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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.
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Now displaying: Category: copywriting interviews
Aug 27, 2020

Have you ever felt cooped up in a corporate office, staring outside at the trees, wishing you could leave the hustle and bustle of city life behind?

Waking up mid-morning, taking a coffee onto the veranda, and staring out at wide-open pastures with birds chirping?

While it’s a nice daydream to have, many of us stick it out and stay put.

Others, like our guest today, put in the tough hours to make it a reality.

It’s not all lazy sleep-ins and fresh country air, but it IS freedom from the constraints of the city, and as far as copywriting goes - it’s a whole new demographic.

We’re excited to find out the difference location can make to your writing strategies from The Rural Copywriter herself!

Tune in to learn:

  • How Sarah Walkerden became The Rural Copywriter
  • Common misconceptions about country-living
  • City VS Country copy
  • The secrets of writing in a “down to earth style”
  • The challenges of working with rural businesses
  • How Sarah’s workday changed.

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, Spotify, or Stitcher. Thanks!

Oh and big hugs to Kate Crocker for her lovely testimonial.

I love the Hot Copy Podcast. It's engaging, funny, and informative. It covers a huge range of copywriting topics, always with practical tips.

Belinda and Kate also interview some legends of the biz and obviously enjoy themselves.

This podcast is a must for any copywriter.”

 

About Sarah

The Rural Copywriter helps rural and regionally based businesses (including the agricultural and equestrian industries, boost their Google rankings and win over scores of adoring customers, through effective digital marketing messaging and strategy.

Specialising in writing SEO-friendly website copy and sales funnel copywriting, Sarah also helps businesses to develop effective content marketing strategies for blogs and social media.

Fun fact: Sarah also loves the smell of leather and horse sweat!

Useful links

Aug 13, 2020

Figuring out what makes you unique is a tough but essential part of marketing your copywriting services.

What if you’ve written for every type of business?
What if you’ve seen it all and written the copy?
Can oodles of experience be your USP?

The answer is yes and we’re excited to talk to a copywriter who celebrates not only her age and experience but her knack for reinvention… and how that’s shaped her copywriting business.

Tune in to learn:

  • Life and writing experience – when you’ve seen it, done it, made it work (even when ‘it didn’t’)
  • The process of reinvention and how to know if you need one
  • The new dimension of imposter syndrome (aka ‘how can I possibly still be here doing this at my age?!’)
  • Wrinkles and grey hair in the era of Facebook live
  • Advice for grey-haired word nerds contemplating freelance copywriting
    The joy of nailing your brand

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, Spotify, or Stitcher. Thanks!

Oh and big hugs to kazzaround from Australia for this lovely testimonial.

An old dog learning new tricks and really enjoying this podcast. Presented so well by Kate who is engaging, entertaining and informing on all things on copywriting. This is the best podcast in a while and I can’t get enough.

About Mary

Mary Cameron is an SEO Copywriter, Kiwi with Scots roots, now living ‘la vie bretonne’ in regional France.

A writer of clear, convincing words for exacting humans for over 40 years.

Distance runner turned endurance cyclist. Saltwater enthusiast. Bossed by a ginger cat. Wife to darling husband and mother to a lovely lad. Grumpy loser of board games.

Useful links

 

Jul 16, 2020

SaaS copy, is it a super sexy sassy form of copywriting?
No!
It’s Software as a Service copy.
Huh?
Well you know big brands like Stripe, ConvertKit, Slack - well yes they need copy.

And a particular type of copy.

When we write for SaaS companies we’re writing easy to understand words for potentially highly technical products.
We need to write copy that shows that this software, that you've never heard of, is absolutely essential for your life.

We’re digging deep into the world of SaaS today.

Tune in to learn:

  • How Kat got started in copywriting
  • When and why she decided to niche into SaaS copywriting
  • What kind of copy SaaS clients regularly ask for
  • How Kat found her first SaaS copywriting client
  • How Kat stays up to date with SaaS trends
  • Whether Kat’s clients tend to be one-off or ongoing work
  • Kat’s SaaS copywriting process
  • Key SaaS copywriting techniques

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, Spotify, or Stitcher. Thanks!

Oh and thanks to F N AWESOME Game for this great review of the show.

“I’m not even a copywriter, just a marketer, and I can’t stop listening to this podcast! The hosts and guests are amazing and I learn volumes from each episode!

My three other podcasts are on hold until I listen to every episode of the Hot Copy podcast (including the ones on their website too)!

They say this podcast is for copywriters, but in my humble opinion, it’s also for entrepreneurs, marketers, and salespeople too because each episode is packed full of gems of information.

 

Thanks, ladies and to all the guests for this valuable podcast and copywriting gold. I absolutely love it!”

 

About Kat

Kat Ambrose is obsessed with stringing words together, especially for SaaS companies.

