The Story Copywriter Podcast
Learn how to write stories that sell. Become a professional email copywriter. Sharpen your email marketing skills. If you're a podcast user you can subscribe now on Apple / Google:
The Story Copywriter Podcast is also available in all the main podcast apps.
You can also download the episode MP3 files from this page. To receive a free email notification when new episodes are published join the Story Copywriters email list.
If you're new to the show please start at Episode 1: What is a Story Copywriter. The MP3 download link is always in the top right of the player.
Recent Episodes
Browse our most recent episodes below. The most recent episode is at the top.
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
A book is an excellent way to promote your work and your business. Amazon has made book publishing easier than ever… in theory!
The question is, what should you write about? Should you include part of your personal story? How long should the book be? What offer should you put in the book? How long should the whole process take? What kind of results should you expect?
Get answers to all of the above – and more – in this episode of The Story Copywriter Podcast! Listen now to learn:
- How to plan your book to maximise results
- How and where to tell your story
- How to convert readers into paying clients
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
“Which email marketing system should I use?” is perhaps the most frequently asked marketing question.
It’s also the wrong question to ask!
Listen now to learn how to identify the right email marketing tool for your needs.
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
How often do you lose time trying to find an email you sent in the past? How often do you spend time trying to diagnose why an email sequence isn’t working?
At some point things can and will go wrong in your email follow-up systems. When things go wrong it’s the quality (and existence) of your documentation that will save your sanity.
No more digging around in Gmail trying to find an email you created three years ago. No more digging around in old email campaigns. Listen to this episode to eliminate the confusion for good…
Listen now to learn:
- The three types of copy documentation you need in your business
- Which documentation platform I recommend (and why)
- What to include in your documentation
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
Many email marketers are trying to automate every email a potential customer is sent across the entire customer journey. But is this ‘hands free’ approach really attainable… or desirable?
I believe you need a balance in your marketing between automated emails, and live ‘out of the pan’ broadcasts. Listen now to learn:
- Why automated emails suffer from entropy
- Where to place automated email sequences
- How long your automated email sequences should be
- How to repurpose your best emails into other formats
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
When you’re a ‘Story Copywriter’ you’re the written voice of a business you love. Maybe even your own business.
But can you – and should you – tell your personal stories in video? If so, how should you go about it? Do you need to become a professional videographer?Â
The answer is, no! In this episode, I interview videographer and storyteller Orson Lord. Listen now to learn:
- Who should tell their personal story in video
- How long your video should be
- How to promote with ads – and where
- How telling your story can improve lead quality
- Why you shouldn’t attempt to tell your own story by yourself
- What kit you need to get started (and why you might already own it)
- Lighting tips for an engaging video
- The $20 app that will save your sanity while recording
- A framework to help tell your story
Find out more about Orson’s work at https://www.mediable.com.au/
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
A good story told well helps to build trust with new potential customers. But can you – and should you – tell personal stories on social media?
The answer, in my opinion, is yes! BUT it’s also easy to get wrong. It’s easy to appear self indulgent.Â
Listen now to learn:
- How to open your story on social media to draw people in
- How to structure the story to keep people reading
- How to end the story – and where to stop
- What images work best
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
Learning to write compelling stories is a valuable copywriting skill – but it also takes time and dedication.
Should YOU take the time to become a Story Copywriter? Is this a good match for your skills, interests and ambitions? Find out in this episode!
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
Are you a business owner who also likes to write? If time allowed, would you write more of your own copy?
If yes, you may be a good match for ‘Copywriting in Collaboration’!
Listen now to learn:
- Why the balance of copywriting responsibility sits on a continuum
- Why Copywriting in Collaboration allows everyone to play to their strengths
- The mindset required to deliver great results
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
When I’m helping a business owner tell their story we always start with the Story Map Interview. The Story Map is a process to explore your story and map out the key events.
In this episode I share the key lessons I’ve learned from 5+ years of Story Map interviews. I discuss key insights for both the business owners and copywriters. Listen now to learn:
- Why telling your story is best done in dialogue
- How to capture emotional depth in the interview
- How to convert the interview into a usable format – and beat the blank screen for good!
You can also see my Story Map interview questions here.
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
In this episode I share an interview I did with my friend and Google Ads expert Jonathan Wilson. We crammed a LOT of storytelling insights into this conversation!
You’ll find this conversation a good recap of recent episodes, and also a teaser of future episodes to come.
Download or listen in now. You can also grab the detailed PDF show notes.
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
Which stories should you tell in your marketing? Should you tell key events from your past? Or should you relate more everyday goings on?
This episode looks at the foundation of story selection. Discover the difference between a ‘core story’ and a ‘current story’, and the use case for each.
Listen now to learn:
- How to identify your most emotionally compelling stories
- Where to place each type of story in your follow-up sequences
- Why a ‘current story’ can sometimes transition into a ‘core story’
- How to come up with new ideas
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
“How often should I email” is perhaps the most-asked email marketing question. Will you ‘annoy’ your list by sending more frequent emails? How do you determine the most appropriate publishing schedule? How do you DELIVER on that schedule?
The answer lies in consistency…
Listen now to learn:
- How consistency encourages a regular reading habit
- Why consistency adds tangible value to your email list
- A simple calculation to determine optimal email frequenct
- How to deliver consistently on your schedule
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
Editing is a critical part of the copywriting process. But how much should you edit? Where should you put your focus for the biggest gains? Listen now to learn:
- Why perfectionism is the enemy – and how to beat it
- The two most important editing steps
- How long to leave between writing and editing (and why you need a gap)
- How to apply the 80/20 principle for efficient editing
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
Learn how to keep people reading – by using conflict! Spice up your next marketing email with the three forms of conflict. Listen now to learn:
- Why most of your conflict should NOT be physical peril
- How to leverage internal dilemmas for added suspense
- How conflict can help to upgrade your reader’s level of understanding about your topic
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
Learn how to lace intrigue and suspense throughout your stories to keep people reading. This episode includes a worked example and recent insights from Rob’s copywriting work. Listen now to learn:
- How to lace suspense throughout a story – without making it too obvious
- How to bring the reader into your story
- How to let the reader walk in your shoes, feel your fears and share your peril!
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
You’ve had an idea for an email. You’ve got a great story to tell. You’ve planned the story using a timeline…
But now you’ve come to actually write the email, the blank Word document of doom is staring you in the face.
How do you convert your timeline into a draft email, without pulling your hair out? That’s the topic of today’s episode. Listen now to learn:
- How to expand your timeline into an interim first draft
- How (and why) to check your first draft for contrast and drama
- How to expand your first draft into a fully drafted email
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
Learn how to connect seamlessly from your story to your sales message using the ‘one idea’. Listen now to learn:
- How to ‘bridge’ between a story and your sales message
- How to inverse the one idea to open up more connection possibilities
- How to ‘seed’ the one idea for a seamless transition
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
In this episode we push pause for a moment, and catch up on the key insights from Episodes 1 – 11. Enjoy!
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
The timeline is a simple, low tech planning technique for creating effective stories. If you ever feel intimidated telling a story listen now to learn:
- How the timeline can act as a series of prompts
- How the timeline can maximise drama and maintain interest
- How the timeline can prevent your story from developing a dual focus
Please note the MP3 download link is in the top right corner of the player.
Most marketers think they have a writing problem. “If only I could craft more compelling stories!” people will say.
Yes, the writing matters. But there’s good news: research matters more.
Once you master the art of ongoing research you’ll never suffer from writer’s block ever again. Listen now to learn:
- Why ‘winging it’ is a recipe for disaster
- Where to research ideas
- How to capture them
- How to organise them for fast retrieval
