74 episodes

Join Australia’s most popular copywriting coach Bernadette Schwerdt as she takes you deep inside the world of how to be a professional copywriter. She’ll bring you the latest in how to get started, find work, build a brand, make money, manage your mindset and more. This behind the scenes look at how to become a top copywriter is the perfect pick-me-up for any writer who wants to earn more doing something they love. This podcast is by Australian Writers' Centre and Copy School.

So you want to be a copywriter with Bernadette Schwerdt Copy School & Australian Writers' Centre

    • Business
    • 4.7 • 18 Ratings

Join Australia’s most popular copywriting coach Bernadette Schwerdt as she takes you deep inside the world of how to be a professional copywriter. She’ll bring you the latest in how to get started, find work, build a brand, make money, manage your mindset and more. This behind the scenes look at how to become a top copywriter is the perfect pick-me-up for any writer who wants to earn more doing something they love. This podcast is by Australian Writers' Centre and Copy School.

    COPYWRITER 074: How to be (more) creative with award-winning copywriter and art director Adrian Elton.

    COPYWRITER 074: How to be (more) creative with award-winning copywriter and art director Adrian Elton.

    Adrian Elton is an award-winning creative who has worked for some of the world’s biggest brands including Disney, Sesame Street, Australia Post, Fairfax and many others.  Adrian’s career journey is as eclectic as it is inspiring. He started by studying interior design, transitioned to graphic design, evolved into an art director, became a musician, and finally found his calling as a copywriter. His work spans multiple sectors, and he’s known for his creative strategy and compelling copywriting. Tune in to discover how Adrian’s diverse background shapes his approach to copywriting and learn valuable tips for creating award winning copy.
    In this episode, you will learn how to:
    1. How to Identify and Develop Your Creative Talents:
    Discover the steps Adrian took to transition from interior design to graphic design, and eventually to copywriting. Learn how diverse creative skills can be integrated and leveraged across different mediums. 2. How to Break Into the Copywriting Industry:
    Gain insights into Adrian’s unconventional journey into copywriting and how he turned opportunities into long-term success. Understand the importance of taking on different roles and projects to build a robust portfolio. 3. How to Create Impactful Brand Messages:
    Explore Adrian’s approach to balancing design and copywriting to create powerful and cohesive brand narratives. Learn the significance of headlines and brand positioning in advertising. 4. How to Leverage Short-Form Content:
    Understand why Adrian prefers short, impactful copy and how to excel in creating concise and compelling messages. Get tips on writing effective headlines and brand positioning lines. 5. How to Apply Creative Philosophies:
    Discover the influence of Bauhaus architect Adolf Loos on Adrian’s work and the principle of "God is in the details." Learn how meticulousness in creative decisions can elevate the quality of your work. 6. How to Excel in Outdoor Advertising:
    Learn why billboards and outdoor advertising are considered the primary unit of advertising   Get tips on how to craft messages that capture attention. 7. How to Use Songwriting to Enhance Copywriting:
    Understand how songwriting helps develop a keen sense for language and rhythm in copywriting. Learn the parallels between crafting lyrics and writing compelling ad copy. 8. How to Maintain Creative Momentum:
    Learn the importance of continually practising and developing new ideas, even outside of client briefs. Discover how personal projects can keep your creative skills sharp and lead to unexpected opportunities. Read the show notes
    This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au
    Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 47 min
    COPYWRITER 073: Secrets of entrepreneurship from Australia’s top leaders with Bernadette Schwerdt

    COPYWRITER 073: Secrets of entrepreneurship from Australia’s top leaders with Bernadette Schwerdt

    I’m the author, ghostwriter and coauthor of 7 books about entrepreneurship. I’ve interviewed some of the biggest names in business. Ruslan Kogan from Kogan. Gabby Leibovich from Catch of the Day. Jane Lu from Show Po. Naomi Simson from Red Balloon. Simon Griffiths from Who Gives a Crap. And many more. 
    I’m often asked, ‘What have you learnt by interviewing over 100 of Australia’s top entrepreneurs? Do they have anything in common? And if so, what? Did they all get lucky or did they do something others didn’t?
    I’ve learnt a lot from these people about entrepreneurship so I thought I’d dedicate an episode to sharing with you what I have learned from them all.
    We’ll cover how to:
    build a culture  use language to shape the mindset of a company make your own luck – there is a 3-step formulas use your weaknesses to create a super power strength compete with the big firms even when you’re on a tiny budget level the management hierarchy so you are seen as being ‘one of the team’ start a meeting and break the ice write a cultural statement that sets your company up for success – with examples from Swisse Vitamins that saw them win “Best Employer” over multiple years give feedback  create a content machine that delivers outstanding results Read the show notes
    This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au
    Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 48 min
    COPYWRITER 072: How to use podcasts to build your business with Lyndal Harris

