Clever Copy Chats

Let's be honest, being a copywriter can be just a little bit lonely.   Days spent with your computer and possibly a furry companion. You try to talk to your friends, your partner, and random strangers.  But who else really understands the deep pain of a client that won't use track changes? Or is willing to argue back and forth on the merits of semi-colons?   The answer? Other copywriters. But hey,...

In these short snappy episodes, I want to give you smart little Toon tips on how to hone your copywriting skills. Improve your copywriting business with straightforward doable advice that you can implement today.    Have you ever struggled to get a client to fill out your brief? You send it off and they come back with daft answers.   Who is your ideal client: "Anyone with a pulse and a credit card...

When you Google 'copywriter', you might notice one thing. There are a lot of us.   And if you check out most copywriter websites, they're very similar. And the socials? We're all posting Ernest Hemingway quotes, sharing advice on how to use colons and popping up pictures of our dogs.   So how do you stand out in a crowded market? How do you become known for what you do? Build that solid trustworth...

So I've decided to launch a new stream to the Clever Copy Chats pod. We have Tips and Chats and 101 episodes, and now I'm adding newbies. These are chats with people who are brand new to copywriting. I want to chat about their challenges, their fears and what's holding them back. I want to dig into their goals and ambitions. And I want to hopefully give them a little useful advice on the podcast....

In these short snappy episodes, I want to give you smart little Toon tips on how to hone your copywriting skills. Improve your copywriting business with straightforward doable advice that you can implement today.    Today, I want to talk about why old is not a selling point.   As part of my Recipe for SEO success course, I do a lot of Unique Selling Proposition reviews. And for those of you who do...

We recently ran a poll in the Clever Copywriting Community to see how long people could write for each day. The average?  Four hours. Not due to lack of time, but due to running out of creative energy. So imagine if after you've burned the copy candle to a stump, you had a second candle to light. Imagine if you had a hybrid business that was part copywriting and part something else. Our guest toda...

In these short snappy episodes, I want to give you smart little Toon tips on how to hone your copywriting skills. Improve your copywriting business with straightforward doable advice that you can implement today.    Today's tip is all about proposals.    A member of the Clever Copywriting community recently asked: "How do I actually get a proposal over the line?  I've had some great leads and enqu...

Have you always dreamt of seeing your name in print? Of picking up the Sunday papers and reading your own article as you drink your morning coffee? Well our guest today, Rashida Tayabali, has done just that. She's a successful copywriter, author and has been featured in more magazines than you could shake a stick at. She talks with us today about why she chose not to niche down, how she balances l...

I know that for many copywriters taking and making calls to prospective clients gives them the absolute heebeejeebees. But it's really a trial we have to get over. Something that we have to build our confidence doing, and I promise you, it gets much easier. So here are my top tips on how to wow clients on the first call. Freebies Free webinar: Your first month as a copywriter Free rates guide Usef...

If you've just started out as a copywriter, it can be intimidating. Dang, even after a few years you're still looking around thinking 'why is this working for everyone else but not me?'. You need to polish your processes and pricing, raise your profile and work out how to really put yourself out there. But good things take time. Like a lump of coal turning into a sparkly diamond, sometimes they al...

In this episode, I want to help you learn how to write more credible copy. We all know how important, knowing, liking and trusting a brand or individual is when it comes to selling. But how do we build the trust factor in our copy?   Freebies Free webinar: Your first month as a copywriter Free rates guide   Membership:   Join now  

Some of us feel like freshly minted copywriters. Just plopped out into the world and finding our copywriting feet like doddery gazelle babies. Others are wise old sages, with years of like experience. Today I'm talking to one of those - Clever Copywriting School Ambassador, Copy Cop and Copy Gandalf Gary Cooper. After working in every career under the sun, he fell into copywriting as many do, and...