She’s written for companies like Stripe, Keeping, and GoLinks, just to name a few. After a few years of cutting her teeth in the agency world, she left to pursue her writing career and hasn’t looked back since.

When she's not writing or keeping up with trends in the SaaS space, she's out for a run, paging through a thriller, or trying to pet the nearest dog.

Fun fact: Kat and her middle brother are 364 days apart!

Connect with Kat

Jul 2, 2020

Being a guest on a podcast is a fantastic way to increase your reach and boost your visibility and skyrocket that authority. Right? You're a really important person who knows what they're talking about when you're been on a pod.

But getting on a podcast is not quite as easy as just asking the podcast host.

Today's guest is a podcast guesting specialist and we're digging into how to get on podcasts but so much more.

Tune in to learn:

  • How Mai-Kee niched into podcasting pitching
  • How podcasts rank against other means to boost visibility and authority
  • How to get over your own fear of being a podcast guest
  • How to choose the best podcast to get on
  • The secret of a solid podcast pitch
  • Equipment needed if you don’t want to be rejected as a podcast
  • Other essentials you need in place
  • How to leverage the pods we’re on to get in front of our ideal clients
  • The power of intentional podcast guesting

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, Spotify, or Stitcher. Thanks!

Oh and huge props Lizzie Macaulay for this review on Facebook.

As a mum of 2 youngsters (1&3), I am usually saddled with Wiggles-filled car journeys at every turn. Discovering the Hot Copy podcast has been a game-changer in more ways than I can count. Goodbye Wiggles, hello smart, witty, professional advice that has really shaped how I approach setting up my own service in regional Queensland. We have worked through nearly the entire catalogue in the last month or so, and it is my suspicion Kate and Belinda's tips are shaping two mini writers as well! ;-) Thank you both for all you do, and keep up the fantastic work!

About Mai-Kee

Mai-kee Tsang is a Podcast Guesting Mentor and Trainer who helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs to expand their reach, share their message, and grow their businesses to make a bigger impact on the world.

She does this by training her clients and their teams to build a self-sustaining podcast guesting system in their biz - so they can land brand-aligned podcast interviews without having to outsource to an external agency.

This helps to position her clients as guest experts who focus on Value-Driven Visibility™, intentional relationship building, and creating a loyal audience.

Connect with Mai-Kee

Jun 18, 2020

Do you want to know a secret?

Kate never actually wanted to be a copywriter. Her dream was to be a magazine writer. In fact, she was voted “Girl Most Likely To Write For Smash Hits” when she was at school.

But there's more. She was also a feature editor for her uni newspaper interviewing Blur and Bob Monkhouse.

She interned at several sexy music mags in London.

And she was accepted onto a prestigious magazine journalism course. Whaaaat?

But she couldn’t afford it. So she didn’t go.

So she spent the next 10 years wandering in the wilderness of digital production... until she found copywriting.

But Kate still yearns to be a REAL Writer.

(And we're all nodding here, right?)

Today we’re talking about writing for magazines and more specifically how to pitch them and we have a very special guest to give us the lowdown.

Tune in to learn:

  • Where to start with magazine writing
  • A peek behind-the-scenes with Rachel
  • Emailing the perfect pitch
  • Whether you should write an article or pitch the idea first
  • The first point of contact when pitching articles
  • How to hear back from potential writing jobs
  • Pay rates in the world of magazine-writing
  • Kill fees - what they are and how to obtain them
  • Handling rejection as a writer.

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, Spotify, or Stitcher. Thanks!

Oh and please leave us a review and we'll read it out on the show!

About Rachel

Rachel Smith is a freelance journalist and copywriter with over 20 years' experience (most of that in isolation by choice, ha). She writes for magazines, websites, and corporate clients and has been published in the Sydney Morning Herald, Good Health, Woman’s Day, CHOICE, Foxtel Mag, TV Week, Inside Out, and many others. Rachel is also the founder of Rachel's List, a jobs board and community for writers – and she co-hosts The Content Byte podcast with fellow journo Lynne Testoni.

Connect with Rachel

Jun 4, 2020

As copywriters, we get to hide behind our keyboards – writing the words that put our clients in the spotlight.

And for many of us, it’s just where we want to be.

But are we doing ourselves a disservice?

Today we’re going to be talking to Mike Kim about building a personal brand and what it can mean for us as copywriters and business owners.

His own podcast Brand You is where he talks about all those things and more..

But today, he’s all ours.

 

Tune in to learn:

  • The surprising start to Mike’s career
  • Whether having a personal brand means we have to be a celebrity
  • The elements of a strong personal brand
  • How to start building your personal brand
  • How a personal brand will compete or complement your business brand
  • How a copywriter can develop a personal brand that genuinely stands out in an internet of copywriters
  • How to communicate core brand values through content
  • Mistakes most people make when it comes to their own brand
  • What we need to get over in order to have a strong personal brand

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 iTunesSpotify, or Stitcher. Thanks!