    COPYWRITER 072: How to use podcasts to build your business with Lyndal Harris

    If you’d like to launch your own podcast to promote your copywriting business, this is the podcast for you.
    Lyndal Harris is one of Australia’s top podcasting consultants. She’s launched hundreds of podcasts for a huge range of businesses and she’s here today to share her knowledge about how copywriters and any other small business owner - can start, launch and market their podcast.
    In this episode, you’ll learn:
    How a podcast can build your business What a podcast is and how it differs from other audio and video mediums Why an audio podcast often trumps a video podcast The best duration and publishing schedule for a podcast How to invite high-profile guests onto your podcast (even if you don’t have any listeners) How to build an audience for your podcast using email and social media Why evergreen content of a few episodes can be as powerful as creating ongoing episodes The technical elements of launching a podcast – hosting, editing, formats, platforms, software etc. How to find the right statistics to measure the success of your podcast How to find paid sponsors who can fund the production of your podcast About Lyndal:
    Lyndal Harris is a Podcast Consultant and is passionate about simplifying your podcasting journey and getting your message out to the world.
    She is the founder and creative force behind Podcast VA, who have launched hundreds of podcasts for both Australian and international clients, who collectively captivate millions of listeners worldwide. And quite a number of these shows have hit #1 in the charts! 
    Lyndal and the team reduce the stress and make your podcasting journey simple by offering a variety of launch and management done-for-support services, online training, as well as coaching and audits.
    She started supporting clients with podcasting in 2015 and niched her VA business back in 2016 and was the first Australian VA to provide podcast-only support.  
    Read the show notes
    This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au
    Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 43 min
    COPYWRITER 071: How to land a job in a blue chip advertising agency with Philip Taffs

    COPYWRITER 071: How to land a job in a blue chip advertising agency with Philip Taffs

    Would you like to land a copywriting job in an advertising agency working with blue chip clients? How about working in New York in the heart of advertising land? What about using your copywriting skills to write a bestselling novel?
    If you like to learn how to do any of these, then you need to listen to Philip Taffs. He has worked as a Senior Writer and Creative Director in both Melbourne and Manhattan. He’s worked with major players like Menulog and Playstation and helped launch the Honda CR-V & Odyssey into Australia. 
    He has taught copywriting at AWARD School, Strategic Communications at LaTrobe University, Public Relations at Deakin University, and Advertising, Media and Social at Swinburne, and his bestselling novel, Bubby, was recently re-released in the U.S. to great acclaim. 
    You’ll hear how he did it all and some important lessons on how you can get your foot in the door to launch your copywriting career even if you don’t have any experience.
    Here’s what else you’ll learn:
    The connection between copywriting and novel writing How to market a novel and find an agent Advice for copywriters looking to write a novel How he’d market his novel differently if he had the time over again How he got his foot in the door of the advertising industry How to connect with Creative Directors of leading advertising agencies, even if you don’t know them How he launched the Honda CR-V into Australia; the highlights, the low-lights and everything in between The importance of being ‘nice’ in business and why it will win you work How he landed a job in New York How to network and find the right people to speak to What advertising life in NY was like and the differences in writing copy for the United States How novice copywriters can get noticed and find work even if they don’t have any experience What he thinks of AI and how it is being used in copy and branding Insights/techniques/formulas/processes he teaches that resonate most with the students About Philip:
    Philip Taffs has worked as a Senior Writer and Creative Director in both Melbourne and Manhattan.  He still has a client out of London and handled recent projects for Menulog and Playstation.
    Major brand experience includes Honda (helped launch the Honda CR-V & Odyssey into Australia), Esanda Finance (headed up the account at Publicis Mojo), Australia Post (Joint Creative Director), and Cabrini Health (Creative Director). 
    As well as running his own creative consultancy, he has taught copywriting at RMIT and AWARD, Strategic Communications at LaTrobe University, Public Relations at Deakin University, and Advertising, Media and Social at Swinburne.
    Philip’s novel, The Evil Inside, was published by Quercus London in 2014.  (Same publishers as Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.)  In February 2024, it was re-released in the U.S. under the new title, Bubby.
    Read the show notes
    This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au
    Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 46 min
    COPYWRITER 070: Discover the top AI tools all copywriters need to know about

