Info

Hot Copy

The Hot Copy podcast is a collaboration between seasoned copywriters Belinda Weaver and Kate Toon. Tune in for copywriting tips, shortcuts, writing resources, interviews and laughs. All focused on helping you become a better copywriter.
RSS Feed
Hot Copy
2021
December


2020
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2019
December
November
October
September
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2015
December
November
October
September
August
July


Categories

All Episodes
Archives
Categories
Now displaying: 2016
Dec 15, 2016

Today we’re talking to Cathy Topping, a website and graphic designer now helping entrepreneurs and small business owners to build and market their own websites.

In this pod, you’ll learn essential elements of your visual branding, design mistakes you could be making, how to work with designers to maximise your copy and more.

If you grapple with design or you’re a closet designer, this chat is definitely for you!

Tune in to learn:

  • Cathy’s opinion on which comes first: design or copy
  • Whether you should be creating your own social media graphics
  • The single biggest mistake freelancers make when creating their own graphics
  • Essential elements of your visual branding
  • One action and one tip you should take with your design and branding
  • Cathy’s free course on building a WordPress website

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

Oh and a big shout out to Jays Carer for the lovely testimonial we read out on today's show!

Links mentioned in this article:

 

Dec 1, 2016

In this week’s pod we’re talking about our favourite podcasts and how they help us become better writers, better business people and better humans.

We think you’re going to love this episode because it’s packed full of some of iTunes best. We’re sharing our faves podcasts, what we learn from them and how we use them to grow and improve our businesses.

Tune in to learn:

  • Our favourite business shows
  • Our favourite story telling shows
  • Why we love podcasts
  • When we think is the best time to listen
  • How to use podcast listening as a way to improve your business.

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

We read out a review at the end of each show and today, we’re giving a shout out to Matt Fenwick from truenorthwriting.com.au.

Links mentioned in this article:

Nov 16, 2016

Every now and then we host a very special Hot Copy episode and invite our listeners to send us their questions. This is one of those episodes!

Sit back, relax and listen to our best answers to some questions you might even have wondered about.

Thanks to Kylie Saunder, Johanna Kohler (Compelling Copy), Sarah Winterbine, Lisa Cropman (The Word Nest), Kelly O'Donnell, Angela Denly and Jenny De Lacy (Writing Works) for their questions!

Tune in to learn:

  • How to deal with requests to “polish” copy that has already been written
  • How to get a copywriting brief out of a tight lipped client
  • What we really think of online headline writing tools
  • How to plan for multiple, concurrent projects
  • And whether it’s better to outsource your own copywriting

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!
We read out a review at the end of each show and today, we’re giving a shout out to Newbie Writer!

Links mentioned in this article:

Nov 3, 2016

In this week’s episode we’re talking about subcontracting. This is when a copywriter or agency uses someone else to write the copy. Generally they pass out the work and pay the writer a percentage of the overall fee.

It’s something I get asked about a lot, as often, as your copywriting business grows, it can seem like a great way to earn more money without actually writing copy.

But subcontracting can be problematic, and today Belinda and I are going to share our experiences and tips with you.

Tune in to learn:

  • The pros and cons of using subcontracting copywriters in your business
  • Belinda and Kate’s own experiences of using subcontractors
  • The pros and cons of being a subcontractor
  • Answers to the big subcontracting questions including:
    • Whether you can get a testimonial for work you did as a subcontractor?
    • Where you can use subcontracting work in your portfolio
    • The average margin charged on top of your rate
    • How much time you need to spend editing work from your subcontractors
    • Whether you have to disclose that you’re using a subcontractor

[Tweet "Hot Copy #36: #Copywriting subcontracting - A ‘how to’ guide #hotcopy"]

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or a comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

We read out a review at the end of each show, and today we’re giving a shout out to larrye5012 for the great review.

