The Content Byte

Pitching. It's something we all need to be doing as freelance writers if we want to ensure our pipeline of work is always full. And in today's episode, we welcome veteran journo and university lecturer John Burfitt to share his pitching system, ways to generate ideas, tips on following up and dealing with rejection, and much, much more. A must-listen if you want more pitching success and regular commissions landing in your in-box.

In this episode, we talk about our experiences freelancing and working around children - the childcare we've chosen and why, the government help we've tapped into and other interesting tips for freelancers who may be thinking about starting a family.

Are you a freelancer with a website who struggles to blog regularly? This week, we have a longer episode for you that's packed with gold from digital marketer and trainer Brook McCarthy. Brook talks to us about why blogging is so essential, the mistakes writers make when blogging and topics we should be considering. Plus so much more. Grab the show notes at rachelslist.com.au

A shrinking media landscape was one of the reasons journalist Nicola Conville started to explore other career options - and she'd always wanted to work for in the NFP sector. In this episode, she shares how she got her job as a content manager at the UNHCR, which skills of hers have been most useful, and her advice for other journos at the career crossroads.

Whether you're renovating and creating a dedicated home office for yourself, or just carving out a corner for a workspace - this episode is all about bringing the elements together and creating a space you want to work in.

This week we're excited to chat to journalist and founder of Interiors Addict Jen Bishop, whose one-time passion project has become an incredibly successful interiors website. She spills the beans on her milestone moments, why she doesn't pay much attention to SEO, lessons she's learned and why she thinks journos should be taking advantage of the huge content marketing industry. Plus a whole heap more!

Whether you're writing a print story or a piece for digital, the headline is all-important. In this episode, we explain the differences between each, share our tips for writing great headlines including those requiring keywords and list our favourite online headline tools to speed up the headline writing process.

Hosts Rachel Smith from Rachel's List and journalist and content creator Lynne Testoni talk to Sara Tasker of MeandOrla and Hashtag Authentic about Instagram and how to make it work for you as a freelancer. About Sara Sara is an Instagram Expert and Creative Business Coach, best-selling author and host of the successful podcast Hashtag Authentic where she shares Instagram strategies and support. She runs courses and retreats on Instagram and has more than 200,000 followers on the platform – last time we checked. In this episode we talk about: How Instagram differs from other social media channels in that it is visually driven, rather than words-driven Instagram Stories and Reels – how they work and the difference between them Why Instagram is prioritising Reels in your feed at the moment Why you shouldn't be pressured into creating content that doesn't feel right to you How to use the analytics to create stickier content How to create content that will bring you business as a freelancer Why it's a good idea to change your Instagram account to a business account if you use it for work – and what the change will bring you in terms of features in the App. Here are some links we mention Buffer (Rachel's scheduling tool): https://buffer.com/ Mosaico (Sara's planning tool): https://www.mosaicoapp.com/ Find Sara Tasker Website (with links to her courses and book, Hashtag Authentic) MeandOrla https://meandorla.co.uk/ Instagram: @me_and_orla Podcast - Hashtag Authentic The Content Byte email: [email protected] Web https://www.rachelslist.com.au/blog/the-content-byte-podcast/ https://www.lynnetestoni.com/podcast-the-content-byte Instagram @thecontentbyte @lynnetestoni @rachelslist and @rachelsmithjourno Facebook @thecontentbyte @lynnetestonicontent @rachelslist.com.au

If you do a lot of interviews for editors or clients, you need cost-effective, time-saving systems that work for you. In this episode, we talk about the tools, apps and services we've used and the ones we go back to again and again.

It's been a crappy year and many of us have lost work, faced extended lockdowns and isolation, and suffered poor mental health to boot. If that's you, what steps can you take to feel better? In this episode, we talk about what works for us to boost mood, motivation and a sense of positivity.

JobKeeper payments are changing in the coming weeks, and many freelancers know what a minefield it can be! If you're relying on it to prop up your income right now, accountant Holly Shoebridge shares all the information you need to know in this week's episode.

Today's writers often need to provide more than just words - they need to be multi-skilled. This week hosts Rachel and Lynne talk all about sourcing the best images to accompany your text, offering advice and tips on where to find great free and paid stock photos, as well as how to commission photographers.

Can being very specific about the niches you operate in help bring you higher-paying clients? Especially when it comes to content marketing? Many experts in this space say yes, and today we're talking about how to isolate your niches and market yourself more effectively.

We know, on-boarding doesn't sound like the sexiest topic - but if you're putting new clients on your schedule, having seamless systems in place will save you time, money and a world of pain down the track. We talk about how we devised our own on-boarding systems, the mistakes we made and why it's essential to keep tweaking and making your systems better.

