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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 10: You are not a robot, don't write like one Sep 23, 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.

Today I want to talk to you about how to let your personality shine through in your emails—the antidote to sounding like a robot.

Sometimes we have had the personality beaten out of our writing in our jobs. Maybe we pepper our sentences with jargon and buzzwords without even realizing it. Maybe we were trained in writing in college, where passive tense ruled and sentences were unnecessarily complex. Neither of those help you sound like yourself, help you sound conversational, help you connect with your readers.

Listen to the episode for 5 ways to NOT sound like a robot when you write.

Thanks to Vibha for the question that spurred this episode!

Resources:

If you want help on how to *format* your copy for maximum effectiveness, check out my guide on formatting tips here: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/formattingtips

Season 3 Episode 9: Three Ways to Recharge Your Creative Batteries Sep 16, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, the podcast that shows entrepreneurs how to uplevel their email marketing, social media, and website copy with practical tips and concrete examples from your host, Jayati Vora.

This episode is dedicated to Laura and Oswald, who told me they missed the creative writing focus of the earlier seasons, and especially to the idea that sometimes, to be creative in business, you have to step AWAY from business.

So thank you, Laura, for inspiring this episode, and here are three big ways you can recharge your creative batteries -- and bring all that creative energy back to your business!

Stay tuned to the end for my announcement of the winner of the giveaway challenge, and thanks to all of you who responded to my request for feedback about the show.

If you haven't responded yet and would like to, please DM me on IG @jayativora to let me know:

1. Why you listen to Cutting Chai Stories and what you get here that you don't get anywhere else

2. What you want to see more of in coming episodes

3. Anything you'd like to see less of

This is your chance to have a voice in what I cover in the upcoming season, so don't hesitate to reach out, I *love* hearing from you!

Here are my favorite three songs without lyrics to dance to when I need to move my body:

1. Por Una Cabeza, by The Tango Project

2. Tango to Evora by Loreena McKennitt

3. Tango, Que Misterio by Tango Jointz, Ricardo Ricardito Reveira

Season 3 Episode 8: Does size really matter??? Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where the episodes are short and sometimes sweet, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India. I’m your host Jayati Vora, and before we get into our topic for today, I wanted to ask you a question.

Why do you listen to Cutting Chai Stories?

I’m really asking you. What do you get out of this show that you don’t get anywhere else?

What do you like about it?

This information is really going to help me plan out the rest of this season, so if you like what I’ve been doing, please write to me and tell me. If you DON’T like what I’ve been doing and you want something different, please write to me and tell me.

This is your chance to have some input in the content, to make this more of a conversation than a lecture, and I want to make sure you want what I’m serving up every week.

So please please write to me, I’m at jayati@cuttingchaistories.com

And if you write me back by Sunday, September 12th, you'll be entered to win a little something in a giveaway I have planned. (If you're reading this after the 12th, please still write me back, I will be immensely grateful.)

Back to our show topic today -- does size really matter? And the answer is, when it comes to email marketing, it absolutely can.

Our audience has different kinds of readers: ones who like storytelling (like me), ones who want your email to get straight to the point, and ones who just want to be wooed.

And different kinds of emails appeal to different kinds of readers.

Listen to the full episode for a guide to writing for your entire audience, not just the ones most like you.

Season 3 Episode 7: How to write orgasmic emails (NSFW) Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

Obligatory warning, folks, today's episode has a little more, ahem, masala than usual. So if the kiddos are listening, you might want to save this one for later.

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where the episodes are short and full of spice, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India. I'm your host Jayati Vora and today I'd like to deconstruct an email for you--the first of a series of emails inviting readers to a webinar about having mindblowing orgasms and pleasure. It's by the trauma-informed holistic sex coach Roshni, who has kindly shared her email with us so that I can break it down and show you the different pieces and how they go together.

The next time you're writing a sales email, see if you touch on the points mentioned here--but most of all, make sure that you have the right *energy* when you sit down to write.

