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 ...
Feb 07, 2019•44 min
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 mor...
Jan 31, 2019•52 min
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 t...
Jan 17, 2019•43 min
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...
Jan 03, 2019•48 min
It’s nearly Christmas and that statement either makes you CHEER or BOO. Christmas is a time when our clients usually shut up shop. We can start getting anxious as we don’t have work lined up… We can enjoy some much needed time off ourselves… Or we can use the time to work on our business. In this special Christmas episode of the Hot Copy, we’re digging into how we survive Christmas AND answering some questions from you. Tune in to learn: What Kate and Belinda are doing for Christmas How to beat ...
Dec 20, 2018•49 min
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 respon...
Dec 06, 2018•47 min
In our last episode, we talked about your copywriting business being a sock in a box. If you missed it, we talked about the risk of charging a premium level price tag without delivering a premium level service. We shared some helpful tips but we’re going in deeper today. Namely, how do you offer a service that you can confidently charge more for? Why are some copywriters so expensive and how can you be one? Tune in to learn: The five attributes of a high- value copywriter Our five top tips for d...
Nov 22, 2018•33 min
We’ve all been there. We were taken in by the schmick advertising, the snazzy designer, the bells and whistles. We buy the thing. Then it’s delivery and we unwrap the layers of shiny wrapping, dig through a giant box of those puffy polystyrene doo dars and what do we find? A sock in a box? All that puff and prettiness for something so absolutely ordinary. And this happens with copywriting too. Too often we focus on the exterior, the marketing, the pizazz - forgetting what really matters. In this...
Nov 07, 2018•26 min
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 co...
Oct 25, 2018•49 min
Language localisation can be a bit of a minefield. Between the US, the UK and good old Aussie-land we all technically speak the same language, right? So how hard could it be? Quite hard actually. Today, we’re covering the differences you need to know to take your copywriting global. Well, at least between Australia, the United Kingdom and the good old US of A. Tune in to learn: Some common terminology differences How much marketing each audience needs How differently we respond to success How qu...
Oct 10, 2018•29 min
If you’re a copywriter, you’ve probably heard of the term Copy deck before, but you might not be 100% sure what it is. In this episode, we answer ALL your copy deck questions and explain how this one document could transform your copywriting business. Tune in to learn: What is a copy deck Why you should use a copy deck What Kate and Belinda include in their copy decks How should you create your copy deck Should you include layout and design ideas How to take the client through your copy deck How...
Sep 27, 2018•36 min
Now we’re all copywriters here, right? So we should be able to write, right? But the truth is, even after years of slaving at the typewriter, we all could still learn a thing or two. If you’re feeling lost with your writing... Or your ransom notes are going unanswered... Or people are ignoring your emails... In this episode, you’re going to get some tips on how to write better. How to write real words for real people. Let’s get stuck in. Tune in to learn: How to get to know your audience Underst...
Sep 13, 2018•26 min
It’s been a long time coming but we’re finally tackling the topic of proofreading. This is right up the alley of many copywriters and editors, who offer proofreading as a value-adding service to their clients. Neither of us does this ... in fact, we don’t even do our own proofreading. Are you shocked? You needn’t be. Proofreading is a specific skill and part of running a business is knowing what you can do and what you should outsource. Today, we’re going to sharing the BEST proofreading tips cr...
Aug 30, 2018•26 min
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 ...
Aug 16, 2018•39 min
With D.P. Knudten Today Kate talks to D.P. Knudten, a copywriter from Wisconsin, about social media and how it can be a powerful booster for copywriters. Tune in to learn: What is ROTOMA (Return on Top of Mind Awareness), and why should copywriters care? What is Shoemaker's Children Syndrome? In our increasingly visual world, how can copywriters compete? Why social media can be an effective force multiplier for copywriters Should we focus on one particular social media platform Which is D.P.’s f...
Aug 02, 2018•47 min
We’ve talked a little about finding your niche as a copywriter. Medical, government, health, finance. Finding the right niche for your skills can help you earn more moolah as you become a go-to writer who gets the ins and outs of a particular industry. Today, we’re digging into writing for SaaS - software as a service - and eCommerce companies. Our fellow copywriter, sharing her specialist knowledge on this, is Kaleigh Moore. Tune in to learn: How SaaS and eCommerce copywriting is different to o...
Jul 19, 2018•35 min
Tactics to deal with newbie fears and oldbie exhaustion In this solo interview, Kate talks to Robert Gerrish, a well-known name in the Australian solopreneuer world. Robert, a friend and mentor to Kate for many years, was one of the guest speakers at her recent CopyCon18 event in Sydney. He was a huge hit, even more so because he left the audience with an offer: he was happy to chat with anyone who wanted to, to offer his advice and coaching – at no charge. After talking to nearly 20 copywriters...
Jun 14, 2018•45 min
Our last episode focused on beating the blank page and getting your first draft ready. You’ve hit send… but now what? How do you manage the revisions process (especially when it seems to derail everything) and get the client through to approval? If you weren’t nervous enough staring at a blank page, this stage of a copywriting project can have you questioning your career choices. But we’re here to help. So stay tuned for some serious process bombs. Tune in to learn: How to reduce the number of r...
