Cutting Chai Stories: Write copy that feels good - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

Cutting Chai Stories: Write copy that feels good — Fiction
Cutting Chai Stories: Write copy that feels good

Click. Click. Click.

That’s the sound of you doing anything OTHER than writing your copy.

Sales page needs to be written? Ummm, *after* my second cup of chai.
Emails are underperforming? Maybe I’ll skip the weekly email.
Blank page mocking you? Let me scroll other accounts on Instagram…

When you’re feeling stuck with your copy and are in avoid-or-ignore mode, copywriting can feel like a dark art practiced only by mysterious scribes in secret ways.

That’s when you either give up on your copy and pay for a template or a copywriter to take the whole damn thing off your plate.

Trouble is, you often end up sounding wooden or like someone else entirely — if you’re even putting copy out there at all.

But what to do when you don’t have a fancy writing degree and you haven’t the first clue what to write about? You know the words are important — your words are the primary way your audience gets a taste of you, after all — and you know that you need to use them more effectively so your audience can find you, hire you, and PAY you.

So what’s a marketing-shy, overthinking business owner like you to DO???

That’s where I, and Cutting Chai Stories, come in. I’m Jayati Vora, a recovering journalist who brings two decades of editing chops, my love of chai, and my style of storytelling to the world of marketing and copy.

In episodes of just 15 minutes or less, I’ll walk you through the basics of writing your copy yourself, in a voice that your grandma would recognize, and how to be your own brand’s wingman without slimy marketing tactics.

Cutting Chai Stories is jam-packed with highly actionable tips on writing, editing, and storytelling, with a dash of masala, so you can sell your services and products with confidence.

Episodes air on Thursdays and feature occasional interviews with business owners who’ve learned to harness the power of copy, and the marketers and copywriters who work with them.

Start connecting with your customers in your copy with my free mini course, delivered to your inbox when you sign up for my twice-weekly email newsletter, Chai in my Inbox: www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

Copyright: © Jayati Vora

Latest Episodes:

Season 3 Episode 19: Emails as a genre -- Jayati interviewed on the talk.write.done. podcast Dec 02, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives solopreneurs concrete and practical copywriting tips in just 15 minutes or less -- most of the time. I'm your host Jayati Vora and today I'm in the hotseat, because this episode contains an interview with me by Lizzy Tanguay of the talk.write.done. podcast.

Listen here for our conversation, which covers

>> the stylistic elements of emails

>> candy versus broccoli in your email marketing

>> your next step when you make mistakes

>> juicy stories for your emails and how to find them

>> the perfect length for your emails (1,872 words)

>> the Netflix show we both binged recently

If you'd like that free download on the 12 elements every robust email should have, you can grab it here: https://cuttingchaistories.com/12emailcomponents/

More about Lizzy Tanguay and how you can connect with her:

Dr Lizzy Tanguay brings her 20 years of writing, language and applied linguistics experience to help coaches, consultants and academics get writing done and share their expertise with the world. Her approach combines mindset, message and craft to motivate and inspire tomorrow's thought leaders to their next level of achievement.

As well as running her own writing consultancy, Lizzy is Coordinator for Postgraduate Research Provision at Swansea University’s Centre for Academic Success, and she's taught and researched at universities in the UK and Europe.

Lizzy currently works with writers both privately and in group sessions.

You can find out about her latest offers at www.lizzytanguay.com.

Listen to Lizzy’s writing podcast for coaches here: https://open.spotify.com/show/2bVtmTYKz88tjlcDXNbX4d

Download Lizzy’s free pdf on blog post titles to engage here: https://mailchi.mp/ddabfcb89bc2/blogposts

A Thanksgiving mini-sode: A poetry prompt and a PSA Nov 25, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host Jayati Vora and this isn't a true episode. It's Thanksgiving here in the U.S., which is a pretty major holiday, and I'm taking advantage of the four-day weekend to travel, BUUUUUUT I didn't want to leave you hanging.