 

Links mentioned in this article:

Oct 20, 2016

This week we're stepping back in time to revisit one of our all time favourite pods - and by the look of the stats one of your faves too.

It's all very good and well to understand how to use modal verbs and where to place your colons, but seriously the hard fact is that no copywriting business will survey with our CLIENTS!!

Sadly too many copywriting businesses fail in their first year because they simply can’t find enough clients.

Friends and family are a great place to start, but where on earth do you track down awesome potential clients with money to spend?

So we thought it was a good idea to circle back around and revisit this pod and remind of our tips on how to grab more clients.

Tune in to learn:

  • Our key ways to find clients
  • Whether freelancing websites are worth the effort
  • Our number one new client tip

Share the pod love!

If you like what you're hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks! Oh and big hugs to Robert Gerrish for his lovely testimonial.

Show notes

Oct 6, 2016

We’re at the second half of our two-part episode on marketing your copywriting business. Marketing gets the message out that are in business so it really is essential but what should you spend your time on?

Tune in to part two to learn about:

  • Running your own events
  • Content marketing to develop yourself as an authority
  • Our best tips to succeed at your content marketing
  • Email marketing – what you need to know

Don’t forget that in part 1 we also covered:

  • The importance of branding and how to make yours work hard
  • Social media marketing
  • Networking (on and offline)

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

We read out a review at the end of each show and today, we’re giving a shout out to Raegen Perkins for an excellent review left on Stitcher!

Links mentioned in this article:

 

Sep 22, 2016

If you don’t market yourself as a copywriter, you won’t get many clients and without clients, you aren’t in business! So we’re tackling the essential ways to market your copywriting business to make sure you stay in business.

This is a big topic so we’ve broken it into two episodes. Our very first two parter!

Tune in to part one to learn about:

  • Our favourite parts of marketing ourselves and our writing
  • The importance of branding and how to make yours work hard
  • Our best branding tips
  • Social media marketing
  • Our experiences and best tips
  • Networking (on and offline)
  • Our favourite networking events and our tips to rock it!

In part two of this episode we’ll cover:

  • Running events as an authority
  • Content marketing to develop yourself as an authority
  • Email marketing

So there’s more good stuff coming!

Leave your thoughts 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS

 

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

We read out a review at the end of each show and today, we’re giving a shout out to Raegen Perkins for an excellent review left on Stitcher!

Useful Links:

 

Sep 7, 2016

This week we're revisiting one of our most popular pods: the one about copywriting fees and how much to charge.

Why is this topic so popular? Until you have a few copywriting projects under your belt it can feel like you're just making up numbers in your quotes. Not many copywriters share their rates so it's hard to see what the industry standard is.

Not us though. In this podcast we explain how we charge for copywriting, how we put together quotes, essentials tips on collecting deposits and why we’re not big fans of charging by the word.

Tune in to learn:

  • How to work out your hourly rate
  • Different ways to charge for your copywriting work
  • How to use retainer agreements
  • Our copywriting quoting formula
  • Why getting a deposit is so important
  • How to chase up later payers

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS 

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher

Just like Darren Rowse did - thanks Darren!

Useful links

Aug 24, 2016

So let’s first explain that sales copy is the text you use to persuade your readers to take a specific action. The copy can be used in sales emails, on web pages or is brochures and letters.

But while we know it’s effective but many copywriters aren’t so keen on writing it. In this episode we’ll be chatting with Jesse Forrest all about how to write Sales copy that drives conversion without being overblown and cheese ball.

Tune to learn:

  • What is sales copy?
  • How direct response copy differs from brand awareness copy
  • The psychology behind sales copy
  • How not to sound like a snake oil salesman
  • Jesse's favourite sales copy formulas
  • Why long sales copy works
  • How to use proof and repetition
  • How to write effective Calls To Action
  • What to do when the client wants to pay based on conversion rate.
  • And more. So much more!

