The Content Byte

If you endear yourself to a content agency that pays well, and offers you regular, interesting work, you're onto a good wicket as a freelancer. But how can you get your foot in the door in the first place? It can be a challenge for some writers, but in this episode, we ask Clare Brundle, managing director at Hardie Grant's Heads and Tales Content Agency, for her tips. She shares: + How agencies love freelancers with a specialist niche, and how it can set you up as the go-to person for that topic (and be lucrative) + Why there's less leeway with content marketing briefs than journalism briefs, and what you need to know about the strategy that's gone on behind the scenes of that brief + How you should never tell a content agency that you can write for digital if you don't have a website of your own + How to approach a content agency - do you simply send a letter of introduction, or pitch as well? + Why your career will die if you don't evolve, keep learning and stay curious, instead of focusing on how the industry is changing in ways you don't necessarily like + Her tips for immersing yourself in the world of content marketing so you're poised to approach agencies as they get new, interesting clients And much more! Find out more about Clare Website: www.headsandtales.agency LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/heads-and-tales-au Instagram: www.instagram.com/headsandtales_au Watch her amazing preso about custom publishing and content marketing in the Rachel's List Pitching masterclass

There's always so much to learn from successful freelancers, and our interview with freelance writer and editor Michelle Bateman is a case in point. Michelle specialises in beauty, fashion and culture – but she's quick to point out that there's a lot of joy in generalising too, simply because you can cover so many topics that interest you. In this bumper chat, we talk to Michelle about the following: How she fell into writing about beauty What having a niche and expertise can enable you to do more for clients How the pandemic has impacted beauty writers and the industry Adapting to different styles of writing, from editorial to content to copy Michelle's tips on switching between different types of writing Why you should always learn best practice and upskill regularly How Michelle manages big projects and smaller clients What kind of work she batches, and how batching helps her be more efficient Why Michelle loves a mix of in-house and working from home, and the value there is to be had in meeting regularly with clients or working with a team Her advice for freelancers and the benefits of working with agencies Michelle's favourite tools and apps Resources Michelle's website: http://www.michellebateman.com/ RL masterclass: Beyond Journalism (Michelle talks content marketing and copywriting) RL Blog: So you think you can … be a beauty writer?

By design, freelancers do have more freedom to live and work in other locations - even if you worry you might lose clients or become 'out of sight, out of mind'. That wasn't the case for editor and journalist Sara Mulcahy, who decided to move her family and freelance business to Far North Queensland just after Covid hit. And as it happened, she enjoyed her best financial year yet. In this episode, Sara talks about: The journey crossing the borders just before they closed How her work has changed since moving up north, and the niches she's thrived in due to her location Dealing with different budgets in different locations How she's managed to keep existing clients and find new ones Her tips for other freelancers, and more! Find Sara on LinkedIn

Do you struggle to get paid as a freelancer? Need some strategies to ensure clients don't ignore your invoices? You're in luck: in this episode, we're talking to Collectmore's Paul Metcalf, a nationally renowned debt collection expert. In this episode, Paul shares: Some of his most memorable debt collection stories Red flags about clients who may be problem payers How to set boundaries with clients from the get-go Strategies for protecting yourself as a freelancer Paul's #1 way to get paid (that most of us don't do) Steps for freelancers chasing late payments Letters of demand, and how to use the templates in the Collectmore app (before hiring a debt collector) And much more! Where to find Paul Website: www.collectmore.com.auFacebook: www.facebook.com/collectmore Download: Collectmore app

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 cover: How to be more efficient with your time Automating processes When you don't need a VA Types of projects a VA might help with How to choose the right VA About Fiona Campbell Fiona is a Newcastle-based automation consultant, who leveraged 13 years of experience providing executive assistance and business management services, to CEOs, marketing directors, consultants and small business owners, to establish Thought Penny and the VA Lead Network. Thought Penny now supports a solid client base ranging from professional services to the creative, with an Australian team (they're in NSW, QLD, WA and VIC) of virtual assistants (VAs), business automation experts, graphic designers, website developers and copywriters. With Thought Penny's VA team in high demand, the VA Lead Network was born to help business owners find Australian virtual assistants with the right skills and experience for their needs when the Thought Penny team aren't available. Find Fiona at https://thoughtpenny.com.au/

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 between men and women business owners Getting customers / clients, and building a community How writers can add value to small business owners The productivity tips and systems that work for her And much more! Find out more about Lucy On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucykippist Mums'n'Co: https://www.mumsandco.com.au/

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 Beautiful. Plus, he's a stand-up comic! In this episode, we talk to David about: How he started out in his career - and the request that saw him writing for Lisa Wilkinson at CLEO while he was still at uni How being known for a comic tone and style has helped him maintain a living writing for magazines when many other writers have had to branch out into other areas Why he views himself as an artisan, like a plumber or carpenter, rather than an artist - and why that's helped him stay on many editors' speed dial for so long How writing regular columns are his bread and butter, and how he percolates his ideas How he sets rates and determines which jobs to turn down His tips for new freelancers or those starting out And lots more! Where to find David Website davidsmiedt.com.au Twitter twitter.com/Dsmiedt His work: authory.com/davidsmiedt

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 during the pandemic and what she tried to picked up thousands of dollars in new business - What she learned from a podcast series she did on Six Figure Freelancers, and the lessons she kept in her own business - The power of the freelance posse: why we're not competitors and how having a freelance community can be hugely valuable - How insightful time-tracking has been to her business - Why she's 'deliberate' in setting her monthly income goal, and how she runs her business and markets her business - Why she doesn't use an hourly rate but negotiates value-based pricing, and what that actually looks like when quoting And much more!

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 freelancer What prompted Lindy to share her earnings, successes and strategies (and what made people start taking notice) Her tips on finding high-paying clients How being a generalist can save you in tough times (like a pandemic) Her tips to taking on a lot of work each month and getting it done The momentum happening in the 'edupreneur' space and how Lindy's coaching evolved into courses The mistakes you can make when putting a course together Mixing writing work with running courses How to pitch and make more money Her tips for journalists moving into freelancing Mistakes she sees freelancers make over and over And much more! Resources + where to find Lindy The Freelancer's Year Lindy's blog and free training on how to double your income through freelance writing (go to the courses tab) https://thefreelancersyear.com/ Hello Audio To create a private podcast stream for course participants https://www.helloaudio.fm/ Source Tracker Keep all your experts and sources in one place with this Rachel's List tool (one of Lindy's favourites) https://www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/expert-tracker/ VIDEO Masterclass: Pitching! Secrets from editors in print, digital and custom media, plus a special presentation from Lindy Alexander on how to pitch your services to corporate clients https://www.rachelslist.com.au/toolkit/product/video-masterclass-pitching-secrets-from-editors-in-print-digital-and-custom-media-plus-how-to-pitch-your-services-to-corporate-clients/ Freelancer Q&A: Meet Lindy Alexander https://www.rachelslist.com.au/blog/freelancer-qa-meet-lindy-alexander/