So here's a writing prompt for you. Take either the word "Thanksgiving" or "November," and make a poem out of all the words you can think of from rearranging the letters.

Here's what I wrote from the word "November":

Never more. Never ever.
No bone nor robe
Nor mob or ember
Bore reve or roe
In November.

*reve is a French word meaning "dream"
**And ok, fine, I cheated by using the word "in" so you get a pass of one word, too.

Now it's YOUR turn!

And a PSA: Next week, on Nov 30, Dec 1 & 2, I'm teaching a LIVE workshop over Zoom called Masala Sales Emails.

In it, I teach business owners who have an email list they haven't been ignoring how to write a sales email sequence for their next launch, whether it's for a product, a course or a program.

You'll learn what goes into an effective sales email sequence, what to write, how to write it, and in what order to write it.

You'll actually get all 5 emails written, in the workshops themselves as well as in an additional 2-3 hours at home.

And, best of all, you'll get MY EYES on YOUR DRAFTS on Day 3.

Three days, ~6 hours, and you leave with 5 solid sales emails in your pocket. Pretty neat, huh?

For more information and to sign up, please visit: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/masala-sales-emails/

And if this doesn't seem right for you, but you have a friend who's an entrepreneur who might benefit from it, won't you share this with them?

Season 3 Episode 18: How to prep for a successful sales email sequence Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where we are continuing with this theme of preparing for a successful launch of a product, a course, a program.

I'm your host Jayati Vora and last week we talked about a free and fun strategy to suss our market interest in an idea before you invest time and resources in putting something together that your audience doesn't want.

This week we're talking about three things you need to do BEFORE you start writing your sales email sequence.

The beauty of selling over email is that you don't need fancy tech skills or a website, even. All you need is an email list that's been hearing from you consistently, and a series of well thought-out emails that prime the pump for you to sell your thing.

In this episode, I cover three things you'll need to know before you start writing those emails, but if you want more help, I'm holding a 3-day workshop at the end of the month over Zoom, in which I will:

1. Go over the contents of a 5-email sales sequence

2. Have everyone write the damn emails, so you have concrete drafts

3. Give you feedback on your drafts on day 3 so you're hitting send with confidence

To learn more about the workshop, called Masala Sales Emails, visit: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/masala-sales-emails/

And if you have a bestie who's a business owner who might benefit from this, would you do me a solid and send this to them? Thanks in advance!

Season 3 Episode 17: A high-engagement strategy for market research on social media Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the ONLY podcast that gives business owners PRACTICAL, hands-on writing advice, with examples, in only 15 minutes or less. If you’re paralyzed by fear that you won’t sound professional, if you don’t know what to say and how to say it, if you have an email list you don’t use enough or a social media account that isn’t getting the engagement you want, you’re in the right place, because I can help you with that.

I’m your host Jayati Vora and today I want to talk about how to build success into your new launch or offer.

Which means, I’m gonna be talking about what you do BEFORE you craft your offer or program, before you devise emails to sell it, before you create a landing page on your website.

I got this idea from Miles Hanson, who did something similar on his Instagram feed, he’s @milestones_co. And I think *HE* got the idea from @thelizwilcox.

You’ll want to take notes for this one, it’s SUPER practical.

So what it was, was a series of 11 Instagram story slides that was designed to do in seconds what it usually takes market research calls or surveys MUCH longer—AND it had a better response rate, because it was EASY, and it was FUN.

So it’s FREE, it gives you AWESOME engagement, and it helps you shape your current offer PLUS gives you ideas for what you want to offer next.

Listen to the episode for a detailed walk-through of the strategy, plus pitfalls to watch out for.

ANNNNNDDDD if you want the actual slides I used that produced all this engagement, it's available to email subscribers as a PDF guide, with my notes coaching you on how to replicate this strategy for yourself. (Note: You do not *need* the PDF guide, but if you're a visual learner like I am, they'll be super helpful.)

