Talk Copy to Me | Content + Copywriting Podcast

Intro

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EPISODE 192.
Read the show notes and view the full transcript here: Coming soon!

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Here's the info on your host, Erin Ollila
Erin Ollila believes in the power of words and how a message can inform – and even transform – its intended audience. She graduated from Fairfield University with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, and went on to co-found Spry, an award-winning online literary journal.

When Erin’s not helping her clients understand their website data or improve their website copy, you can cat...

Every website redesign starts the same way: you get excited, you start looking at colors and fonts and templates, and in that excitement, you think you're finally ready to hire someone. 

But here's the thing—if you skip the prep work, you're setting yourself (and whoever you hire) up for a project that's unclear on scope, potentially not very strategic, and basically...a site you'll want to redo again in a year.

Today I'm talking with Carolyn Leasure, a website redesign expert, about what actually needs to happen before you bring in a designer or a c...

You know that feeling when you finally get clarity on something you've been struggling with or ruminating on for a long time? It feels amazing for about five minutes.

And then you realize clarity doesn't actually end the hard part. It just starts a new one: figuring out what comes next—specifically what changes, what stays, and what gets cut.

This week, I'm working through what my rethought business actually looks like in practice (listen to episode 189 first if you want to hear the origin story!). 

This episode picks up where last week lef...

At some point in your business, you hit a moment where the project you thought you were doing turns out to be something much, much bigger. For me, that moment happened this year. I committed to doing a website rewrite after not touching my own website for years. What it actually turned into was  analyzing and tearing apart almost 10 years of offers, sitting with some pretty vulnerable business questions, and figuring out what I actually want the next chapter of my business to look like.

Today I'm sharing all of it on Talk Copy to Me: Why t...

Can I let AI write my website copy? 

There's a really good chance that you've thought that. Heck, maybe you already tried to let AI write your website copy...but something felt off. It might have ended up being professional enough, but at the same time if felt very "meh". 

Or maybe you're AI-hesitant and worrying that everyone else is using it and you're falling behind. But yet, you're just not sure your comfortable letting AI help you with creative output—especially for something as important as your website.

Either way, this episode is f...

Most program sales pages give you a topic list. This episode gives you something more useful: what it actually feels like to be inside Rewrite Your Site, my group copywriting program, from the moment you join to the moment your site goes live.

I'm walking through every phase—the pre-work, the week-by-week curriculum, the support structure, the bonuses, and the outcomes that don't fit neatly on a sales page (but might be the most valuable part of all). 

If you've been on the fence, this is the episode I want you to hear before you dec...

A course built around writing the copy for your small business website seems like it has one goal: to produce a website in the end. 

What nobody tells you is that it also produces a reckoning of sorts— about your offers, your messaging, your whole business. And this realization is just one thing I noticed about running Rewrite Your Site for the first time.

In this episode of Talk Copy to Me, I'm reviewing what happened during the January cohort, specifically what worked, what I'm changing, and what caught me by surprise. Because the doors to...

Most people sit down to write their website and end up rewriting the same headline over and over—not because they can't write, but because they skipped the step that makes the writing actually work.

What step, you ask?

Research. Skipping research will do that to you. 

In this Talk Copy to Me episode, I'm walking through the five types of research I do before writing any website copy, and why skipping even one shows up in your copy in ways that are hard to name but easy to feel. 

Wh...

You've been told that if your business isn't scaling, you're falling behind. But what if that message was never meant for you—or most of us online business owners—in the first place? 

This Talk Copy to Me episode is for anyone who's built a business around their actual life and wondered why all the marketing out there seems to assume you want something completely different.

Jess Freeman, of Jess Creatives, joins me to talk about what it really means to run an ordinary, sustainable, and profitable business on your terms. 

We also dig in...

What if you could write a book without the crushing weight of actually having to sit down and..write the book? 

See, many people freeze at the idea of writing a business book because it feels like a massive undertaking. But it doesn't have to be. You can build a book by writing smaller pieces of content—like blog posts. And those blog posts can serve your business right now while you're working toward building something bigger.

In this solo Talk Copy to Me episode, I'm walking you through two methods I've personally used to cre...

Here's something nobody tells you when you publish your first book: you're probably going to need to update it. Maybe not right away, but at some point, your industry will change, your expertise will evolve, or technology will make entire chapters obsolete—and you'll have a choice to make.