It's been nearly a decade since journalist Nigel Bowen left magazines to carve out a new path in content marketing. In this episode, we chat to him about how he started his business, Content Sherpa and why he loves being 'captain of his own ship'. Nigel also shares some tips on finding clients and dealing with the never-ending hustle, and his advice for freelancers starting out.

Are you starting off in your career and looking at an internship? This week Rachel and Lynne talk about unpaid internships - and share tips on how to find the good ones and how to make them work for you.

Do print journos have transferrable skills for broadcast? In this episode, we put that question to Wendy Moore, the head of Foxtel's Lifestyle Channels, a former House Rules on-camera judge - and a highly experienced editor and publisher with over 20 years in print herself. (She's also the sister of one of us!) Find out why print journos are 'doers', the skills you need to work in TV and much more.

If you're at the start of your career, having a trusted mentor to advice and guide you can be invaluable. But mentors aren't just for when you're starting out; even experienced freelancers may benefit from different mentors at various stages of their career. In this episode, we talk about the ins and outs of mentoring, what mentoring is and what it isn't, and where to find a good one.

How DO you price projects as a freelancer? Should it be by the word, by the hour, by the day? What's value-based pricing? And when do you opt for a retainer agreement? In this episode, we run through some common pricing structures freelancers use (and what we use) to help you out.

Want to know how to harness the power of the LinkedIn platform in order to get noticed / find more clients? In this episode, self-confessed LinkedIn nerd and technical copywriter John Espirian shares a heap of valuable tips and tricks. Listen in for essential profile tweaks, the kind of content to write (and why the algorithm favours comments), the dangers of automating posts, whether premium accounts are worth it, tapping into the silent jobs market, finding clients to reach out to and much more.

Ever since we read about Bill Gates' penchant for think weeks - a 7-day solo stay to read, think and come up with ideas without distractions - we've loved the idea. In this episode, we talk about how to plan your own 'think week' for your business, what to take and whether you should invite a co-thinker along with you.

This week on the podcast, Lynne has been unwell so we thought it would be a great idea to re-release one of our favourite episodes from a few years ago. This episode, from June 2020 (so we chat about the pandemic a few times) is with content marketing queen Jennifer Goforth Gregory about moving from journalism to content marketing, why it's so important to have niches, positioning yourself to clients and agencies as a subject matter expert and her three-pronged approach to marketing yourself. She also shares a rough script on how to write an LOI (and why it's just a starting point and not the 'whole date'). Jennifer is one of the keynote speakers at the upcoming The Content Byte Summit - and this is a great way to hear her story and why we both find her inspiring. Jennifer's website is here: https://www.jennifergregorywriter.com/ Connect with her Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FreelanceCMW Find out more about our upcoming conference, The Content Byte Summit www.thecontentbytesummit.com.au Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au Thanks (as always) to our sponsors Rounded (www.rounded.com.au), an easy invoicing and accounting solution that helps freelancers run their businesses with confidence. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

New to interviewing people for stories or content pieces? Or perhaps you've been interviewing people for a while but want to get better at it? In this episode, we talk about why it's such an important skill (and one in danger of being lost) and our tips for doing a great interview.

In today's episode, we talk to Claire Bradley, Head of Content at content agency Suddenly (an off-shoot of News Corp). She talks to us about what content marketing clients want, what she looks for in good freelancers, transferrable skills journos have that they can bring to content marketing and much more.

Whether you've been forced into freelancing from a redundancy or recently made the decision to start working for yourself, it can be a learning curve. In this episode, we share the 6 things we think you need to do to get set up, establish your systems and start earning money.

Found yourself with less work and more time on your hands? During coronavirus, many online courses are free or heavily discounted, making now a great time to plug the gaps in your skillset. We share our experiences and let you know about a master list of courses to get you started.

The longer you're in business, the more clients you'll come across - and the more awkward conversations you may need to have. In this episode we look at some common freelance issues that can crop up as part of your client management and suggest ways to handle each scenario.

Want to be able to write content faster so you can take on more work and make more money? In this episode we share a heap of time-saving strategies that we use ourselves - and explain why they help to ramp up your output.

Whether it's spruiking yourself on your socials, building a Reddit profile, finding new outlets to pitch to or teaming up with other creatives, here are eight ways to pick up work you might not have tried.

We're stoked to bring our first ever guest, SEO queen Kate Toon, to this podcast episode. We chat to Kate about what journos, copywriters and content producers need to know about SEO, why it's essential to have an understanding of it if you're writing for content clients and how you can get started and build on your knowledge as you go. A must-listen if you've put SEO into the 'too hard' basket!

If you're looking for an income stream beyond journalism, content marketing could be just the ticket - it's a form of marketing writing that's designed to generate interest in a brand or its products or services. And it's an easy transition for anyone used to writing features for a living. In this episode, we talk about what content marketing is, how to find this type of work and what it pays.