To get the slides for yourself, just subscribe to my mailing list at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe and check the entrepreneur box. Then hit reply to the welcome email and ask me for them! That's it!

Season 3 Episode 16: How to have fun with your marketing Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast to give business owners without copywriting experience practical, hands-on writing advice, with examples, to uplevel your copy right away.

I'm your host Jayati Vora and today we're talking about how to inject more fun into your marketing.

Because someone having fun is the most attractive thing, ever.

Listen for five ideas to kickstart your fun marketing plan!

And if you found this episode useful, I have an email newsletter you might enjoy. It's called Chai in your Inbox, and I send emails twice a week with copywriting advice, writing prompts for your business, and new podcast episodes. Plus, strange stories from my life and the business lessons I learned from them! Sign up here: www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

And if you check the "entrepreneur" box, you'll ALSO get a free mini course on how to connect with your customer in your business.

Season 3 Episode 15: The *other* subject line that could boost your open rate Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the ONLY podcast that gives you PRACTICAL, HANDS-ON advice, WITH examples, to elevate your copy so that it reflects your brand, reflects YOU, and feels like a natural extension of your personality.

I'm your host Jayati Vora, and today we are talking about the second subject line you may not know about.

But first, a note about my November-December creative writing classes for kids, that begin Nov 2. I'll be teaching how to write for podcasts, and at the end of this special, 6-week session, we'll be recording the kids' stories to be PUBLISHED as a special episode of Cutting Chai Stories. If you have kids or have friends with kids who might be interested, please go to www.cuttingchaistories.com/shop and pick the appropriate age group to sign up.

Back to our topic: email subject lines. In today's episode, I cover preview text, which is the line that shows up in your inbox AFTER the subject line. If you don't set it, your email service provider will pull it for you from the first sentence of your email, which is such a waste.

In today's episode, I show you examples of preview lines, good ones, bad ones, and different kinds of ones.

And if you want the email I sent out last week—the free gift that was ONLY for subscribers—sign up to my email list and ask me to send it to you. You can subscribe at cuttingchaistories DOT com SLASH subscribe. Don’t forget to check the “entrepreneur” box when you sign up!

REPLAY: Up the Spooky Factor (featuring a student's story) Oct 21, 2021

Show notes

I'm re-releasing this 2020 episode featuring an awesomely spooky story by my student Hansika Shankar because

1) I'm trying to plan a session of creative writing for kids that's centered around writing for podcasts that will -- get this -- actually involve the kids narrating their stories themselves, to be recorded by them and edited and published by me, IF there's enough interest.

If you're a parent with a child between the ages of 7 and 11 who might be interested in this, please fill out my 2-minute survey now.

2) I had no brilliant ideas for this week and I didn't want to disappoint you by not publishing anything and I didn't want to publish something bad

So, please enjoy this bite-sized replay all about sound words, or, if you want to sound fancy: onomatopoeias.

Listen to the spooky story my 9-year-old student from Texas, Hansika Shankar, wrote, and learn how she used sound words to chilling effect.

Season 3 Episode 13: Are you ethical in your marketing? (Are you suuuuurrrre?) Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives grossed out business owners concrete and ETHICAL copywriting tips that they can use in their marketing RIGHT AWAY. In episodes of just 15 minutes or less.

Today I want to talk to you about ethics in marketing, because let's face it, the online business world is FULL of sleazy marketing tactics. But it doesn't have to be. You can learn the triggers that marketers use to make you buy their product, and follow other ethical marketers so you see a different way of running your business.

Here are the ethical marketers I follow:

1. Cathy Heller (Instagram @cathy.heller)

2. Tarzan Kay (Instagram @tarzan_kay)

3. Maggie Patterson's podcast, “The B.S.-Free Service Business”

And I make a pledge to you to be ethical in my marketing.