    COPYWRITER 070: Discover the top AI tools all copywriters need to know about

    Greg Baker knows more than most about AI and where it's headed. As an AI futurist and lecturer in Computational Linguistics at Macquarie University, Greg educates students on the intricacies of Artificial Intelligence for Text and Vision, and blends his theoretical insights with practical applications. 
    He helps the C-suite understand the future of labour, how to maximise AI productivity gains and how to gain a deep technical understanding of what is possible. He is a director at the Institute for Open Systems Technologies and has worked at Google and CSIRO and is a leading voice in how to understand the opportunities that AI offers us today and into the future.
    If you’re looking to discover how AI is impacting copywriters and the writing industry, this is the episode you have been waiting for.   
    You’ll learn how to:
    Take advantage of the opportunities (and understand the threats) in the evolving landscape of AI Explore new developments relevant to copywriters, including changes in platforms like Upwork Understand, access and create your own Custom GPT to help clients create better copy Monetise Custom GPTs for your own purposes Examine niche applications of Custom GPTs and understand the relevance of large language models for copywriters Compare the emerging competitors to ChatGPT and use the right ones for your needs Get the most from models like Anthropic’s Claude Opus   Use speech recognition programs to write your copy Get a job as a copywriter or screenwriter for computer games (and get paid more than ever before) Take advantage of the errors that ChatGPT makes when ‘hallucinating’ and turn that into a money-making opportunity (as a fact checker or sub editor) Understand the role Chat plays in Search Engine Optimisation (and why Google is in danger of becoming irrelevant). Create your own Chat Bot  Assess how the ‘helpful, harmful or honest’ used my language models skews the results we get About Greg:
    Greg is a lecturer in computational linguistics at Macquarie University, an author of 7 books and an award-winning music composer. His client list is a who’s-who of top businesses, governments and not-for-profits in Australia and around the world. His is also famous for his work preserving and restoring endangered and extinct languages.
    Read the show notes
    This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au
    Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 1 hr 6 min
    COPYWRITER 069: How to add copyediting and proofreading to your suite of services

    COPYWRITER 069: How to add copyediting and proofreading to your suite of services

    Would you like to add copy editing, project editing and proofing to your suite of services?
    If so, then this is the episode for you.
    Matt Davies is a leading copy editor. He specialises in the health care and government sectors and has created a thriving business that lets him work on his terms so that he has the time and space to pursue his true passion – writing novels. He’s already written three and he is just going from strength to strength.
    Read the show notes
    This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au
    Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 41 min

Customer Reviews

4.7 out of 5
18 Ratings

18 Ratings

Julia Manifest Your Best ,

Everything you need to know when starting a copywriting business is here.

Such a comprehensive coverage of topics relating to Copywriting, particularly helpful for those in the early stages of building their business.

Youshould Readthis ,

Essential Listening

This is the best podcast I have found on copywriting. I’ve heard copy podcasts that ramble on about themselves (!) but Bernadette’s podcast speaks with a valuable insight about all facets of the industry and we hear a range of ‘copy journeys’ and tips from current practitioners.

Top Podcasts In Business

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
DOAC
She's On The Money
Victoria Devine
Financial Feminist
Her First $100K
Big Business with Brittney Saunders
Nova Podcasts
Straight Talk with Mark Bouris
Mentored.com.au
Australian Finance Podcast
Rask

You Might Also Like

The Side Hustle Show
Nick Loper of Side Hustle Nation
The Content Byte
Lynne Testoni and Rachel Smith
How I Work
Amantha Imber
Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield
Amy Porterfield
Marketing Made Simple
Powered by StoryBrand
The Smart Passive Income Online Business and Blogging Podcast
Pat Flynn