#166: Smart Advice from the Content Byte Summit

Deliberate Freelancer

On today’s show I provide a recap of The Content Byte Summit, which was held in Sydney, Australia, September 15-16. I attended virtually and was super impressed with the content, particularly all the discussion around artificial intelligence. There was also a lot of great tactical advice about running your freelance business, so even if you’re not a writer, I think you can learn from some of the advice I’m sharing today.

Here’s what I share with you in this episode:

• A panel about humans versus AI discussed how a writer can stand out nowadays.
• Where AI fails and isn’t helpful.
• AI is a word predictor, so that means it has no original thought, no anecdotes, no creativity, no vulnerability. Those are areas you should include in your content.
• Why Ed Gandia no longer uses the word “strategy.”
• How to stop giving away your strategy and advice to clients for free.
• Tips from a panel on how to escape the low-paying cycle and make more money.
• Why accountability partners and mastermind groups can be good for you.
• What types of letters of introduction (LOIs) to send out.
• Tips from a session on how to find new clients.
• A recap of Jennifer Goforth Gregory’s keynote presentation: “The Secret to My $15,000 Months and How I Consistently Hit Income Targets.”
• Important questions Jennifer encourages us to ask as we build our business.

Biz Bite: Provide a luxury good

The Bookshelf: “What the Dead Know: Learning About Life as a New York City Death Investigator” by Barbara Butcher

Resources:

• Support Deliberate Freelancer at Buy Me a Coffee
• The Content Byte Summit
• The Content Byte podcast
• Ed Gandia’s podcast: High-Income Business Writing
• Jennifer Goforth Gregory’s book and blog: The Freelance Content Marketing Writer
• Writer and editor Carrie Hutchinson
• Freelance journalist Cameron Bayley
• Claire Kimball, founder and managing director of Squiz Media (an Australian news podcast)
• Lindy Alexander and her blog, The Freelancer’s Year
• Episode #156 of Deliberate Freelancer: The Risks and Opportunities of ChatGPT
• Episode #11 of Association Station (Melanie’s other podcast): In Conversation with Jemilah Senter, about Opportunities and Risks of AI Tools Like ChatGPT
• Episode #100 of Deliberate Freelancer: Lessons from a Pandemic Year, with Jennifer Goforth Gregory
• Episode #4 of Deliberate Freelancer: Work Only with Nice Clients, with Jennifer Goforth Gregory
• Episode #164 of Deliberate Freelancer: Using a “freakout” protocol to get work now, with Austin Church
• Episode #98 of Deliberate Freelancer: Six-Figure Freelancing: The Benefits of Selling Strategy and Outcomes, with Austin Church
• Episode #81 of Deliberate Freelancer: Six-Figure Freelancing: Focus on a Niche and Partner with Other Freelancers, with Lynne Testoni
• The Content Byte podcast episode with Melanie: Melanie Padgett Powers, US-based healthcare writer and podcaster, shares the secrets of her success
• Connect with Melanie on Threads @MelEdits_DC
• Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn
• Deliberate Freelancer Facebook group