Jodi Brandon from Write Publish Market is back on the podcast today, and this time we're talking about something most authors don't plan for: revising a book after it's already published. 

Jodi just released the third edition of her book (also titled Write Publish Market!), and she...

Think you need to have it all figured out before you write a book? Think the words will just flow once you finally sit down to write? Think you can't possibly juggle a book project with everything else on your plate?

Well, it's time to stop wondering and start taking action if you are actually interested in writing a book for your business.

I hear so often from clients and colleagues that writing a book has been on their to do list for quite some time. And with an MFA in creative writing, I'm all...

Have you been avoiding YouTube ads because they feel overwhelming, expensive, or just... a lot? You're not the only one overwhelmed by the idea of video advertising. But that being said—you might be making it harder than it needs to be. 

Whether you have zero dollars to spend or a real ad budget ready to go, there are ways to get started with YouTube advertising that meet you exactly where you are.

In this Talk Copy to Me episode, Google Ads coach and Inside Google Ads podcast host Jyll Saskin Gales walks through everything a s...

Ever wonder why your Google Ads aren't converting, even when your targeting feels spot-on? 

The problem might not be your ads at all—instead, it's likely your website. Why? Well, before you sink money into paid advertising, your site needs to prove it can convert visitors organically. Otherwise, you're just paying for traffic that bounces.

In this episode, Google Ads strategist Olivia Lawson joins me to discuss exactly what needs to be in place before you hit that "launch campaign" button. 

From crystal-clear CTAs and price transparency to your entire sales process, we're cove...

Curious what copywriting trends are actually worth paying attention to in 2026? With AI tools everywhere and everyone yapping about what you "MUST" do on social media, it's hard to know what's real advice versus what's just noise. 

And I'm so tired of all the noise.

That's why, in this episode of Talk Copy to Me, I'm joined by four other experienced copywriters to share our 2026 copywriting predictions with you. We're not just guessing here; we're recognizing patterns from our actual client work and what we see people sharing on social media.

You'll hear f...

You know that feeling when you're constantly putting out fires instead of actually building your business? 

Yeah, me too. After a handful of years of running my business reactively—scrambling to create content, adjusting to life transitions, and well, simply surviving—I'm  ready to build something more strategic, sustainable, and dare I say...enjoyable. 

In this Season 5 kickoff of Talk Copy to Me, I'm pulling back the curtain on my 2026 plans. You'll hear about the shifts I'm making, the programs I'm working on, the stages I'm already booked to speak on, and why I built an enti...

Ever feel like you're constantly creating content for strangers on social media? If so, are you doing it while ignoring the people who've already paid you for your products or services? Yeah, we need to talk about that.

In this final episode of 2025, my friend Colie James joins me to call out the exhausting cycle of chasing new leads when the people most likely to say yes are already in your world—your former clients, your email list, even those leads who didn't book the first time. 

We're breaking down why marketing to your actual aud...

Is Rewrite Your Site worth it? 

That's the question anyone has when they invest in a course or program: Will I get the return on investment financially, emotionally, energetically, educationally? And is the price worth the value of what's being offered? 

In this episode, I'm comparing Rewrite Your Site to all the other ways you can work with me—from DIY courses to done-for-you website copywriting to done-with-you strategy sessions and copy coaching retainers—so you can make an informed decision about whether this program is right for you.

Plus, I'm sharing a specia...

Enrollment for Rewrite Your Site is open, and if you join by 11:59pm EST on November 27th, you get three early bird bonuses that aren't available in the same form after that date. 

I also know that sometimes bonuses can feel like fluff. You know, just extra stuff thrown in to make an offer look better. But these three bonuses are actually some of the most valuable parts of the entire program, and I'm breaking down exactly why that is in this episode of Talk Copy to Me.

You'll learn all about the onboarding strategy s...

You've been hearing me talk about Rewrite Your Site—the 8-week program that helps you rewrite your website with structure and support. But what does that actually look like? 

In this Talk Copy to Me episode, I'm walking you through it week by week so you know exactly what to expect if you join.

I'm covering how the program is structured, the optional December pre-party that helps you get ahead, and then the full breakdown of weeks one through eight. This program is structured yet supportive—you're doing the work, but you're not doing it alone...

"Do you think I can really write my own website copy? I'm not a copywriter. What if it's bad?" I get why people ask this. There's an entire industry telling you that you need to hire a professional copywriter and that DIY copy always ends up sounding wrong. 

