The Content Byte

We all know that it's so much easier to keep your existing clients rather than constantly hustle for new ones, so this week Rachel & Lynne are chatting with customer retention expert Nadine Nethery. Nadine, an audience-driven copywriter and retention strategist, discusses the importance of retaining clients over constantly hustling for new ones. It's a great episode, as Nadine shares insights on: How to create personalised customer experiences Using tools for personal video messages Automating customer touchpoints with email marketing platforms. The value of referral partner programs How AI is impacting freelance copywriters How freelancers can position themselves as strategic partners rather than transactional vendors Listen to Nadine's podcast, What Would They Do here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-would-they-do-the-customer-experience-podcast/id1796323283 Connect with Nadine at www.candocontent.com And find her Virtual Scratchie Card: https://link.candocontent.com/content-byte-scratchie Visit The Content Byte website for a transcription of this episode: https://thecontentbyte.com/episodes/ Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 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. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

In this episode of The Content Byte podcast, hosts Rachel Smith and Lynne Testoni discuss the impact of AI on freelance writing and marketing with guest Steven Lewis. Steven, a seasoned journalist and copywriter, offers a deep dive into using AI, specifically custom GPT, to streamline marketing tasks for freelancers. He explains: the practical steps to creating a custom GPT how it can maintain consistent client communication how it can give feedback on your copy to ensure it is on-brand how it can help freelancers focus on high-value creative tasks the ethical considerations of AI use and the importance of human connection in an increasingly automated world Connect with Steven on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenlewissydney/ The link to the course he talks about is: https://aicmocourse.com And listeners can get a 10% discount using the coupon code CONTENTBYTE25 Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 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. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

This week on the podcast, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with book publisher and author's advocate, Juliet Rogers. Juliet talks about the publishing industry, what has changed over the years and how you can push through all the noise if you want to secure a book deal. She also shares: Stories of some of her biggest publishing successes, including touring with Salman Rushdie, working with John Grisham and seeing Heather Morris find international publishing success at the age of 63 When and why you should use an agent How to have your manuscript discovered within the slush pile Why you need to read widely in order to write well Whether you need a public profile to secure a book deal If you can make a good living as a novelist When and if self-publishing is worth it Connect with Juliet via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliet-rogers-84598328/ Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 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. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

In this episode of The Content Byte podcast, Rachel and Lynne explore the unique challenges of copywriting in the beauty industry with guest Amy Hadley, a beauty copywriter and journalist. Amy discusses balancing creativity with stringent industry regulations, provides insights into the importance of visibility in finances for freelancers, and highlights how her qualifications and self-taught knowledge have set her apart in her field. There's so much to learn about the nuances of compliant beauty copywriting, maintaining client relationships, and the benefits of niching down in your freelance business. Connect with Amy via her website: https://hadleyco.com.au/ or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-hadley-646762b4/ Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au 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. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

In this episode of The Content Byte podcast, Rachel and Lynne dive into the art of niching down in freelance copywriting with guest Nikita Morell. Nikita, a copywriting and messaging strategist specialising in architecture, discusses the value of finding a niche, the benefits of having a focused clientele, and her journey from big brand marketing to freelancing for architects. She shares insights on: managing projects using AI tools for copywriting, strategies for building and maintaining a strong client pipeline. the importance of storytelling in newsletters and leveraging technology such as Clickup and ActiveCampaign to streamline workflow Connect with Nikita via LinkedIn, or through her website at https://nikitamorell.com/ Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here. 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. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

In this episode, we explore the world of freelancing with successful journalist and media commentator Melissa Hoyer. Melissa shares her career journey, from her early days in newsrooms to her success as a freelance professional. It's a great chat, covering the impact of social media on celebrity culture, and the challenges of maintaining multiple income streams. Melissa also chats about: How she grew her Instagram following to 80k Why she feels it's important to be authentic on social media Staying visible in the industry Her experiences with TV commentary and event hosting The evolution of celebrity culture The reality behind the glamour Navigating multiple income streams Competing with free labour The hustle of freelance writing Connect with Melissa on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/melissahoyer/ or via her website: https://melissahoyer.com/ Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here. 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. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

This week on The Content Byte, we have something a little different, but hopefully still useful. This episode was originally recorded as part of Austin Church's Growth Without Burnout Summit held recently. This virtual event was inspiring and useful and featured speakers from all across the world talking about how to grow a thriving freelance business without burning out. As part of his amazing summit, Austin asked Rachel and I about our friendship and how and why we started this podcast. We first met Austin when he was the keynote speaker at the Content by Summit in 2024. We felt honoured and flattered that he asked us to be involved with his summit. It was a great chat so we thought we would share it with our listeners. It's almost our origin story. We talk about how a friendship-turned partnership evolved into a thriving podcast, the summit, and an unexpected SEO goldmine. From dividing tasks based on complementary strengths to navigating conflict without contracts, we share how we found success - and still remained friends. Connect with Austin L. Church through his Freelance Cake website: https://www.freelancecake.com/ And his community at: https://www.freelancecake.com/community Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here. 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. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

In this episode Rachel and Lynne discuss the intricacies of freelance finances with Julia Newbould, an editor, journalist, and author with extensive experience in financial reporting. Julia shares insights on transitioning from spreadsheets to accounting software, the importance of financial literacy, and strategies for effective money management for freelancers. She also talks about: Her journey in journalism Her efforts to increase female representation in financial advising Setting up multiple bank accounts for effective cash flow management The significance of emergency funds Superannuation for freelancers Plus tips on raising prices and handling financial anxiety Connect with Julia via LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-newbould-44454712/ Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here. 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. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

This week on the podcast, Rachel & Lynne are chatting with Lee Elwood, an accredited editor, content writer, and copywriter. Lee shares her freelancing journey, emphasising the value of professional networks and accreditation through the Institute of Professional Editors (IPED). During our chat, Lee talks about: Different types of editing, from copy edits to structural edits and proofreading What IPED accreditation is and how you can achieve it Why she is a huge fan of networks and being active in the editing community How the type of work she does has evolved over the years Where and how she finds her clients How she has grown her business, without losing focus The impact of AI on the field Connect with Lee via her website: https://ellwords.com.au/ or on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lrellwood/ Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here. 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. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co

This week Rachel and Lynne's guest is Jenny Valentish, a journalist, author, and writing coach, joins the conversation to share her career journey from fanzines to freelancing for The Guardian. She also talks about her new book, The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the House. Jenny dives into the importance of structured feedback in writing groups, the challenges of memoir writing, and the value of teaching practical writing tools. She also shares why she likes to be quite strict about her weekly schedule and how her six-week writing workshops provide a supportive environment for writers to improve their craft and form important connections. Connect with Jenny via her website: https://jennyvalentish.com/ or look at her courses at https://www.valentish.net/ Details about her book: https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/The-Introverts-Guide-to-Leaving-the-House/Jenny-Valentish/9781923135109 Find Lynne www.lynnetestoni.com Find Rachel www.rachelsmith.com.au Rachel's List www.rachelslist.com.au If you have questions you'd like us to answer in our next Q&A episode, just send them here. 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. Looking to take advantage of the discount for Rachel's List Gold Members? Email us at: hello@rachelslist.com.au for the details. Episode edited by Marker Creative Co www.markercreative.co