes)
Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel Chicago
221 North Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.565.5BLU (5258)
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (5 minutes)
Virgin Hotels
203 N. Wabash
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.940.4400
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (5 minutes)
Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago
225 N. Wabash Ave.
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.960.8500
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (6 minutes)
LondonHouse Chicago
85 East Wacker Drive at North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312.357.1200
Walking Distance to AMA Support Center (9 minutes)
Air Travel Discount
The AMA has teamed up with Delta Air Lines to offer a special discount on air travel. Click here to get started. You can also call the Delta Meeting Network at (800) 328-1111 and refer to meeting code NMTSM. There is not a service fee for reservations booked and ticketed via this service.
Area Attractions and Events
Please visit Choose Chicago for additional city information.
ADA
The AMA is committed to providing equal access to our meetings for all attendees. If you are an attendee with a disability and require program accommodations, please contact the AMA Support Center at (800) AMA-1150 or customersupport@ama.org. A member of our staff will ensure that appropriate access arrangements are made. If you have specific disability-related needs for your hotel sleeping room, please be sure to communicate those directly to the hotel when you make your reservation. In an effort to provide the highest quality of service to all attendees, we require that details of all access requests be communicated to our office at least 14 days in advance of the beginning of the meeting.