The Content Byte

As freelancers, we all want more lovely leads coming to us - right? Enquiries popping into our inbox. Potential clients approaching us on social media. Ringing us straight from Google. And if things have been at bit barren in your business lately, we've got a heap of great things to try to get things moving again.

Ever thought of using a virtual assistant (VA)? This week on the podcast, Rachel Smith and Lynne Testoni chat with Fiona Campbell, who runs Thought Penny, an Australian team of VAs, as well as the VA Lead Network. Fiona talks about why you might not need a VA and how to automate your processes instead, all about opportunity cost and how to find the perfect assistant for your creative business. We...

Freelancers are essentially small businesses - even if we don't typically think of ourselves that way. And this episode with journalist and community manager Lucy Kippist, sheds so much light on being a small business AND working with other small businesses. We chat to Lucy about: Tips she learned from successful business owners Mistakes we commonly make along the freelance journey The differences...

Making the bulk of your living from magazine commissions is a rarity for most freelancers these days, with many of us mixing it up with content marketing, copywriting and corporate work. But writer and author David Smiedt still works mainly for magazines and other media outlets. He's currently contributing editor at GQ Australia, list editor at escape.com.au and a columnist at The Rake and Home Be...

Becoming disillusioned with a staff job has been the springboard for many a freelance journey, including that of US-based healthcare writer Melanie Padgett Powers. In this week's episode, Mel chats to us about what prompted her to start her own writing and editing business, and how her fab podcast, Deliberate Freelancer, soon followed. Tune in to find out: - How Melanie lost an anchor client durin...

Freelance writer Lindy Alexander didn't start out as a writer, but she has carved out a $100K+ freelance writing business that's made her the envy of freelancers everywhere. We chat to her about how she started, some of her systems and processes, and her tips for success. Listen in to find out: How Lindy moved from being a social worker and AUSLAN interpreter to becoming a hugely successful freela...

This week Rachel and Lynne talk with Belinda Weaver, cohost of the Hot Copy podcast and copywriter extraordinaire about how she created a successful freelance copywriting career, created a supportive community for copywriters and developed courses for those wishing to learn the trade or upskill. We chat about things such as: how copywriters can command higher rates, how to write faster and her adv...

The goal for any freelancer is to have a full pipeline, working on projects that interest and excite you. Melbourne-based writer Shane Cubis is doing just that - and in our continuing series of successful freelancers, he chats to us about his very interesting career trajectory - which has included editing the notorious P mags, writing for The Chaser and in recent years, working for clients that ra...

Earning a decent living as a freelancer is within your reach - but how? In this jam-packed episode of tips, info and strategies, we talk to Melbourne-based freelancer Carrie Hutchinson about how she has carved out a thriving freelance career across print magazines, copywriting clients and corporate gigs, with a particular focus on travel and lifestyle. We cover: - The pros and cons of working with...

After living overseas for many years, returning home and facing the prospect of freelancing with no contacts and no local experience can be extremely tough. Jessica Mudditt, author of Our Home in Myanmar, did just that - and in this episode we chat about: - How Jess's new book came about, and what it's like watching Myanmar's crisis unfold from afar after living there for years - Building a freela...

Case studies can be a convincing form of social proof for content clients - and can be a valuable addition to your writing services. In this week's episode, we talk about the following: The types of case studies clients want (from structured templates to interviews to video-style case studies) How they stack up compared to other content marketing Our tips for finding customers for interview case s...

We've all downloaded a lead magnet or two (those irresistible freebies offered on a website in exchange for your email address). But what makes a good lead magnet? How much should you charge to a client to write an ebook or white paper? In this episode, we talk about: Lead magnet basics - what are they and why are they important to an overall content strategy Why a great lead magnet will always ai...

This week Rachel and Lynne decided to mix it up and have a bit of fun. Inspired by an email that Rachel received from a client, we talk about some of the hilarious feedback we have had from clients and editors because you have got to laugh sometimes - or it could all get you down. We have a few classic comments of our own to share and we also decided to open it up to the Rachel's List Gold Communi...

How DO you get customers and build a solid financial footing when you're starting out as a freelancer or small business (or are stuck in a slow patch)? This week, we chat to Rounded co-founder and COO Oliver Garside about the strategies they used, and how they might relate to freelancers seeking clients and customers. Oliver also shares some tips on making EOFY less stressful if you work for yours...

If most of the jobs you take on are completing pieces of content for a client - and you want to do more - then this week's episode is for you. Getting stuck into the strategy for a client, advising them on how to improve or repurpose their content (or even scrap their current strategy and create something better), isn't just rewarding. It can mean charging more, too! And you may already be doing b...

While your own freelance website is very important, optimising your Google My Business (GMB) profile is absolutely critical if you want to maximise your visibility online and bring warm leads your way. In this episode, we chat to digital marketing consultant Katie Hull about how to make your GMB profile the best it can be, including: What Google My Business is, how to access it and how to get the...

The longer you freelance, the more likely you are to come across a tricky or challenging client. Clients who try to bargain you down. Who are so disorganised they throw out timelines on other projects. Or clients who just want to micro-manage everything down to the last detail. This week, we talk about our approaches to five typical 'tricky' clients and what works for us. The Negotiator   The Novi...

This week Rachel & Lynne are talking about something that has intrigued me for a while – Pinterest, the social media that you might not be aware of and how powerful it is with guest, Simone Pavils, a Pinterest specialist. About Simone Simone Pavils provides Pinterest and SEO services and strategy for business, to help them lighten the load and live more intentionally. She shows you how to create p...

This week Rachel and Lynne are talking about your biggest marketing tool – your website! We are constantly surprised how many writers don't have a website, or have one that misses crucial pieces of information. This week, website developer Jude Love from Love Communications talks all things websites and what creatives need to include. Her 7 tips on what to include are: A sales mindset – make every...

Are you a freelance writer looking to save time, get inspiration and make use of some of the brilliant digital tools out there (if you only knew what the best ones were)? In this episode - a follow-up to our 10 Essential Writing Tips episode a few weeks before - details some great tools we use in our own writing work. Resources we talk about in this episode Hemingway App https://hemingwayapp.com/...

A successful Facebook group can be a powerful thing - whether you're using it to create a community of like-minded people, to teach others, to gather feedback or to sell stuff. But how can you build a successful group, keep people talking - and stop it taking over your life in the process? In this episode, we chat with Freelance Jungle founder Rebekah Lambert, who knows a heck of a lot about FB gr...

Does your writing need work? In this episode, we share ten essential tips for making your writing better - from making it more accessible, to ditching filler words, to how much time to spend on your opener and closing paragraphs, and much more.  

As a freelancer, you're probably always juggling a few different projects, with some weeks busier than others. And if you don't have systems in place to track how you're going and meet your deadlines, things can get hairy, fast. In this episode, Lynne and I talk about the different ways we juggle our workload, the systems we've created to ensure deadlines are met, and how we assess whether we can...

With the last year bringing so much uncertainty to the media industry, many journalists are choosing to parlay their skills into content roles in the public sector - and what's not to love? Job security, a regular paycheck and super make this an attractive proposition. But what do you need to know before you take the leap? Journo Nigel Bartlett, who's currently working as a content designer in a g...

Low-paying clients. We've all been there as freelancers - so how do you deal with it? In this episode, we cover several scenarios: What to do if you're offered work then told the rate is ridiculously low How to raise your rates with low-paying clients you already have How to weed out low-paying clients from the get-go, without wasting time How to educate clients about market rates. Tune in for the...