Link to study about supermarkets' use of soothing music and its connection with how much shoppers spend in their store: http://freakonomics.com/media/Using%20Background%20Music%20to%20Affect%20the%20Behavior%20of%20Supermarket%20Shoppers.pdf

Season 3 Episode 12: All the tools I use for my business Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives overwhelmed business owners concrete copywriting tips that they can use in their marketing right away, in just 15 minutes.

I’m your host Jayati Vora, and I’m here to be your editor in your pocket, your guide to the written word, and your shot of confidence that you can show up, as imperfectly perfect as you are, and put your heart and soul into telling the world who you are and what you’re about and attracting your dream customers in your unique, authentic voice.

We’re at roughly the halfway mark of Season 3 and so far it’s been JAM packed with practical writing exercises and prompts and tips, and I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling like I already have too much information being thrown at me, and at some point I have to take a step back and absorb what I’ve learned, and budget in some time to put it into action and apply it to my business, otherwise it’s just run-off.

It’s time wasted.

So I thought, instead of peppering you with more learning, and therefore more homework to USE that learning, I’m going to share with you the things I use to keep my business going.

For my podcast:

1. The Samson Q2U mic, purchased for less than $100
2. The free software Audacity to record and edit my shows
3. Zencastr, also free, to record interviews
4. Anchor, a free podcast distribution platform
5. Quicktime Player, free for Mac users, to edit clips for social media
6. The free tier of Headliner, to create audiograms for social media

For my email marketing:

1. The paid tier of MailChimp (roughly $15/month), though until a few months ago I used the free version.
2. The services of a virtual assistant to help with email sends

For my social media:

1. The free version of Canva to create my Instagram posts
2. The free version of Taplink to create a landing page of links for my Instagram bio

For my website:

1. Paid for my domain name, cuttingchaistories.com
2. Paid for website hosting
3. Pay for a few Wordpress plugins
4. Paid for a Wordpress developer
5. Paid for a logo

There you have it! I hope the list was useful. Notice how many of the resources I use are free or have free versions.

Before I go —

This podcast is run on grit and passion, and I show up every week during the season to give you practical ways to uplevel your content and improve your marketing. It would mean SO much to me if you check out the newsletter that goes with it at cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe. I email you twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, with more marketing advice, writing prompts for your business, and storytelling emails that show you how to sell with story. It would mean the world to me if you signed up. If you check the “entrepreneur” box at sign-up , I’ll also send you a FREE mini course on how connect with your customers through your copy.

Thank you for tuning in, and until I see you next Thursday, tell me: Is there an app or a service that you can’t live without in your business that I DIDN’T mention? DM me on Instagram @jayativora and tell me!

Season 3 Episode 11: This is how you write a compelling hook Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

In marketing they call it a hook.

In school I called it “in medias res.”

In journalism they call it a lede.

It’s all the same thing and in today’s episode I wanna talk about why using it can significantly increase your readership.

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the only podcast that gives overwhelmed business owners concrete copywriting tips that they can use in their marketing right away, in just 15 minutes.

I’m your host Jayati Vora, and I’m here to be your editor in your pocket, your guide to the written word, and your shot of confidence that you can show up, as imperfectly perfect as you are, and put your heart and soul into telling the world who you are and what you’re about and attracting your dream customers in your unique, authentic voice.

In this episode I show you WHY you need to write a hook, and what it is, exactly, with examples.

Stay tuned till the end for a guided writing prompt of how to write a compelling hook for YOUR content.

This podcast is run on grit and passion, and I show up every week during the season to give you practical ways to uplevel your content and improve your marketing. It would mean SO much to me if you check out the newsletter that goes with it at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe.

I email you twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, with more marketing advice, writing prompts for your business, and storytelling emails that show you how to sell with story. It would mean the world to me if you signed up. If you check the “entrepreneur” box at sign-up , I’ll also send you a FREE mini course on how to write better copy.

See you next Thursday!

Related Podcasts