In today's episode, we talk pitching - why it's important to do it, researching markets before you pitch and the many (many!) different types of content or services you could pitch right now. We also look at how often you need to follow up on your pitches, and the importance of having a system for monitoring your pitching efforts.

Work or no work, there are a number of things you can start doing now to future-proof your freelance business. In this episode, we talk about how to navigate the new landscape by expanding your network, reaching out to clients, upskilling and much more.

It's easy to get bogged down in despair while in lockdown and feeling like your business is in free fall. But taking steps now to sort out your finances and start thinking about getting your business hat on is what freelancers across the board need to do. We talk about how our week has been and how we're adjusting to the new state of play.

This week's events have left people reeling as the world copes with the effects of the coronavirus, or Covid 19. Freelancers in particular feel vulnerable as industries shut down and we all struggle with the uncertainty that has come with this medical crisis. In this week's episode, we share our thoughts about how to cope, how to help your clients – and how you can find work in a time when it feels like the world has gone mad.

For freelance journalists used to long-form writing, taking on social media gigs can give you pause. You might not be sure if you can write bitsy teasers, do hashtag research or check insights on the daily - while others may welcome the change in pace and different style of writing that's required. In this episode, we talk about what can be involved with 'doing social' and how, if you use your time effectively, you can use social media gigs to plug the gaps between long-form work.

If you're an established freelancer, public speaking can be a fantastic way to boost your reputation and position yourself as an expert in your field. It can also help bring more work your way and - kaching! - make money. In this episode, we talk about different kinds of public speaking, what public speaking pays, how to get over 'the fear' of speaking to an audience, and where to find public speaking opportunities.

Writing a good piece of content can be quite different to penning a feature for a magazine. In this episode, we look at how to choose a topic, perform basic keyword research and write a decent headline. Also covered: writing metadata and the call-to-action (CTA) - plus the resources to help you do all of the above!

It's all too easy to embrace a sedentary lifestyle as a freelancer, tapping away on your computer all day. But there are ways to shoehorn movement into your day - and in this episode, we share what works for us and touch on the benefits to your life and your creativity.

A lot of us start freelancing so we never have to darken the door of an office again - but what if you miss working alongside a team? Or crave a regular pay-check? Taking occasional in-house stints as a freelancer CAN be hugely beneficial for your cashflow and your visibility (often bringing you more work or new clients). Of course, we touch on the downsides too and other considerations to think about before taking an in-house gig.

It's the million-dollar question for any freelancer - do you only chase high-paying clients, or take on the often more piecemeal work offered by small businesses? In this episode, we share the pros and cons to working with small businesses, our own personal strategies around this income stream - and tips for making it work.

While you might think your clients are hanging onto your every word on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, newsletters are a far superior way to stay in touch (and bring you more offers of work). In this episode, we touch on why newsletters work, platforms to create your newsletter on, lead magnets and more.

As a freelancer, you're going to be much more indispensable - and frankly, richer - if you take the time to educate clients about what they need (beyond what they think they need). Doing this is a way of adding value, making your client's life easier and helping them get a better return on investment. It can also create opportunities to talk about other services or packages you offer. In this episode, we talk about the kind of services to package, and how to do it.

Most freelancers will stumble on a PITA (pain in the ass) client or ten. These clients may quibble over your rates, try and renegotiate your services, query your invoices or encroach on your personal time (and that's just for starters). How can you spot PITA clients - and manage them, if you end up working with one? We share our tips in this week's episode.

Do you have a client offering you a regular amount of work? It might be worth negotiating a retainer arrangement. In this episode, we talk about how to structure these arrangements and what you need to be aware of (and there's an exclusive discount code for podcast listeners for the Rachel's List retainer template).

The peaks and troughs of freelancing can be overwhelming - so how do you handle them? What should you do during a slow patch? And are economic downturns something to fear? Not necessarily, as we talk about in this week's episode.

If you're a freelancer, how well does your website / online portfolio work for you? Does it bring in traffic? Convert leads? Is it something you're proud to share with clients? If not, don't stress - it's not as hard as you might think to improve your website's look'n'feel and make it more user-friendly. In today's episode, we run through a checklist of common website design mistakes - and what you can do to fix any that pop up on your site.

Moving from an in-house role to a freelance one is a MASSIVE change. Suddenly, time is money - and productivity is all important in order to make the income you need to get by. In this episode, Lynne and Rachel share their time-saving tips and tricks and talk about the productivity resources available in the Rachel's List Toolkit (bonus discount code for podcast listeners!)

It's all too easy to undersell yourself when you're freelance. You want the project, and think quoting a little lower is going to do the trick. But sometimes, under-charging can backfire - and actually lose you work. In this episode, we explain how and why you need to price yourself accordingly.

Once upon a time, journos simply had to file their copy and that was that. These days, you may be asked to do quite a bit more, especially if you're writing for digital outlets. Find out what editors and clients tend to expect from content writers these days (and where you might need to upskill).