Roshni is a trauma-informed holistic sex coach who helps women/womxn claim their sexual pleasure, power and wildness. She is a Certified Sex, Love and Relationships coach, a Certified Male Sexuality coach and a Certified Jade Egg coach.
You can get her free 'Wild and Pleasured' weekly email newsletter, jam-packed with tips to increase your sexual pleasure, power and freedom, and special gifts that she only shares with her email subscribers, here: https://www.roshni.live/home/#point-to-newsletter-optin

Season 3 Episode 6: Write emails backwards Aug 26, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories, where the episodes are short, and sometimes sweet, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India. I'm your host Jayati Vora and today I want to talk to you about flipping the writing process backwards when you are writing an email (or social media post, or blog post, or maybe even podcast script) to your list.

Most of the time, we start with the CTA or call-to-action, which is the action we want our readers to take after reading our email. But when you don't have a major launch or announcement, when you're out of ideas for what to write, you can start writing backwards. Instead of starting from the reason you're writing the email, and then ending with a subject line, you can start with the subject line, and let the CTA come organically.

In this episode, I take you through how to do it, step-by-step, and show you an example of how I did it, with the email and CTA that resulted. Be sure to listen to the whole episode for ideas for where to get inspiration for your subject lines.

Hopefully this has helped you come up with email content ideas. But if you're tired of all the things you have to do and just want someone else to take care of the heavy lifting for you, I can help.

You can sign up for Million-Dollar Emails: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/milliondollaremails

Where I'll send you

*5 gold writing prompts a month

*with questions designed to elicit a personalized story from your life or biz

*that lead to a variety of CTAS

*PLUS the icing on the cake, 2 LIVE editing calls with me each month where you'll get my eyes on YOUR copy.

It's a steal, it's like having an editor in your pocket. And it's $75/month, cancel anytime, or $750 for the year (that's TWO whole months free), with no refunds.

PLUS if you subscribe now, you get one month free. What are you waiting for? Subscribe here: https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/milliondollaremails

Season 3 Episode 5: Is your writing scannable (Part 2) Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I’m your host Jayati Vora and this is the second part of a two-part episode on how to write so your audience will read.

In part 1, which came out two weeks ago, I covered four ways to *write* to ensure your readers get the important information you’re dishing up. If you haven’t listened to that one yet, hit pause and go listen to part 1 first.

This week, I’m covering a whole laundry list of ways to *format* your writing so you snag your readers’ attention and they don’t tune out when you want them to tune in.

I used to think that formatting wasn’t very important — and it’s true, a pretty-looking post can’t compensate for crappy copy.

But ignoring the formatting and presentation does your copy, and your reader, a giant disservice. It’s like writing a fiery speech and mumbling it to yourself in a corner.

Formatting your online copy so that readers find it easy and attractive to read will GREATLY increase the number of people who stick around to read it.

Listen to the episode for all the tips.

I also made a checklist of these tips for you that you can grab at https://www.cuttingchaistories.com/formattingtips/

Season 3 Episode 4: Is your writing scannable? (Part 1) Aug 05, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host, Jayati Vora, and today I want to show you how to write so that people who don’t like to read will be enticed to read what YOU write.

This is part one of a two-part episode on this subject, so make sure you tune in next week for the second half.

There’s no trickery involved in getting people to read what you write, just 4 simple writing tips that ensure that readers won’t miss the crucial bits of information you want to convey—and that *everyone* absorbs the information more readily.

1. Put the important bits up top and down low.

2. Vary the lengths of your sentences

3. Use ellipses in different ways, but intentionally.

4. Make your paragraphs short.

For more detail on each of these, including examples to see them in action, listen to the full episode.

If you liked this episode, would you leave a review for Cutting Chai Stories on Apple Podcasts? And have you subscribed to the show yet? It’s free of cost, and will make sure you never miss an episode.

Season 3 Episode 3: How to write better headlines Jul 29, 2021

Show notes

Hello hello, and welcome back to Cutting Chai Stories. I'm your host Jayati Vora, and today I want to talk to you about writing better headlines. Here's what we cover in this episode:

Brainstorm 30 headlines. Sometimes quality comes from quantity.