Oh and huge props Lizzie Macaulay for this review on Facebook.

“As a mum of 2 youngsters (1&3), I am usually saddled with Wiggles-filled car journeys at every turn. Discovering the Hot Copy podcast has been a game-changer in more ways than I can count. Goodbye Wiggles, hello smart, witty, professional advice that has really shaped how I approach setting up my own service in regional Queensland. We have worked through nearly the entire catalogue in the last month or so, and it is my suspicion Kate and Belinda’s tips are shaping two mini writers as well! 😉

 

Thank you both for all you do, and keep up the fantastic work!” – Lizzie Macaulay

 

About Mike

Mike Kim is a speaker and marketing strategist who specializes in brand strategy and copywriting.

He’s been hired by some of today’s most influential thought leader brands including John Maxwell, Donald Miller, Suzanne Evans, and Catalyst.

For years he was the Chief Marketing Officer of a successful multi-million dollar company near New York City.

Nowadays you’ll find him speaking at conferences, looking for the next great place to scuba dive, and sipping a glass of Macallan 15 — all while teaching everything he knows about branding, entrepreneurship, and life through his hit podcast, Brand You.

Connect with Mike

May 21, 2020

Human-centered design is an approach to interactive systems development that aims to make systems usable and useful by focusing on the users, their needs and requirements, and by applying human factors and usability knowledge and techniques.

The point? To create a better experienced for real-life people.

On today’s podcast, we have a veritable whizz at all things human-centered, Anita Siek.

She’s going to explain what Human-Centred design is, how it applies to content and copywriting, and how we can use it to help our clients. Thank goodness!

Tune in to learn:

  • Anita’s journey to where she is today
  • How she grew Wordfetti and the challenges that she faced
  • Human-centred copywriting and content
  • Creative vs strategic copywriting
  • Diverse income streams and not scaling by humans

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, Spotify, or Stitcher. Thanks!

Oh and big hugs to ANITA ASHLOCK for her lovely testimonial.

"This podcast has truly changed my career. There's zero fluff, 100% personality, and actionable advice. I've learned more from Hot Copy than anything else––grad school, previous jobs, online courses, etc. The hosts always talk about defining how you add value in your business and that's exactly what they do here. Added bonus? Now, this American knows what "whinge" means."

About Anita

Anita Siek is an ex-lawyer with a background in psychology who did a 360 in her career by becoming a brand strategist and copywriter. She's the founder and director of Wordfetti, a human-centered brand strategy and copywriting studio specialising in helping brands stand out through the power of psychology and words.

She is also the host of Brandfetti the podcast, a no-fluff weekly podcast dedicated to sharing bite-sized content marketing, verbal branding, and value-bombs on the science of words, as well as stories of brands who are creating a dent in their industry through the power of words. Some of Wordfetti's clients include Australia's largest insurer brand IAG, Lack of Color, Luna Bronze, Libby Trickett, and Mia Freedman.

Connect with Anita

Useful links

 

May 7, 2020

We are surrounded by art every day. And artists struggle with many of the challenges that us copywriters do…

  • How to create a sense of perceived value around their work.
  • How to market their work to audiences who will not only appreciate it but pay for it too.
  • How to create a successful business without disrupting their creative process.

That’s where today’s guest comes in.

We’re talking to Ali Strachan, digging into how artists can create a successful business and how copywriters can be successful in this niche.

Tune in to learn:

  • What an Arts Advocate does
  • The big struggles artists face, and how Ali helps to overcome them
  • How important strong personal branding and storytelling is for artists
  • The kind of copy an arts copywriter writes
  • The conflict between art and marketing: the artist and the customers
  • Whether artists care about SEO, blogs, and mailing lists
  • What gets Ali cross about arts marketing

Question for you

Have you ever written for an artist? Share your thoughts on Twitter (@hotcopypodcast) or our Facebook page!

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, Spotify, or Stitcher. Thanks!

Thanks to thatsmekq from the UK for a fantastic review of the show.

“Really enjoying your podcast and am going to be putting a lot of these tips to use in my new marketing manager role. I listen to a lot of marketing-related podcasts and this is my new favourite. Thanks for your high-quality content. Kay (Glasgow).”

Who is Ali?

Ali Strachan helps visual artists promote their work, make an impact, and earn more from sales and commissions.

She’s a passionate, knowledgeable, and honest advocate of the arts, who supports her clients to achieve success on their creative journey.

She regularly works with arts organisations and local council to promote and educate local artists and engage them in events to give them every opportunity to build their profile within the community.