But here's what I actually believe: You can absolutely write your own website copy. The problem isn't that you can't write—it's that you don't have a system for getting it out of your head in a clear and strategic way.

In this episode, I'm breaking down why...

Your website needs a complete rewrite. The homepage rambles. Your services page doesn't actually explain what you do. Your about page feels stiff and awkward. Maybe you have way too much content, or maybe you don't have nearly enough.

But here's the bigger problem—you have no idea where to start. Do you rewrite the homepage first? Fix the services pages? Add testimonials? Create individual service pages? The whole thing feels like a massive, tangled project, and you're stuck wondering which thread to pull without making everything worse. So you close the tab and tell yourself you'll de...

Real question: How long has your website been on your to-do list? Months? A year? Longer? You know it needs work, and you have the best intentions, but somehow it keeps getting pushed to next week, next month, always landing at the bottom of your priority list. And here's the thing—it's not just you. Even really successful business owners who are excellent at execution let their websites languish for way longer than they should. But why does this particular task keep getting pushed aside when you know how important it is?

In this episode, I'm breaking do...

When someone lands on your homepage, they make a decision in about three seconds—stay or leave. That's it. Three seconds to convince them they're in the right place. 

But here's what I see constantly: homepages organized around what a business wants to say, not what the visitor actually needs to know. And when this happens the visitor can't figure out if they're in the right place, and instead of staying, they leave.

In this episode, I'll share a framework for organizing your homepage so visitors quickly decide they're in the right place and know wha...

Why do some websites attract premium clients while others seem to only draw in bargain hunters and price shoppers? 

After ten years of writing for brands and businesses, I've learned that client quality isn't about luck—it's about signals. Premium clients (people who value expertise, understand that quality costs money, and are serious about getting results) are scanning for very specific things when they evaluate your website. And if those signals aren't present, they simply move on.

Instead of what pushes visitors away—like we discussed last week—I'm talking about what attracts the rig...

You're getting traffic to your website. People are clicking around, spending time there—but your inbox stays empty. No contact forms filled out, no calls booked, nothing. So you think, "I just need more visitors, right?" 

Wrong. The problem isn't traffic—it's that your website is quietly pushing people away before they reach out. There are four website silent killers turning interested visitors into ghosts: confusion, overwhelm, distrust, and friction.

In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly what each of these website silent killers looks like in practice and how they're costing you clients without you e...

Ever share your website link with a disclaimer like "Sorry, it's outdated!" or "I know it needs work!"? If you've ever apologized for your website before anyone even clicks, you're not alone—but that apology is quietly sabotaging your business.

 When you undermine your own credibility, you're not being humble. You're actively telling potential clients not to trust you, and worse, you're attracting discount-seekers while premium clients move on to someone who seems more confident.

In this episode, I'm breaking down what your website apologies are really costing you and why your site probably doesn't nee...

Know that AI-generated answer at the top of your Google search results? Curious about whether you should adjust your search optimization techniques to show up in that space? Well, those answers, called AI Overviews, are changing everything about how people find businesses online. 

Today, SEO expert Emily Gertenbach joins me on Talk Copy to Me to break down what AI Overviews actually are, how they differ from traditional search results, and whether showing up in them is even right for your business. We'll cover the pros and cons for product-based versus service-based businesses, how AI Overviews are c...

Are you spending too much time worrying about whether you need to impress search engines or AI tools? You might feel panicked and ignore it completely or abandon traditional SEO to chase the shiny new thing. 

Well, both approaches are wrong. The truth is, you can't do AI optimization (AIO) without traditional SEO—they're not separate strategies, and one builds on the other.

In this episode, I'm breaking down what still matters in traditional SEO, what AI optimization actually means, and how these two approaches work together instead of replacing each other. 

I'll walk...

Your AI just wrote you a blog post and it sounds great—so are you ready to hit publish? 

The answer is no.

Here's why: AI makes stuff up, gets facts wrong, and sometimes loses your voice completely—and you won't catch these problems unless you know what to look for. For small business owners and creatives using AI to create or repurpose content, editing and fact-checking aren't optional—they're essential for protecting your credibility and maintaining trust with your audience.

In this episode, I'm walking you through my two-stage editing process for AI-gene...

What if the content you've already created could work harder for you? If you're like most small business owners and creatives, you've spent hours crafting blog posts, emails, and social content—only to use them once and move on. 

