Welcome! The Organic Freelancer Newsletter is for those looking to raise the "content bar" and grow their brand online. If that's you and you're not on the list, don't miss the next newsletter and join today.
I'm back from CEX!
Hey all,
This issue is straight off the presses!
I'm literally typing this up the day before sending it (which is typically way too close to the deadline for me), but I knew I couldn't wait another week to share my experience with you.
Where was I?
I was at CEX, a Content Entrepreneur Expo held in Cleveland, OH, for content creators.
It was my first content conference. I have attended other conferences before for my 9-5. But this one was different.
It was a 3-day event. The speakers ranged from BJ Novak (from the show The Office) to Latasha James, Austin L. Church, Jay Clouse, Justin Welsh, and so many others.
Honestly...I was surrounded by many successful, kind, and thought-provoking people.
As an added bonus, I finally met and hung out with a few friends I've made on LinkedIn.
Thanks to Blair Sharp for snapping this photo!
So, with all that being said, let's jump into some of my favorite takeaways I'm still reflecting on...
Jay Clouse: Get Good at Long-Form Content
I'm a big fan of Jay's. His content is so informative and thoughtful.
If you take the time to go to his website, you can get lost in reading blog after blog of actionable ways to improve your content creation game.
So, it was no surprise that one of the points he made during his talk was around long-form content.
And for me...it was a nice reminder (especially with some of the anxiety I feel around needing to post on social so much.)
Long-form content allows you to connect with your audience, do more of your best work, and think deeply. From that, you can extract content for your social posts.
He used James Clear as an example.
James first wrote the book Atomic Habits and THEN created social media accounts and his newsletter.
Long-form content with his book came first before getting into these different channels for short-form content.
In a time when social media content is becoming overemphasized, Jay reminded me that you need to focus on becoming good at long-form content.
That's where the lasting relationship begins with your audience.
Latasha James: You Just Need a Few Stories
Latasha James & I
If you haven't listened to Latasha's Freelance Friday podcast, add it to your library! I had been listening to her podcast even before the event.
What I love about Latasha is that she is so down-to-earth and extremely easy to talk with.
I saw myself highlighting in my notebook a point she made about needing just a "few good stories."
As content writers, you can get caught up in thinking you need "new" information all the time. Then burnout becomes all too real because you've lost sight of repurposing some really good things you've already said.
Sure, you may feel like you're on constant repeat, but new people are discovering you who could benefit from those original stories.
Don't forget about the good stuff you've already said. Then say it again.
Justin Moore: Audience-Focused Offers
It was awesome meeting Justin at CEX.
I learned a little bit more about his business, Creator Wizard. And he was hard to miss with the digital backpack (I wish I would've snagged a picture).
But there's a line he said that I jotted down..."Encourage the silent majority to speak up...ask your audience."
What I appreciate about Justin is that he is super focused on his audience. He cares about their hopes and fears and wants to help. He does that by proactively asking for feedback all the time.
For example, he even selected some of his followers and asked if they would be willing to read the first four chapters of a book he's writing. Good or bad, he wants to know their thoughts and then improve his work.
He reminded me that you never have to get to the point of creating without knowing what your audience thinks—you've just got to ask and have a thick skin with whatever they say.
Austin L. Church - Pricing As a Freelancer
Austin L. Church - One of my favs!
I started talking to Austin last year on LinkedIn. He's seriously one of the kindest writers out there.
He has a podcast, Freelance Cake. He even released a book this year, Free Money, that walks you through figuring out your survival rate, dream rate, and other pricing questions you may have as a freelancer.
I'm almost through it!
But during the conference, he mentioned this interesting nugget: assign a weird number to your offers.
Instead of a flat fee of $700 for a blog post, make it $725.
Those incremental adds ($25 in this case) add up over time and give you an even bigger cushion than you realize in a month, six months, or a year.
Do you have well-rounded offers with zeros, or do you try to keep them odd?
Purna Viriji - Linked Tips From a LinkedIn Employee
When I saw this session focused specifically on LinkedIn, it was a no-brainer for me. I had to go.
And I'm glad I did.
Purna works at LinkedIn, and for her presentation, she gave several tips to keep in mind to improve your post performance:
Focus on strengthening your branding (you want to make yourself easily identifiable with consistent visuals)
Lean towards multiple formats (3 or more) for posting - text and image posts, carousels, video, etc.
Maximize the digital real estate - ex. explore the square and vertical size formats (vs. horizontal)
Consider more humor in your content - engagement is much higher when compared to more serious content
Algorithms always change, so the biggest learning is knowing who you're talking to and ensuring your content addresses their challenges.
Justin Welsh - (If You're on LinkedIn, You Know)
Justin Welsh, interviewed by Ann Gynn
If you're on LinkedIn, then you know Justin Welsh.
He's one of the biggest success stories in the content creation business, having made millions by becoming the go-to for solopreneurs.
And lucky for me, I got to sit in the front row to hear him speak!
Justin is successful by many definitions. He has undoubtedly figured out the content creation game on LinkedIn. He also has course offerings where you can learn more about it.
But what I found most refreshing was what he had to say about paying attention to what you DON'T like to do and being intentional about that.
For example, Justin will tell you he doesn't like taking selfies of himself or turning the camera around to do a video.
He likes to write.
So, when looking at platforms, he knew he needed to choose a social channel that supported doing more of what he enjoyed. LinkedIn was it.
It's important to pick digital channels that support your personal interests. Do you like to write, only do audio, or create videos? Start with that question, and then find your place on the internet.
His comment still has me reflecting now.
Overall Takeaways
Find an in-person event that genuinely gets you excited and go. I doubt you'll regret it!
Push yourself to connect and talk with others at a conference.
Remember, most good things take time. And in the content creation world, that could mean years.
Focus on what you personally like in terms of content formats (writing, video, audio). Your joy will shine through best if you love what you do.
For Non-profit CEOs and Founders: I provide content strategy, planning, and execution, and I essentially become an extension of your team. If you need a strategist and writer to fill this gap, please reply to this email, and let's chat.
​Read more on my blog about content creation and freelance tips.
If you had fun reading, consider buying me a coffee. (Or a couple of Dunkin' donuts - I like those too!) - Thank you:)