As a fellow creative, she understands the challenges artists face when building their business – and has the tools, experience, and know-how to help artists be more profitable, so they can keep doing what they love.

Connect with Ali

Apr 9, 2020

Some industries have a very straight-forward process to buy. I have a problem. I research alternatives. I choose one. I give them some money and I get something in return.

All very simple.

Other industries have a much more complex process. Very big (and expensive) projects often begin with a tendering process. Writing tenders for civil engineering and construction industries might seem like a dry idea to some but that’s what our guest today specialising in… and it’s way more interesting than you think.

Tune in to learn:

  • How different tender writing is from other copywriting
  • What are the different types of tender documents and the most common ones
  • What goes into a tender and how long the average project takes
  • How to charge and manage a tender writing project
  • What the tender writing revision process looks like
  • Where Estelle finds her clients
  • The Do's and don'ts of tender writing
  • Why Estelle chose this niche and how others an get started in it
  • What kind of copywriter tender writing suits
  • Estelle’s number one tender writing tip.

About Estelle

Estelle is a tender and SEO Copywriter who's been trying to find the Words That Fit for business for over 20 years. She cut her teeth on tenders and proposals for the recruitment sector before finding her absolute love working in the civil engineering and construction industry. These days she combines the two and has a lot of fun taking businesses through the tender process and beyond: from tender ready to web-ready to award ready.

Question for you

Is tender writing something you'd consider after listening? Share your thoughts on Twitter (@hotcopypodcast) or our Facebook page!

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, Spotify or Stitcher. Thanks!

Oh and big hugs to GINA GODEEN from the USA for her lovely testimonial.

Kate and Belinda are always so fun to listen to (and not just because of their accents!). They have tons of great advice and are always willing to share their best copywriting tips. Great show.

Connect with Estelle

Mar 11, 2020

How many times have you Googled a symptom? Hands up. We all have. The need to make complex medical information accessible and readable has flourished with the advent of Google and the prevalence of internet access.

WHO NEEDS DOCTORS?

We do. Of course.

But as patients we’re more informed than ever and who writes the content we use to research the latest thoughts on medical science?

Medical copywriters!

Today we’re talking about medical copywriting -- accurately representing clinical data in a way that is clear, concise, and engaging. And we’re got specialist Nerissa Bentley to shed some light on this for us.

Tune in to learn:

  • How Nerissa found her medical copywriting niche
  • How she built her client-base in beginning
  • Why understanding the rules and regulations is vital to medical copywriting
  • The role research and referencing plays in medical copywriting
  • The potential risks and hazards of medical copywriting
  • Authority v approachability – how to nail the patient voice, and have authority without clinical jargon.
  • Where Nerissa finds her clients now
  • Whether medical copywriting is more lucrative than other forms of copywriting
  • Whether writing medical copywriting takes longer
  • The peaks and the pitfalls of working with international clients
  • The quirkiest medical topic Nerissa’s ever written about
  • Nerissa’s number one tip for newbie medical copywriters

Question for you!

Share your thoughts on Twitter (@hotcopypodcast) or our Facebook page!

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, Spotify or Stitcher. Thanks!

Thanks to Traceluke from Australia for a fantastic review of the show.

Connect with Nerissa

Feb 6, 2020

Does cold emailing get you in a cold sweat? Is it something you’ve put off because you don’t want to be accused of being a spammer… Or face rejection, over and over again?

Many of us will find anything to do aside from sending a cold pitch email. We create and share content. We go to networking events. We participate in forums and FB groups where our ideal customers hang out.

All great marketing strategies but there comes a time when we need to get proactive about our lead generation.

Today’s episode features special guest, Laura Lopuch, and it will empower you to get on the front foot and start sending emails to bring in more work.

Tune in to learn:

  • The career Laura left to become a conversion copywriter
  • How she uncovered sending cold emails as her superpower
  • Whether cold emailing is just a numbers game (and how to win)
  • Tips on preparing to send an email to someone who you don’t know
  • The structure of an effective cold email
  • Surprisingly simple follow up tips
  • How to get your mojo right to send a great cold email

Question for you!

Do you embrace proactive lead generation like cold emailing? Or does it terrify you?

Share your thoughts on Twitter (@hotcopypodcast) or our Facebook page!

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 Kgb_kgb from Canada for a fantastic review of the show.

About Laura

Laura is an email conversion copywriter + strategist for startups, service professionals, and SaaS companies who want to send those infamous, money-makin’ emails you’ve heard so dang much about.

Her expertise lies in cold emails. Which are the hardest email marketing channel to master. Laura’s work has been seen on websites like Kissmetrics, Crazy Egg, Get Response, Copy Hackers, and MailShake. One of her cold emails brought in $20,000 in revenue.

Thanks to her work with many clients (including online biggies like Joanna Wiebe and Selena Soo), she’s seen firsthand that being ultra-relevant to your email reader is pure magic for getting sales.