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS 

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

We read out a review at the end of each show and today, we’re giving a shout out to Emily McIntyre for her FAB review. Thanks xxx

Links mentioned in this article:

Aug 10, 2016

In this episode, Kate and Belinda share 16 types of copywriting clients almost every copywriter will get to work with. Some are awesome and some… are not. We share our tips on spotting them and how to work with them (so the your copywriting project is smooth sailing).

Tune to learn:

  • Our favourites types of clients
  • How to deal with scope creep and requests for free work
  • How to guide clients who can’t tell you what to change
  • The best way to organise disorganised clients

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS 

 

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

We read out a review at the end of each show and today, we’re giving a shout out to Jan for her FAB review. Thanks Jan!

Links mentioned in this article:

Jul 27, 2016

Getting your financials right from the start is vital to running a successful copywriting business. But there’s so much to get your head around, GST, Medicare levies, depreciation and what the heck you can claim.

In this episode we talk with Kate’s accountant Karen Goad and ask here all those finance and accountant questions you’ve been dying to ask. Karen is a small business owner and principal of Goad Accountants and Simply Business Bookkeeping. She specialises in helping business owners get to know their business better through up-to-date financial information for better decision making, accurate GST, CGT and income tax advice and education.Karen has over 18 years working in public practice with small business ranging from start-ups and sole traders to businesses with over $20million turnover.

In short, she seriously knows her stuff.

P.S. Here at Hot Copy we highly recommend hiring a professional accountant to manage your accounts and do your end of your tax.

Tune in to learn:

  • When you need to start paying GST
  • Ins and outs of superannuation
  • What's the best way to set up your copywriting business, sole trader, Family Trust or PTY Ltd
  • Which tax incentives apply to copywriting start ups
  • What are depreciable assets
  • What deductions you can claim for
  • How to set profitablity targets

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS  

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

And thanks to Jennifer Morton for your review of the show. We appreciate it!

Links mentioned in this article:

More from Karen:

Jul 13, 2016

How to format your copy for maximum impact

Today we’re talking about formatting. Some listeners may wonder about this. Talking about formatting. Not even writing. Just formatting.

But how you present your copy to clients will have a huge influence on how well they receive it. And clever formatting can make your copywriting a lot more readable to the end audience as well.

In this episode, Kate and Belinda share their thoughts and some pro-formatting tips for more readable copywriting.

Tune to learn:

  • Why formatting is so damned important
  • Fonts, sizes and spacing: our recommendations
  • Clever formatting tricks to give your words more impact
  • Good and bad list writing
  • The biggest formatting mistakes new copywriting make

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS  

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

And thanks to Christina Tolstrup for your review of the show. We appreciate it!

Links mentioned in this article:

Jun 30, 2016

We've chatted in previous podcasts about how it's impossible to make all clients love you, and how occasionally it's better all around if you just let them go.

In this podcast we'll be giving you tips and tricks on how to spot, handle and, if necessary, fire a difficult client.

Tune in to learn:

  • How to spot bad clients
  • Tips and tricks to get difficult clients back on track
  • How to decide if firing a client is the right move
  • How to do the dirty deed of firing a client
  • Dealing with the aftermath of client firing

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS  

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

And thanks to the members of the Clever Copywriting Community Lizzy Pepper and Mary Cameron, as well as Angela Denly for your input and reviews of the show. We appreciate it!

 

Links mentioned in this article:

Jun 15, 2016

Once you’ve got a few copywriting projects under your belt, you learn that some clients will respond very quickly and others will take a short ice age to reply. But how long is too long? When do you know your client is MISSING IN ACTION and what should you do?

Tune in to learn:

  • Why clients legitimately go missing
  • How long should you wait?
  • How too long is too long?
  • How you can avoid having clients go missing
  • How to follow up with clients after the quote, proposal, first draft and last draft
  • What to do if the worst happens.

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

And thanks to Mac Prichard for his review of the show. We appreciate it!

