Cracking Copy

Reviews and testimonials only tell half of your customers’ stories. Having evidence-based case studies detailing how you helped a customer solve their problem is a highly effective marketing and lead-generation tool for your business. Today on the podcast, Minnie chats with Tam Henderson, founder of CopyKooks online school for copywriters, B2B copywriter and queen of case studies. In this 30-minut...

How much more productive could you be, or how empowered would you feel, if you had a coach or mentor to guide you? Ella Hoyos explores this topic with Dr. Nicole Janz, a seasoned writing coach, and the mastermind behind a groundbreaking tool for writers.  This episode is for you if you’ve ever struggled in writing alone.  We talk about some of the simple but genius ways to build your writing muscl...

Today we are keeping it brief in our new series of shorts with a 20-minute episode on hooks and tips on how to hook your ideal customer.   What do we mean by a hook?   Well, Ella and Minnie are talking about the golden words that stop your ideal customer in their scrolling tracks. You have a momentary window of time to persuade someone to stop and find out more about you and your product or servic...

It’s been said that everyone has a book inside them.   But how many of us take up that challenge?    In this week’s episode, Minnie talks to the wonderful Emma Simpson, who did just that and gave up her high-paid job to be a full-time writer.   Emma talks candidly about how and why she decided to be a writer of narrative non-fiction. She highlights the joy of being able to gather and share the sto...

How do you know if what you read online is honest and true? This week Ella and Minnie are talking lies damned lies, misinformation, exaggeration and distrust. And how you can write and show up to build trust and be authentic with your audience. In a world where there is a general distrust of everything from government to media to products and services being sold online, it has become more importan...

  This week Ella and Minnie are talking funnels.     Whut?!   We’re not talking tubes and pipes that guide liquid into small openings. Or metal chimneys on ships and steam engines. We’re discussing the Sales Funnel, the journey potential customers go through on the way to purchasing a product or service.   In this episode we cover: What the devil is a sales funnel? An overview of writing for funne...

Meet Sylva - a translator, journalist and author who has a gift for finding the silver-lining in every situation despite facing some major life blows.   You’ll hear about a recent devastating loss which has seen her having to rehome her business and start again in a new place, building new clients and contacts.  While this might have served a crushing defeat to some business owners, Sylva’s skills...

In this episode, Minnie talks to Susan Payton, business storytelling expert and bestselling author of The Business of Stories.   In this 40-minute episode, Susan explains her framework for business storytelling. With careful prompting, you will understand that you have hundreds of wonderful stories to tell (even if you don’t know it yet!).   We discuss why we should be telling stories and how to w...

In this episode, Ella Hoyos talks to Eloise Leeson to explore the fascinating field of linguistics.  This show is for you if you want people to understand exactly what you mean when you say it.   Linguistics is the study of language. It’s all about getting your message across intentionally and clearly so that you can improve your business communications.  It will help you to become better understo...

Ella and Minnie look back over the last year since launching the Cracking Copy Podcast. And we ask the question… Do you have a podcast in you? We interview each other about our top takeaways from the experience, what we’ve learnt and our thoughts on podcasting as a marketing medium. It’s a candid insight into how we ‘fell into’ the industry, why we love it and the benefits that podcasting has give...

Show Notes - Cracking Copy Episode 21 - Magic Messaging Why you need a messaging strategy and how to build one Minnie and Ella are today tackling the HUGE subject of marketing messaging. We look at: Why you need a good messaging strategy and How to go about researching and creating one From our own experiences and knowledge, we give you an overview of messaging, what we mean by it and the importan...

Minnie talks to CJ from Vibing Social, a Meta ads specialist about what’s working right now on Facebook and Instagram. Tune in if you’re new to ads and are thinking of FB and Instagram ads as part of your marketing strategy. Or, you may already be using them and are after some tips. CJ also discusses how to troubleshoot underperforming ads and what you need to do to set yourself up for success. Mi...