May 30, 2018•38 min
Does the blank page ever mock you? That blinking cursor, flashing at your lack of ability to start this copywriting project… to write a killer headline or craft a first sentence that wows each and every reader…? You’re not alone. Once you land a job, starting the actual writing can feel like the biggest hurdle you’ll face but we’ve got your back. We’re starting a series about our complete writing process, from a blank page to the final draft. This episode is all about getting to the first draft....
May 17, 2018•31 min
As copywriters with our very own podcast, we’re often asked questions. Questions about copywriting. Questions about being a copywriter. Questions about managing our businesses and our family life. Questions about our dogs. So, every now and then we like to pull some out and answer them. That’s what today is all about. We’re answering YOUR questions in a special Hot Copy Q&A. Thanks to Sheree Chambers , Maurizio F. Corte , Angela Rodgers, Di Clements, Lyndall Talbot, Liz Green . Tune in to le...
May 03, 2018•31 min
These days we’re all aiming to make a deeper, more real connection with our customers, and we know the way to do this is through conversational copy. Instead of stuffy, overly formal content we want to create warm, engaging, friendly wordage. Copy that makes it feel like we’re chatting with an authoritative, but affable buddy. But how do we write great conversational copy? Today we’re talking with Vicki Ross, and we’re going to share our top tips for chatty, non-cheesy copy. Tune in to learn: Th...
Apr 18, 2018•40 min
So, you’ve finally finished writing your client’s copy. The homepage is ‘Wow,’ the content pages are engaging and you’ve done just the right amount of SEO to keep those pesky Google hummingbirds singing. But you’ve forgotten something. That’s right — your microcopy. We know, we know. Microcopy isn’t sexy. And it’s certainly not the kind of copy people rave about. In fact, if microcopy were at a party it would be lurking by the door, pointing out where the toilets are, while sales copy was busy s...
Apr 05, 2018•26 min
Many of us are familiar with Google AdWords as part of our knowledge of SEO. But can Google AdWords shortcut your SEO efforts and get to page 1? And are writing Google AdWords a profitable part of a copywriter’s portfolio of projects? Today we’re talking to Google AdWords expert, Melinda Samson. She’s going to give us the lowdown on Google AdWords: the good, the bad and how to write them. Tune in to learn: The structure of the AdWords ad What kind of content these ads should link to Essential ch...
Mar 22, 2018•34 min
Deciding to change jobs is a big decision. Deciding to actually ditch your job (and the loveliness of a regular salary) to become a freelancer can seem like an enormous risk. So, how can you prepare for and transition into life as a freelance copywriter? That’s what we’re talking about today! We share our tips and experience on making it a smooth transition. We cover preparing for the change, when to make the leap, getting your name out there and making sure your bills are being paid. Kate and B...
Mar 08, 2018•35 min
As copywriters, we know that one thing we have far too little of is time. But is it actually possible to delegate some of your work to others? We’re not talking about sub-contracting copywriting work to more junior writers. We’re talking about handing off the day-to-day admin to another human. Sounds good right? In today’s episode, we’re talking about working with Virtual Assistants or VAs. Is this a good way to grow your copywriting business? We’re sharing our experiences and advice on making t...
Feb 22, 2018•54 min
Could your business survive a cold? Probably. But what about an unexpected illness that takes you out of action for weeks? Whether it’s a cold, a hangover or something more long-term, when we work for ourselves the ramifications to our business can be serious. Especially if we’re talking about extended periods of illness. How do you avoid your business going offline when you do? Tune in to learn: Kate and Belinda’s experience with planned and unplanned business outages Our top 3 tips for helping...
Feb 08, 2018•32 min
Darren Rowse is a globally renowned blogger and speaker. Just as many people know him as the founder of Problogger as for his other business, Digital Photography School. He inspires bloggers every year at the Problogger training event and we grabbed him to pick his brain about writing, routines and being a totes famous introvert. Tune in to learn: How Darren finds the time and inclination to write in his ultra-busy schedule Where he gets his inspiration How he turns negative comments into conver...
Jan 25, 2018•28 min
We know that many copywriters love the idea of writing copy for charities and Not For Profits, it’s a way of using our copywriting superpowers for good. But what are the challenges of working with charities? Should you charge less? What are the differences between writing copy for charities and regular clients? To find out, we’ve got experienced copywriter Andrea Rowe on the show! Tune in to learn: The types of clients Belinda, Kate and Andrea have worked with The differences between writing for...
Jan 11, 2018•43 min
Although we love being copywriters we know it’s not all unicorns and rainbows. There are the ups and the downs, the highs and the woes. And while we can create a template for a copy deck it’s not so easy to come up with a cheatsheet for happiness. So what do you do when you’ve lost your creative mojo? Or when you’re feeling hopeless about your copywriting career? How do you handle the dark day and get yourself back on track? Today we’re talking to my good friend Sharon Chisholm all about staying...
Dec 14, 2017•35 min
Today we’re going to talk about copywriting formulas. Is using a formula cheating or is it smart copywriting? Spoiler: It’s both. In this episode, we share our favourite copywriting formulas and how to use them. If you’ve ever wondered, WHERE ON EARTH DO I BEGIN? this episode is for you. Tune in to learn: Why the PAS formula is our go to formula How the PAS is made even better What AIDA is all about The unpronounceable formula that gives you rock solid structure [Tweet "Hot Copy #64: Copywriting...
Nov 30, 2017•16 min
