Be your team’s best writer: Ragan Training’s top 10 videos of 2023

Communications is constantly in flux and so are the skills we need to stay relevant. But where can we turn to level up our core competencies—and which do we most need to improve?

Enter Ragan Training. It’s a one-stop hub featuring all of Ragan and PR Daily’s webinars, virtual summits, certificated series and live conferences—with training sessions covering everything from strategic planning and employee comms to social media, crisis planning and more.

A quick glance at the most watched videos on Ragan Training gives you a good idea which skills and competencies your peers (and, likely, your bosses) value most.

That’s why we pulled together this year’s top videos list, ranked by user views and takeaways across a mix of the site’s 12 skill categories. You’ll see some oldies-but-goldies here—and others focusing on evergreen skills like writing.

Dig into Ragan Training’s knowledge base to set yourself up for success in 2024:

1. Be Your Department’s Best Writer

Instructors: Emily Inverso, Senior Director, Axios HQ; Jim Ylisela, Co-Founder and Senior Partner, RCG

Best tip: A five-step writing formula for writing scannable copy that employees will love—whether it’s an email or intranet post. You also won’t want to miss Ylisela’s 3-30-3-30 rule for better writing

2. ChatGPT Isn’t Taking Your Job: Why Writing Like a Journalist Still Matters

Instructor: Alan Black, Director of Corporate Communications, U.S. Navy at Dahlgren, Virginia

Best tip: “Make it click”—secrets of sticky headlines, subject lines, teasers, leads and CTAs

3. What’s Next in the Age of TikTok: How to Go Big with Micro Video

Instructors: Adu Adu, Global Head of Social, Creator & Culture, Logitech; Lexi Herrick, Director of Audience Development, Social Media and Analytics, Allure Magazine (Conde Nast) 

Best tip: The magic of “RUI” not “ROI”—three traits of every successful, viral TikTok video.

4. Crisis Management: How to Lead Employees from Chaos to Calm with Culture

Instructor: Brian Brockman, Vice President of Communications, U.S. and Canada, Nissan Motor Corp

Best tip: Five ways to establish meaningful outreach initiatives that support employees during change (yes, town halls and AMAs are in the mix, but so is internal ambassadorship via social media)

5. Where Inclusivity and Accessibility Meet on Social Media

Instructor: Destanie Morman, Communications Director, Vote Run Lead

Best Tip: Examples of how to post accessible images and video, including descriptive captions, color contrast and more

6. Writing Certificate Course (Week 1)

Instructor: Jill Stewart, Writing Coach and Adjunct Faculty Member, DePaul University’s College of Communication

Best tip: How to “weed out wordiness” using an exercise guaranteed to reduce repetition and redundancy (yes, that fun recurrence was intentional!)

7. Thoughtful Thought Leadership on LinkedIn

Instructor: Nicole Moreo, Head of Customer Insights for North America, LinkedIn

Best tip: How to create “empathy maps” for your LinkedIn audience to make sure your posts hit—and solve—their pain points)

8. Innovative Intranets: How to Break Down Silos and Boost Engagement

Instructor: Shannon Iwaniuk, Director of Internal Communications, Alcon

Best tips: A quick way to audit your intranet (plus easy fixes to update the design of your intranet)

9. Inclusive Writing Strategies that Foster Belonging

Instructor: Destiny Chambers, Vice President and Head of Marketing, Lippe Taylor

Best tip: A checklist of proper nouns and active voice examples that help to keep inclusivity and a people-first mindset at the forefront of our language

10. Data-Driven Social Media Measurement: Handling Tight Budgets, Tracking Trust and More

 Instructor: Andre Hidalgo, Associate Director of Social Media, AARP

Best tip: The only thing your boss wants to hear—and how to address that lingering ROI question.

Brian Pittman  is the Dean of Ragan Training a Ragan Communications event producer. For more information about Ragan Training, contact him at brianp@ragan.com.