Today I want to talk to you about how to find copywriting jobs without traditional marketing. Post on FB that you're now a copywriter Update your LinkedIn profile Email old colleagues and clients Get business cards printed Join a community with a job board Join freelancer websites Subcontract for more experienced copywriters Contact agencies Fluff brands you love   Freebies Free webinar: Your firs...

Niching, it's a word that sends shivers down the spines of many a copywriter. Won't I get bored writing about the same thing all the time? How will I handle client conflicts? Will I have to turn down clients who aren't in my niche? Today's guest Nerissa Bentley has built a hugely successful business by narrowing her focus to health. She's taken on big brands and bigger budgets, honed her marketing...

I want to talk about why a lot of the copywriting I see coming from copywriters really suck. I'm sorry! Why concepts matter, and big ideas matter! Freebies Free webinar: Your first month as a copywriter Free rates guide Membership:   Join now

Do you loathe marketing? Putting yourself out there? Performing like some kind of happy copy chimp to lure clients in. Believe me, I know how exhausting it can be. Our guest today, Lisa Cropman, has taken a different path. Instead of trying to market to many, she woos her clients one by one. Building close relationships, setting up contras, forming partnerships, and then spending her precious mark...

In this episode, I want to give you a little tough love. On the one hand, you're not making enough money to feel successful. To feel like you're not always scrambling for the next job. To end the feast and famine. But you also know you're not charging enough, offering discounts, giving away time for amends and chats. It has to stop. Freebies Free webinar: Your first month as a copywriter Free rate...

Some writers write as a hobby. Some to bring in some extra, but not essential income. But how does being the breadwinner change all that? When your copywriting income is the sole or main income to support your family, how does that impact the decisions you make about pricing, clients, niching, and the day-to-day? Today we talk with established B2B copywriter, Amanda Vanelderen, about how she's nar...

Copy Tip Time: In these short snappy episodes I want to give you smart little Toon tips on how to Hone your copywriting skills Improve your copywriting business Straightforward doable advice that you can implement today. Today I want to talk about: Adding the razzle dazzle to your copy. Freebies Free webinar: Your first month as a copywriter Free rates guide Membership:   Join now

Are you a people pleaser? Do you struggle with boundaries? Do you give give give until you have nothing left? Today we're talking about boundaries, not just in client relationships but in the work you do for clients. Our guest today Joh, is an SEO keyword research expert, and could so easily slip down the rabbit hole, spending hours on research so she's learned to place boundaries on her services....

Copy Tip Time: In these short snappy episodes I want to give you smart little Toon tips on how to Hone your copywriting skills Improve your copywriting business Straightforward doable advice that you can implement today. Today I want to talk about: Let the client see your quirks. Freebies Free webinar: Your first month as a copywriter Free rates guide Membership:   Join now

Whenever I'm in a copywriting group I see the same comments. "SEO ruins conversational copy." "SEO ruins conversion copy." "You don't need to use keywords any more. Google will work it out." "SEO copy is boring copy." (Heavy sigh) These kinds of comments show a fundamental misunderstanding of what SEO copywriting is and how it works. And these copywriters who think that Google will magically work...

Copy Tip Time: In these short snappy episodes I want to give you smart little Toon tips on how to Hone your copywriting skills Improve your copywriting business Straightforward doable advice that you can implement today. Today I want to talk about: Writing skeleton drafts. Freebies Free webinar: Your first month as a copywriter Free rates guide Membership:   Join now

What are your copywriting ambitions? Do you dream of running an agency? Working with big brand clients, with lush, juicy budgets? Being able to hire your dream time of bright minds? Today's guest Sarah Spence has done it all. While making two humans and dealing with a clutch of mental health challenges. She's an amazingly smart cookie who's scaled a remote team and taken on the kinds of projects t...

Copy Tip Time: In these short snappy episodes I want to give you smart little Toon tips on how to Hone your copywriting skills Improve your copywriting business Straightforward doable advice that you can implement today. Today I want to talk about: Writing tighter copy