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.
Mar 22, 2020•26 min•Season 3Ep. 1
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.
Mar 18, 2020•13 min•Season 2Ep. 12
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.
Mar 09, 2020•15 min•Season 2Ep. 11
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!
Mar 02, 2020•14 min•Season 2Ep. 10
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.
Feb 24, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 9
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.
Feb 17, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 8
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.
Feb 09, 2020•14 min•Season 2Ep. 7
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.
Feb 02, 2020•12 min•Season 2Ep. 6
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.
Jan 26, 2020•13 min•Season 2Ep. 5
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.
Jan 20, 2020•16 min•Season 2Ep. 4
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).
Jan 12, 2020•14 min•Season 2Ep. 3
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.
Dec 16, 2019•10 min•Season 2Ep. 2
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.
Dec 08, 2019•15 min•Season 2Ep. 1
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!)
Nov 25, 2019•15 min•Season 1Ep. 12
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.
Nov 18, 2019•14 min•Season 1Ep. 11
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).
Nov 11, 2019•14 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Does reinvention scare the pants off you? You're not alone. Most freelancers find their comfort zone, stay there - and hope the work keeps flowing. But what if it doesn't? What if you used to be a magazine writer and it no longer pays the bills like it once did? Should you use your skills to edge into corporate writing, copywriting or content marketing? Should you do an editing course and start picking up clients in that realm? This week, we talk about why you need to embrace new income streams ...
Nov 04, 2019•12 min•Season 1Ep. 9
What makes you absolutely indispensable as a freelancer? This week's episode is all about our strategies for adding value, solving your clients' problems and using your knowledge for suggesting other ways to improve their content or their business (and score yourself more work at the same time).
Oct 27, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 8
First up, we just want to say that this episode has a few technical difficulties at the beginning with the sound - but hang in there. Lots of great info about why freelancers should network, how you can network, and the happy knock-on effect: more work coming your way.
Oct 21, 2019•15 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Finding the right experts and case studies for stories - or the right PRs who can get the ball rolling - can be tricky. In this episode, Lynne and Rachel share the websites and resources they turn to when expert quotes or a great case study is required. Our show notes PDF lists all the resources, so don't forget to download it at the end!
Oct 13, 2019•11 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Finding the tools, services, websites and apps that save you time and help you work more efficiently is essential when you're a freelancer. Here are a few we've found over the years and use consistently to get the job done.
Oct 06, 2019•12 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Filing great copy is a must if you want ongoing work as a freelancer - but are there other ways to ensure editors and content clients keep coming back? In this episode, we reveal what works for us and what's generally expected these days in print and digital.
Sep 29, 2019•14 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Whether you're quoting on a project, thinking about raising your rates with clients or negotiating for a higher word rate with an editor, talking about money with ease is a critical skill for freelancers. In this episode we talk about researching market rates, figuring out YOUR rate and how to become more confident discussing dollars and cents.
Sep 22, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 3
If you're starting out in content writing or have hit a slow patch as a freelance writer, it can be hard to know what to do and where to turn (hint: it's NOT to low-paying content mills!). In this episode, we talk about the way we use our networks, leverage social media and employ other tricks in order to land regular, ongoing content writing work.
Sep 15, 2019•12 min•Season 1Ep. 2
This week, we're talking about... well, us (because we figure an introduction is in order). Plus, why we decided a 10-min podcast was a goer, our top tips for starting out as a freelancer and what we'll be talking about in future episodes. Thanks for listening!
Jun 02, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 1