7 things NOT to do:

1. Don’t be boring.

2. Don’t be overly clever.

3. Don’t use too much jargon.

4. Don’t use headlines that give away everything.

5. Don’t pull a bait and switch.

6. Don’t use cliches.

7. And don’t overpromise and underdeliver.

8 things to do to write better headlines:

1. Use verbs.

2. Use questions.

3. Open a curiosity loop with statements.

4. Use quotes.

5. Be descriptive.

6. Use lists and numbers.

7. Be controversial.

8. And finally, answer the question—what’s in it for the reader?

If you found this episode helpful, share it with a friend and tag me on IG @jayativora and I'll repost. Let's grow the community!

Season 3 Episode 2: The all-important rule of one Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

What is the rule of one and why is it so important for writing effective content that converts?

What are all the ways in which it apply to your copy? (Hint: There's more than one.)

These questions and more, answered on this episode of Cutting Chai Stories.

Here's the revamped page where you can sign up for my email newsletter: www.cuttingchaistories.com/subscribe

As promised, here's the final email I sent out to my list, after I followed the rule of one.

Subject line: What are you WAITING for, Jayati?

I was using my bluetooth-enabled, ergonomic mouse when suddenly it stopped in its tracks and refused to obey my commands.
Was this the A.I. rebellion the sci-fi movies warned me about?
(I won't lie, this is a possibility that runs through my head every time my husband talks about smart home systems and every time Siri chimes in with her opinion on my conversation. SHUDDER.)
A beat later, it caught up with my movements.
As though I had accidentally pressed the pause button and then released it from paralysis.
It kept happening and I kept snarling in frustration.
Now it's a full 24 hours later; my Duracell batteries have arrived.
And yet they lie unopened in the kitchen drawer while my ergonomic mouse hitches and stutters and I jerk my hand around in the Internet-age equivalent of kicking the television set.
Why do we DO this?
Because when something isn't all the way broken, when the system still kinda works, we delay fixing it.
But when it's BROKEN broken, when we cannot do our jobs without it, we get fixin' lickety-split.
Like the copy you've been using for your biz that isn't functioning at max capacity.
You've got something, sure. You followed a template or downloaded a swipe file and wrote your version of an elevator pitch in seven words or less.
You send emails with personalized first names and include a call to action in every one.
Your biz writing isn't BROKEN broken, but it's limping along and breaking down, just like my stuttering mouse.
And while you think you're being *responsible* by sticking with it as long as you can, saving money by getting as much juice as possible from the flickering batteries, you are losing BIG.
Because it's costing you mucho dinero in terms of lost clients, lost time, lost income, lost MORALE.
It's time to replace those batteries.
It's time to replace that limping story.
It's a simple decision, and it's in your hands: What are you willing to live with?
When you've decided you need to put your emails, your website copy, your bio page out of its misery, call me in.
I'm the Million-Dollar Story Boss and I will help you rewrite that tired old story that doesn't work for you anymore.
We'll do a copy audit and chuck out the broken bits. We'll dig deep into your life and story to excavate the juiciest morsels that you've been hiding from your audience. And we'll do a story makeover so that everything you put out -- written words, spoken words, videos, EVERYTHING -- carries your energetic signature. No byline necessary.
In two minutes though. AFTER I go switch out the batteries in my dang mouse.
Jayati
P.S. When you're ready to upgrade, book a call with me: https://calendly.com/jayativora/story-mini-makeover?month=2021-07.
And I'll know my new batteries are working ⚡⚡⚡ just as they should.

Season 3 Episode 1: Gratitude with an Attitude Jul 15, 2021

Show notes

Welcome back to the very first episode of Season 3 of Cutting Chai Stories, where the writing is short and sometimes sweet, just like the half-servings of milky tea we call cutting chai back home in India.

Today's episode, dedicated to my husband, is all about gratitude.

We cover two techniques that are best used sparingly -- repetition and alliteration -- and a third that almost always takes your writing to the next level.

For the month of July, Cutting Chai Stories is also a featured podcast on Spotify India's Amplifiher, where you can discover content produced by and for women.

If you like this episode, please subscribe to the podcast, and please leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

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