The Content Byte

BEST OF 2025: Conquering LinkedIn and finding clients with Rebecca Cofrancesco

Continuing our summer series of our most popular episodes of the last year, we are sharing a great chat from early 2025 with content strategist and LinkedIn mentor Rebecca Cofrancesco. Beck talks about how to make LinkedIn work for you, how to find clients and why she started a local business meet-up group. During our chat, we talk about: • Why she started freelancing • Her new LinkedIn newsletter and why she started it • How her newsletter has informed (and changed) her LinkedIn strategy • Why she has two newsletters • Her favourite client-finding strategies • How to get out of the feast or famine cycle • Why meeting in person is better than online in terms of building relationships   Connect with Beck via her website: https://marketinggoodness.com.au/    Or follow her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-cofrancesco-marketing-goodness/    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. 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 

Best of 2025: Treasa Edmond on offering content strategy as a service

Have we got a treat for you! This episode with content strategist, business coach and consultant Treasa Edmond was one of our most popular episodes in 2025. It is full of gold for any freelancer wanting to move up the value chain and secure more high-paying clients.   In our wide-ranging chat, Treasa talks about: • The different between offering content strategy and strategic consulting • Which one is an entry point for high-paying work • How strategy can open the gates to providing more effective content • How and why value pricing is better for this type of work • Her favourite client-finding strategies • Common mistakes freelancers make when it comes to strategy   Capcut is here: https://www.capcut.com/   Treasa's podcast is called Boss Responses: https://bossresponses.com/   Or take a look at Strategy Bosses: https://bossresponses.com/strategy-bosses-community/   Or through LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/treasaedmond/    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. 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 

The 2025 Wrap-up with Rachel and Lynne

It's the end of 2025, so Rachel and Lynne take a reflective look back at the year, delving into both the good times and bad.  We are both big believers in a little self-reflection, so it makes sense to look back at what was certainly a tumultuous year in the world of freelancing. We share tips and lessons learned, new tools we've explored, and our biggest professional and personal achievements, using prompts from YearCompass.  We talk about: The risks we took and decisions we made during the year Lynne's year of 'yes' Rachel's personal writing retreat Lessons we have learned from our guests this year Our favourite episodes of 2025 AI and the changes that it has brought to freelance writers How we have both made freelancing work for us  We also wanted to say thanks to our sponsor Rounded, plus The Content Byte team - Claire Chow, Heidi Walkinsaw and our audio editor Joshua Broadbent.  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   

The Content Trends We Need To Talk About – with Canva's Maria Izvestkina

This week, Rachel and Lynne are chatting with Maria Izvestkina, a multidisciplinary creative leader from Canva. They discuss the importance of protecting creative energy, the impact of AI on design, trend spotting, and how to live a creative life.  Maria shares insights on: The evolving role of AI in creative work  How to harness social media for creative expression  Effective use of Canva features and templates  Developing a playful and experimental mindset to fuel creativity  Practical tools and strategies for freelancers  Maria also talks about her Substack project Playin and offers valuable advice for organising work in Canva. Connect with Maria on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-izvestkina/ 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 

Building a career around books and reviewing, with Nicole Abadee

This week, Rachel and Lynne dive into the art of books and book reviewing with guest Nicole Abadee, a book reviewer for the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Weekend. Nicole discusses her transition from barrister to reviewer, the surprising way she scored the reviewing gig, and the influence of social media on book marketing.  She also offers valuable tips for authors seeking reviews and shares her methods for selecting standout books. There's so much gold here, as Nicole talks about: The challenges of making a living in the book publishing industry The essential skills for reviewers The ups and downs of writers festivals Why self-published books won't get reviewed The evolving landscape of arts coverage Why authors need to build a social media presence How she manages to read hundreds of books a year  And why she still loves a highlighter Connect with Nicole via her website: https://www.nicoleabadee.com.au/  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