Useful resources

Find Laura

Nov 14, 2019

Today, Kate is talking to Glenn Fisher, from All Good Copy. He’s an Author, Copywriter, Podcast and Speaker.

His book ‘The Art of The Click’ was shortlisted as the business book of the year in 2019. And his podcast - The All Good Copy Podcast - has had a string of awesome guests on it, including me. He has a dog called Pablo, a Crime podcast loving partner called Ruth and lives in merry old England.

But as well as being a copywriting celebrity, Glenn is also a working writer, and he specialises in direct response. He’s worked with a string of sexy clients helping them drive sales and win over clients and today he’s sharing his secrets with us.

Tune in to learn:

  • When you talk about being a direct response copywriter - what do you mean by that?
  • A lot of people assume direct response is all about long copy. Is that true?
  • How do you go about writing a 10,000 word long copy sales letter?
  • Should you handwrite out letters?
  • How can people study direct response?
  • What mistakes do most direct copywriters make?
  • Who have been your biggest influences in your career?
  • What’s the one book you’d recommend all copywriters read?
  • Who was Glenn’s favourite podcast guest?

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 thatsmekq for their lovely testimonial.

About Glenn

Glenn Fisher was born in Grimsby in 1981. After a number of years working in the local council, he left to become a copywriter and founded AllGoodCopy.com, a free online resource for direct response copywriters and marketers. For over a decade, he worked with The Agora, a multi-million-pound international financial publisher and in 2018, having helped launch and grow Agora Financial in the UK, he left to write copy on a freelance basis, focus on coaching aspiring copywriters and publish his first book, The Art of the Click. He now regularly speaks at industry events and hosts The All Good Copy Podcast, where he interviews some of the biggest names in the business. He lives happily with his partner Ruth and dog Pablo on the east coast of England.

Connect with Glenn

Useful links

 

Oct 3, 2019

Steve Follard is the host of the ‘Being Freelance’ Podcast and the ‘Doing it for the Kids’ Podcast. He’s also a video and audio freelancer.

He’s talked to countless freelancers about the challenges of our strange rollercoaster life and he wanted to share the biggest lessons with the Hot Copy listeners.

Just a note this episode was recorded as a Masterclass for my Clever Copywriting Community, so if you hear anything strange that’s why.

Tune in to learn:

  1. Why you shouldn’t freak out
  2. Why it’s important to understand your finances
  3. The lesson of Knowing yourself.
  4. How to be Yourself
  5. Why nice guys get paid last
  6. How to stop being so available
  7. How to Learn to say NO
  8. Why Steve schedules life first
  9. How to make opportunities for yourself
  10. Why Other Freelancers are NOT the competition.

Question for the listeners!

What’s your biggest freelance lesson?

Share your thoughts on Twitter or our Facebook page!

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 urban_wanderer from the USA for a fantastic review of the show.

About Steve

Steve is a video & audio creator. Usually for businesses, but as you can tell, he has a habit of doing it for the freelance community too.

That’s what he does now. For years he worked in radio.

In 2013 he swapped early starts for a life being freelance: to be his own boss, to be with his two kids, to be more awake.

He’s always freelanced alongside ‘full time’ jobs though: radio producer, presenter, scriptwriter, voiceover or copywriter.

He started the Being Freelance podcast in January 2015.

In 2016 he started documenting his freelance life with the Being Freelance vlog.

In 2018 he started speaking at events on the subject of freelancing and finding work-life balance.

2019 saw him launch the Being Freelance Community and become the co-host of a second podcast for freelance parents: Doing It For The Kids podcast.

He loves cake.

He runs because he knows he should.

Sometimes it’s past a bakers.

Find Steve

Jul 18, 2019

Lead magnets have been part of our marketing vernacular for years now. You offer a thing of value and people give you their email address (and permission to email them).

But is there any money to be made from writing these?

Absolutely! 

To share HOW copywriters to land some high paying ebook projects, we’re talking to Steve Slaunwhite.

Tune in to learn:

  • What we mean when we talk about an ebook
  • What an exceptional ebook should include
  • How to pick the best topic for an ebook
  • Expert tips on structuring your ebook service
  • Tips on landing profitable ebook projects

Question for you!

Do you offer ebooks writing services? What tips can you add?

Share your thoughts on Twitter (@hotcopypodcast) or our Facebook page!

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 urban_wanderer from USA for leaving a fantastic review of the show.

About Steve

Steve Slaunwhite has been a copywriter and copywriting trainer for 20+ years.

He’s the creator of many popular online courses the author of “The Everything Guide to Writing Copy” and AWAI’s 2016 Copywriter Of The Year.

In his spare time, Steve likes to paint (poorly), cycle, read and hang out with his family.