It's an extra juicy show as Ella Hoyos talks to Brittany McBean about pricing for copywriters. We dig into what makes a premium client experience that commands high prices and delivers top kudos, in this hour-long episode. Tune in if you’re a freelance copywriter looking to break out of feast and famine mode, and ready to scale up your business profitability.   We start with the spark that kicked...

In this episode, host Ella Hoyos talks to Nikki Trailor, a seasoned launch copywriter, to uncover the 3 key things you need for a successful live launch. Tune in if you’re a copywriter, course creator or online business owner who wants to optimise your copy and launch strategy for more sales success in 2023. Nikki shares her journey to becoming a specialist launch copywriter, following a pre-pande...

Today we are talking about social media bios. What do we mean by a bio? (biography). Well, we’re talking about the personal information that you see on your social media profiles. You know, that tiny amount of space at the top with a ridiculously low character count where you have to grab attention, get across your value proposition, what you want the reader to do and be so magnetically brilliant...

With all the buzz about ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence, we think we would be mad not to cover it! We have been wondering, and perhaps you have too: What is ChatGPT and how is it so blimmin’ clever? Will AI replace us as writers? Should we view AI tools as friends or foes? Are copywriters like Ella and I a goner? How can we leverage this technology for our benefit? In today’s episode, we seek...

Creating single-use, disposable content is a false economy. It's also a high price to pay, zapping up your precious time and energy as a marketer and content creator. If you tend to find content creation, writing and marketing your business exhausting, then this podcast is for you. Ella & Minnie talk about the wonderful alchemy of repurposing content to make your life easier, save time and mos...

We do not profess to be LinkedIn ninjas but this deep dive episode is a must-listen for any individual or business owner looking to leverage the power of LinkedIn. In this LinkedIn podcast special, Ella & Minnie discuss why you might bother leveraging LinkedIn Is your audience hanging out there? Are you looking for new work? It’s the best place to be for new jobs and new leads. Recruiters sear...

This podcast is a must-listen for any writer or business owner looking to leverage the power of Twitter. There is arguably no better social media platform to hone your writing skills. In this episode, Ella & Minnie discuss what Twitter can do for you as a writer, and how you can use the platform to find your tribe, grow your audience, test ideas and build in public. With topics such as explori...

This episode is for you if you want to know how to go about finding the best words for your social media post captions AND how to get the best engagement and traction with the dreaded algorithms. Today is Part 1 in a 2-part mini-series on social media writing. This episode looks at writing captions for Instagram and Facebook, specifically organic posts not paid for advertising (that’s for another...

Are you often overwhelmed by the need to come up with constant ideas for your online content from social media to blogs, product or service launches and articles etc?  Is advance planning something that you never quite have time for? If you could benefit from some guidance on planning your content, ditching the overwhelm and actually start enjoying the process then today’s episode of Cracking Copy...

This episode is for you if you're planning to sell more of your services online. Ella Hoyos speaks with sales coach and business champion, Kathy Walterhouse, founder of the Professional Rule Breaker and the Entrepreneurs Success Summit. Kathy has a great outlook and she loves to help entrepreneurs break the rules, find their authentic voice and jumpstart sales. We discuss how you can supercharge y...

Writing for the digital age - what has changed? Today’s episode is for you if you are bamboozled by the tens of thousands of messages presented to you on a daily basis. Are you at a loss for how you can cut through the noise to get your products and business to stand out? Today we look at how the way we write and communicate has changed in the last 30-40+ years to ensure that we can get our own vi...

Humans crave stories. As writers we know the power of a good story to draw our readers in. In this episode of Cracking Copy, Ella Hoyos talks to copywriter Charlotte Davies about a story born from her own life experience and what motivated her to tell it. This episode is for you if you really want to know what it’s like to share your story on stage at TEDx. Charlotte never imagined herself at TEDx...

Today’s episode is for you if you either find grammar a complete nightmare or love it and want to be inspired to break the rules for maximum effect. We discuss a few grammar rules that we think are important. We only really scratch the surface of this massive (and often contentious) topic. And you may absolutely disagree with some of our thoughts. In which case please do let us know by contacting...