Links mentioned in this article:

Jun 1, 2016

Blogging certainly isn’t new but it is a source of anxiety for many new copywriters, especially when it feels like it’s all been done before.

In this episode, Kate and Belinda break down the walls of blogging, sharing their views on the importance of blogging and how to get your blog working hard for your business. 

Tune to learn:

  • If you actually need to blog
  • How to write authority
  • If copywriting is all you can and should write about
  • Why Kate says vagina multiple times
  • How often you should blog
  • How long your blogs need to be
  • Tips on writing about well covered topics
  • Where to get blog ideas
  • Guest posting, on your blog and others
  • How to get your blogs noticed

And thanks to Melissa East for her 5 star review of the show. We appreciate it!

Tell us what you think 

Leave your thoughts and ideas on the Hot Copy website.

And subscribe oniTunes | Android | RSS

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

And a big shout out to Melissa East for her 5 star review of the show. We appreciate it!

Resources mentioned in the show:

May 18, 2016

Do you ever wish you could step back in time and talk to your younger self? In this episode Belinda and Kate chat about some of the copywriting lessons they’ve learned along the way and what we wished we’d know when we started out. Perhaps you can benefit from their hindsight!

Tune in to learn:

  • What Belinda wanted to be when she grew up
  • Why you should make your competitors your buddies
  • Why being successful and working yourself into the ground are NOT the same thing
  • Why referring work to other copywriters is a great idea
  • How some clients won’t be that into you and that’s okay
  • Why your first draft will be rubbish and that’s okay
  • Why it’s better to do one thing well than to try to do too much

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

And a big shout out to Loren Bartley from Business Addicts for leaving a fab review for us. We’re glad you’re loving the show!

 

May 4, 2016

In this episode we chat to Amy Harrison, a well-known UK copywriter. Amy is also a copywriting coach and keynote speaker at marketing events around the world. You might have seen her guest post on sites like Copyblogger, DuctTape Marketing and Problogger. Or watched her YouTube channel.

The lady gets about and we picked her brain about copywriting, content and story-telling in modern marketing.

Tune in to learn:

  • How Amy made the leap from screen writer to copywriter
  • The benefit of saying YES and when to stop
  • How Amy decides the next step in her career
  • How long it takes to nail your ideal client
  • Tips on staying creative
  • The nuts and bolts of Amy’s writing process
  • Amy’s tips on using video marketing
  • How to use story telling in your copywriting
  • What Amy watches on Netflix!
  • Amy’s hot tips for new copywriters

 

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

And a big shout out to Derek Etherton for leaving a fab review for us. We're glad you're loving the show! 

Find out more at:

Links mentioned in this article:

Apr 21, 2016

Even the most experienced copywriters can suffer from confidence wobbles. Those moments you begin to question your writing abilities or your business skills... or both! In this podcast, we chat through some confidence blurts copywriters have kindly shared with us and add our own experiences and tips on overcoming them!

 

Tune to hear us chat about confidence blurts like:

  • Comparing yourself (and your writing) to others
  • Answering the phone
  • Communicating off the page (verbally)
  • Meeting clients to discuss projects
  • Preparing quotes and getting clients through the sales process
  • Getting negative feedback
  • Questioning your writing skills
  • Keeping the pipeline consistently full
  • Waiting for clients to get back to you
  • Lack of experience

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

Thanks to Jenny De Lacy, Lisa Cropman, Jodi Gibson, Rashida Tayabali, Anne Maybus, Nicole Leedham, Matt Fenwick, Katherine Elizabeth, Rose Spagnolo for sharing their wobbles in Kate’s Clever Copywriting School.

Useful links

Apr 6, 2016

Today we’re talking to Ryan Wallman Head of Copy at Wellmark a Melbourne creative agency that specialising in niche industries and in particular healthcare and pharmaceutical communications.
Ryan has an alter ego Dr Draper on Twitter and is a well known name in copywriting circles.