Connect with Steve

Check Steve out at www.CopywritingCoach.com

Jun 20, 2019

How do you get copywriting clients?

It’s a question we get asked all the time. We even did an episode on it covering some of the most common lead gen tactics.

But there are some platforms and techniques that might surprise you. Like Instagram.

It’s a HUGE platform but many people dismiss it because it’s (gasp) images. And we deal with words

In this episode, Belinda talks to a copywriter who is nailing Instie and picks her brain on how we can too!

Tune in to learn:

  • How Ami shifted from craft to copywriting
  • Why she loves Instagram so much and her strategy for success
  • Why copywriters often struggle with Instie and her tips on nailing it
  • How often you should post and what type of content works best
  • The hidden power of stories to maximise your reach
  • How to make your posts more readable
  • Super tips to boost your bio

Question for the listeners!

Do you get leads from Instagram? Tell us about your strategy! Share your thoughts on Twitter (@hotcopypodcast) or our Facebook page!

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 Sharon Well for a fantastic review of the show.

About Ami

Ami is a writer of personality-driven copy, lover of a good laugh and slightly evil genius. She helps brands get clear on their personality so that they can show up consistently, stand out in a noisy marketplace and attract their dream customers.

Damn Write
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May 2, 2019

As copywriters and business owners, we seek the warmth and security of financial consistency. Many of us believe if you can wriggle in with agency clients, we’ll have just that.

But what are agencies all about? Are they something you should consider working harder to build relationships with? Are there any downfalls for working with agencies? And how do you even your little toe in the door? Kate Merryweather joins us today and will be answering each of these elusive questions.

Tune in to learn:

  • How to approach agencies
  • Ways to stay front of mind with agencies
  • How to stay visible in an agency
  • Management tools to boost your impact
  • How agency relationships workHow to charge for agency work
  • The pros of taking on agency clients
  • The cons for taking on agency clients
  • How to get agencies on retainer
  • The legalities of working with agencies
Apr 4, 2019

We went to a copywriting conference in New York City in March 2019. It was Brooklyn but let’s not facts spoil the glamour.

It was TCC IRL (The Copywriter Club In Real Life) and while we had a BLAST hanging out together – you would be surprised how many years it’s been since we hung out in real life – we also took the chance to pick the brains of the speakers.

We asked as many speakers as we could grab in the breaks, “What is ONE THING you wish you’d know when you started your copywriting career.”

We didn’t tell anyone what the other tips were and every single person delivered something unique. And they are some stellar tips too.

This is your chance to grab a shortcut to the mindset and process tips these copywriters have gleaned over years and years of working the job.

Cool, huh?

Tune in to hear from:

  • Kevin James (Copy Chief)
  • Kira Hug (The Copywriter Club)
  • Joanna Weibe (Copy Hackers)
  • Justin Blackman (Pretty Fly Copy)
  • Michal Eisikowitz (Michal Eisikowitz Copywriting)
  • Bond Halbert (Bond Halbert Publishing)
  • Chantelle Zak (Chanti Zak)
  • Liana Patch (Punchline Conversion Copywriting)
  • Parris Lampropoulos
  • Prerna Malik (Content Bistro)
  • Abbey Woodcock (On Life and Writing)
  • Tarzan Kay Kalryzian (Tarzan Kay)

Thank you to all our guests for coming up with BRILLIANT answers on the spot.

Question for you

What is your favourite tip from this episode?

Let us know on our Facebook page or on Twitter.

Share the pod love

If you like what you’re hearing on Hot Copy, support the show by leaving us a rating and review on iTunes or Stitcher. We’ll read your name and review out on the show and send you lots of virtual love.

Huge props to Pixelhappystudio for her super review.

Find out more about each speaker

Mar 7, 2019

Rob Marsh has been a little name and then a big name.

He mastered the copywriting world, working with some of the biggest names and wearing many hats, founding communities, conferences, courses and more. He co hosts the second best copywriting podcast too!

The golden question is of course “How did he do it? And how does he fit it all in?”

Today, we’ll delve into the Whens, Whats, Whys and Hows.

Rob will give us a sneak peek into how his career unfolded and how you can leverage his experience to boost your own.

 

Tune in to learn:

  • How Rob’s copywriting journey began and why he expanded into other marketing areas
  • Which of Rob’s kids he loves most
  • The 3 biggests challenges Rob faced in his copywriting career
  • How Rob increased his brand and mastered copywriting
  • Different approaches to international copywriting
  • If Americans or Australians are more open to the hard sell and why
  • The challenges Rob faced when launching his podcast, course and community
  • The biggest shortfall Rob sees in copywriters today and how to avoid it

 

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 Draisydre from USA for his lovely testimonial.