But here's the thing: you're sitting on a goldmine of material that could be repurposed to extend your reach, fill your content calendar, and actually get a return on all that time you invested. 

In this episode of Talk Copy to Me, I'm showing you how AI can make content repurposing faster and more strategic than ever...

You've got your AI trained with your brand voice and messaging, but you're still just using it to write social posts. (Sound familiar?) But what if you could actually use AI as a brainstorming partner?

If you did the foundation work from last week's episode, your AI actually knows your business well enough to help you think through bigger challenges.

In this episode, we explore how to brainstorm strategically with AI—not just content topics, but messaging angles, audience concerns, and potential blind spots in your approach. 

And don't worry, I also cover AI...

Your AI keeps giving you generic copy because it doesn't know your business the way a human copywriter would. Most people think the solution is better prompts, but that's like thinking good copy just means better grammar.

You're missing the entire strategy layer underneath.

In this episode, I explore why AI training fails for most business owners and how working with a copy coach can solve the real problem. We'll talk about developing the strategic foundation your AI actually needs, from specific brand voice definitions to clear audience insights, and why this approach improves all...

Ever wondered what professional copy feedback actually looks like? I'm taking you inside a real copy coaching session to show you the detailed feedback process, collaborative revision sessions, and co-writing moments that transform rough drafts into compelling copy. 

See exactly how the collaboration works in this episode of Talk Copy to Me.

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EPISODE 159.
Read the show notes and view the full transcript here: https://erinollila.com/what-is-copy-coaching-really-like

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Here's info on your host, Erin Ollila
Erin Ollila believes in the power of words and h...

What if you could get professional copywriting help without completely handing over control of your message? Copy coaching offers a collaborative middle ground that combines your unique voice with professional strategy and support.

In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly what the done-with-you approach to copywriting looks like, who it serves best, and how the process works whether you're starting from scratch or already have copy that needs improvement. 

You'll learn why some business owners can't (and shouldn't) delegate copywriting completely, and how collaboration can actually produce better results than going it alone.

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Creative burnout isn't a personal failure—it's a signal that your current content creation approach isn't sustainable. Whether you're in a creative rut right now or want to prepare for inevitable dry spells, this episode is about creating sustainably rather than constantly.

I'm getting honest about why I took time off from podcasting and what I learned during that break. You'll discover low-energy content strategies that still provide value, how to prevent future burnout, and when to seek support rather than just pushing through. Because your audience would rather have authentic content than forced content that feels ge...

Are you struggling to understand why your 🤩 beautiful 🤩 website isn't bringing in clients? 

In this episode, four guests join me to reveal the common website mistakes that are actively costing you business. From confusing navigation to poor calls-to-action, these seemingly small issues create major barriers between you and potential clients who are ready to work with you. You'll discover practical fixes for navigation nightmares, content confusion, and conversion killers. 

Whether you're a solopreneur with a DIY site or a growing business ready for a strategic overhaul, you'll walk away with actionable steps to transform your website...

Could your website secretly be sabotaging your business growth? 

You've got traffic but no conversions. You're attracting the wrong inquiries. And potential clients keep asking for information that's literally right there on your site. 

These aren't just annoyances—they're warning signs.

In this episode of Talk Copy to Me, I'll walk you through the five key areas where your website might be working AGAINST you instead of FOR you. You'll learn how to identify misaligned messaging, interpret user behavior red flags, spot the business impact signals, recognize brand evolution issues, and address strategic disc...

Tired of investing in new marketing efforts that were supposed to transform your business, but somehow fell short of delivering real results? 

In this episode, I reveal the five strategy questions that any good strategist should be asking you—questions that cut through surface-level solutions and get to the heart of what your business actually needs. 

You'll learn what these essential strategy questions are, why they matter, and how the answers can completely transform your approach to business growth.

 
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EPISODE 154.
Read the show notes and view the full...

Ever booked a strategy call and wondered if you just wasted your money? 

Or hesitated to book one because you weren't sure what would actually happen?

 In this episode, I'm sharing my exact process for strategy sessions - from the questions I ask to what you should walk away with. No more mystery, just a clear roadmap for getting real value from your strategy time.

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EPISODE 153.
Read the show notes and view the full transcript here: https://erinollila.com/what-happens-in-a-strategy-session/

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Jo...