Tune in to learn:

  • What a Head of Copy job entails
  • How Ryan started out as a copywriter?
  • Advice for copywriters considering specialisation?
  • Whether you need qualifications to become a medical copywriter?
  • Tips for breaking into agency land?
  • Ryan's biggest challenges in his copywriter career
  • Ryan's creative process
  • Tips for newbie copywriters

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

Thanks to Andrea Rowe from Your Coastal Connection for her fab review, read out on the show.

Find out more at:

Links mentioned in this article:

Mar 23, 2016

In the last Hot Copy podcast we shared some copywriting techniques to help your clients build trust and credibility with their audience. One of those techniques is getting testimonials and it’s so important for your own business that it deserves a pod of its own. This week we get stuck into getting and using testimonials to power up your marketing.

Tune in to learn:

  • Why testimonials are such a powerful tool
  • Different types of testimonials and how to get them
  • Best questions for awesome testimonials
  • Where to use testimonials for maximum impact
  • Cheats you can use to power up your testimonials

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

Useful links

 

Mar 9, 2016

When it comes to deciding on whether to do business with someone, trust is key. So if you can help your copywriting clients build trust and credibility with their audience you’re doing a great job.

We’ve put together some top tips to help you write trustworthy copy, inspire confidence and convert readers into customers.

Tune in to learn:

  • How to use specifics, stats and facts to earn trust
  • The importance of clarity and error free content
  • How to use guarantees
  • Using testimonials, clients lists and samples
  • Why fake scarcity and offers don't work

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

Useful links

Feb 24, 2016

This week we chat with Jacqui Pryor.

Jacqui has more than 16 years of experience in the trademark industry helping businesses protect their intellectual property. She is the founder of Mark My Words Trademark Services Pty Ltd and shares her knowledge on the Flying Solo website. In this podcast we pick her brains about copyright and trademarking.

[Tweet "Podcast 21: Know your rights when it comes to copyright? Hot Copy interview with expert, Jacqui Pryor  #hotcopy #copywriting"]

Tune in to learn:

  • The difference between copywrite and copyright
  • How copywriters can protect the words they write
  • Clients ownership of the copy you write for them
  • Why you should consider trademarking your business identity
  • What you can do if you find someone is copying your words or products

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!

Find out more at:

Feb 10, 2016

You've won the copywriting project. Whoo hoo. But now the hard work begins.

Although many copywriters might be great writers, they're often not so good at project management. Belinda and Kate believe that your process, particularly when it comes to sign offs - can make a huge difference to both your client's satisfaction levels and your sanity levels.

Tune in to learn:

  • Why process is so important
  • How managing your sign offs carefully can boost your income
  • How to deal with too many amends
  • Managing final sign off
  • Who has the copyright?

Useful links

Jan 27, 2016

This week we're talking copywriting fees, what to charge, when to charge and how to charge. We'll explain how we charge our clients, how we put together our estimates, how we use deposits to ensure cash flow and why we're not big fans of charging by the word.

Tune in to learn:

  • How to work out your hourly rate
  • Different ways to charge for your copywriting work
  • How to use retainer agreements
  • Our quoting formula
  • Why getting a deposit is so important
  • How to chase up later payers

Useful links

 

Jan 13, 2016

This week we chat with Valerie Khoo.

Valerie is a well-known Australian author, founder and National Director of the Australian Writer’s Centre, journalist, keynote speaker and host of not one but two podcasts (So you want to be a writer, with Allison Tate and So you want to be a photographer, with Gina Milica).

Tune in to learn:

  • When Valerie began to consider writing a viable career choice
  • What let her to create the Australian Writer's Centre
  • Valerie's advice on dealing with failure
  • Valerie's big tips to new (and seasoned) copywriters

Share the pod love!

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, the best way to support the show is to take just a few seconds to leave a rating and / or comment over on iTunes or Stitcher. Thanks!


Find Valerie at:

1