 

About Rob

Rob is an expert marketer, writer and entrepreneur. He has worked as a Copywriter, Producer and Creative Director at various companies including FranklinCovey, Publicis, and Hewlett Packard. So he has “big company” and “agency” experience.

In 2004, he joined a startup that revolutionized the online production of design (the predecessor to companies like UpWork and 99Designs). In 2012, he started his own SaaS business. So he understands small biz too.

Today he is part of the copywriting duo (with Kira Hug) that hosts The Copywriter Club Podcast and community for copywriters of all talent levels. He also consults with a variety of technology and wellness companies, to create effective landing pages, conversion funnels, and marketing campaigns at Brandstory Copy and Content. He is the author of the book, Telling Your Brand Story (available at Amazon, hint, hint). He lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, four kids, and westie.

 

Connect with Rob

Feb 7, 2019

Cold calls. Telemarketing. Infomercials. These words send a chilling shiver down my spine. In a world where folk are over the abundance of “buy my thing” being shouted at them, how do you avoid being lumped in with the salesy slime? How can we tailor our copy to make our users feel comfortable?

Today, Cath Fowler joins me to uncover how you can use psychology based copy to persuade and sell. We’ll delve into using clever copywriting to break down trust barriers and create a message your clients will remember.

Tune in to learn:

  • Why you should consider psychology when writing copy 
  • Using active voice and repetition to make your message memorable
  • Why metaphors and similes work so well
  • Using concrete claims to build trust
  • The best way to convey percentages and time
  • Getting bullet points right
  • How to overcome objections
  • The power of because
  • How to create curiosity 

 

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 smilinsamiam from Australia  for the lovely testimonial.

 

About Cath

Cath Fowler is an SEO consultant and copywriter who helps businesses get found and look good online.

Using SEO smarts and compelling copy she will establish your brand as the leader in your local area or industry. She loves working with financial services clients and regional businesses of all kinds - to help the little guys compete on the big stage.

Don't make her pick which type of client she prefers out of those two. That would be like make her pick between her two cheeky daughters and she just won't do it.

Connect with Cath

 

 

Jan 31, 2019

We’ve all read those long-form Facebook ads and wondered if they really work.

Would you be surprised to learn that some of the highest converting Facebook ads are the length of some long-form landing pages? Upwards of two thousand words!

And they work. Why do they work and how can you write them is the topic of today’s episode. Justin Blackman shares his experience on writing high-converting Facebook ads in hundreds of different tones of voice.

It’s a bonanza of an episode that delivers much more than Facebook ads.

If you want to learn how to write long-form FB ads and bundle your services and write in different tones of voice… this episode is for YOU!

Tune in to learn:

  • All about “Pedestal Post” formatting (one sentence at a time that people hate UNLESS it’s for them)
  • The secret sauce to lowering bounce rates
  • A simple way to a/b test (changing only the preview copy)
  • The surprising detail of effective Facebook ad images
  • Justin’s “Daniel Day-Lewis/method acting” approach to finding the customers voice
  • Best formulas for long-form Facebook ads
  • Formal vs. informal language – is jargon always bad?
  • How to use your current Facebook ads to reverse engineer high converting ads
  • Headlines are even important in FB ads
  • How Justin stumbled into the 6-figure gig without ever pitching it

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 lawyer09 from USA for a great review.

 

About Justin

Justin spent 2 decades marketing big name brands, like Red Bull, Puma & 5-hour Energy where he learned the power of good voice.

And it made him hate boring, drab, self-centred emails & websites. So he analyzed the good ones, studied quick-hit storytelling techniques from comedians, and cannon-balled into copywriting. Now he helps B2C businesses craft messages that sound like people.

Connect with Justin

Useful Links:

Jan 17, 2019

Time. It’s the most elusive asset you have and yet few copywriters seem to be able to control it.

What do you do when you’ve run out of time? You can’t buy more, I’ve tried and now I think I’ve scared the assistant at the grocery store.

How do we choose what’s worthy of investing our time in and what’s not? How do we avoid the time traps that are laid all around us?

In this episode, Kate Toon chats to the renown time master, Kate Christie about the biggest time pitfalls and how you can end the time race once and for all.

Tune in to learn:

  • The difference between Time Investment and Time Management
  • What the 4 cost lenses are
  • What the SMART Time Investment framework is
  • What is Parkinson’s law
  • Is the framework a once off piece of work?
  • The 3 biggest time challenges Kate Christie sees
  • Top 3 tips for getting time back immediately.

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 Catherine Sempill for a stellar review.

About Kate

kate-christie-photoKate Christie, Founder & CEO of Time Stylers is a Time Investment Expert; International Speaker; and best selling Author. Kate consults to big and small business, government departments and C suite executives on maximising individual time spend and managing organisational drag through smart time investment strategies. She has appeared on television, radio and in print as a leading commentator on time management and maximising work/ life integration to ensure your success across work, family, community, and life.

With a reputation for helping her clients find 30 hours of lost time a month, Kate’s focus is to ensure you are left educated, entertained and with a lasting impact on the way you choose to live, work and play.

Connect with Kate

Useful Links:

 

Jan 3, 2019

Imagine peeking into the office of other copywriters… copywriters doing their thing day in, day out. And making a success of it.

Comparisonitis can be our undoing but it can incredibly useful to hear how and why other copywriters make the choices they do. That’s when comparisonitis turns into inspiration.

Today I’m talking to Chris Cooper. Copywriter and content strategist in Denver.  

Tune in to learn:

  • How Chris made the leap from teaching to writing
  • The mindset time Chris uses to set the tone of his day
  • How Chris has attracted his dream clients
  • Why Chris doesn’t call himself a freelancer
  • How ditching his niche boosted his work satisfaction
  • The hardest part of being a copywriter
  • Why you shouldn’t believe everything you read online

Question for you

Do you have any mindset tips you can share? How do you get your head straight each day?

Share your story on Twitter (@hotcopypodcast) or our Facebook page!

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 Heather Woods from New Zealand for a fantastic review of the show.

About Chris

Chris Cooper image

Chris Cooper owns Real Good Writing in Denver, CO where he helps SaaS and B2B tech companies improve conversion rates. 

Connect with Chris

Useful Links:

Dec 6, 2018

Did you know that our brain responds differently to different messages? If you don’t want to write copy that puts readers on high alert, conversational copywriting is for you.

In this episode, Belinda talks to Nick Usborne (copywriter with 40 years experience) about the shifts in copywriting and why conversational copywriting is actually right for everyone.  

Tune in to learn:

  • What conversational copywriting is
  • The super easy way to know if you've written it or missed the mark
  • How our brain responds to different sales messages
  • Uncovering the language of our readers
  • How to persuade clients that it's the right tone for their brand

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 Greg from Portland for a 5-star review.

 

About Nick

Nick Usborne conversational copywritingWho is Nick Usborne?

Nick Usborne is an expert in copywriting and web writing. He has written copy for some of the world’s biggest brands, including Citibank, Apple, Chrysler, MSN.com, New York Times, WebEx, the U.S. Navy, and others. He attributes his success to “conversational copywriting,”.

Seth Godin says, “In a world of instant pundits and stuffed shirts, Nick Usborne stands out as an astute, insightful and original mind. He’s able to find substance when others see just fluff, and can cut right to the core of the issue.”

Connect with Nick

Useful Links:

 

Oct 25, 2018

Email is dead! No it isn’t! Email is the most powerful marketing tool on the planet!

Which is it and how can copywriters use email marketing to boost their business?

In this episode, Belinda chats to email marketing strategist Sarah Anderson. Sarah generously shares her tips on email marketing techniques (to write welcome, nurturing and conversion sequences) and tips we can use to land clients who want great email copy written for them.

Tune in to learn:

  • Why Sarah stopped dyeing yarn to write copy
  • If email marketing really is as effective as everyone says
  • What copywriters need to understand before writing emails
  • Must know tips for writing a welcome email
  • Must know tips for writing a nurturing sequence
  • Must know tips for writing a conversion sequence
  • How to work out the timing of a good email sequence
  • How to package email writing as a profitable service

 

Question for the listeners:

Do you offer email writing as a service? What the BEST thing about writing emails for others?

Share your story on Twitter (@hotcopypodcast) or our Facebook page!

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 Kerrib100 from Australia for a fantastic review of the show. 

About Sarah

Sarah Anderson is a copywriter and email marketing strategist. She believes that building a relationship with your list is one of the most valuable investments you can make in your marketing. That's why Sarah works with business owners who want emails that nurture subscribers, give tons of value, and convert into sales.

Useful Links:

Aug 16, 2018

We all know as working copywriters that while we put our love, our heart, our soul, our everything into our clients' marketing, we sometimes neglect our own.

So today we’re focusing in on exactly what you need to do as a copywriter to build your business. To boost it, to make people more aware of who you are, to build your authority, to build trust.

Tune in to learn:

  • How to better understand your customer
  • Why you should find services for your clients rather than clients for your services
  • How to differentiate
  • The importance of marketing goals
  • Why you need a vision
  • How to retain existing clients
  • Why your marketing should be integrated
  • How to use proof

Question for the listeners:

Share your story on Twitter (@hotcopypodcast) or our Facebook page!

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!

About Sarah:

Sara Berry started her business Marketing Sense in 2012 with the sole purpose of helping small businesses to grow, by developing their marketing capability. Sara started her career in marketing in 1992, and since that time has worked with close to a hundred businesses to help them achieve their goals.

Sara’s links:

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