Session Overview:

Content marketing can be dramatically undermined by poor or non-existent sourcing and fact-checking. This session covers why the lack of decent fact-checking is becoming a massive problem online and how content marketers – in fact, anyone responsible for publishing words online – can avoid making the same mistakes so that their own content maintains its authority. Fact-checking can increase trust, boost authority, reduce mistakes, and even uncover new content ideas.

Session Take-outs:

1. How to ensure the information/stats/facts you provide are current and relevant – and why so many marketers/copywriters/content writers get it wrong.
2. Why poor fact-checking and relying on assumption can undermine your brand’s authority and open your content to criticism.
3. How facts and stats can become distorted or misattributed through things like the Wikipedia feedback loop, social media hearsay, half-remembered repetition and – let’s be honest – deliberate chicanery; and how to avoid these traps.
4. “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet,” said Abraham Lincoln. Well, no he didn’t, but the art of quotation is definitely undermined every day by poor attribution, or even a failure to understand what a quote actually is. What constitutes a genuine source, what should be treated as apocryphal, and how to check .
5. Some fact-checking tools, tricks and processes for both writers and editors.

About Jonathan:

Jonathan calls himself a storyteller because freelance writer, blogger, editor, content marketer, journalist, copywriter and speaker wouldn’t fit neatly on a business card.

Since going freelance, Jonathan has worked as a writer, editor or all-round word herder on projects for many leading brands, including Telstra and Australia Post.

His articles have won a couple of writing and journalism awards, but they were so long ago it seems boastful to keep mentioning them in bios.

For nearly a decade, Jonathan has also written a regular column for the Content Marketing Institute’s CCO magazine – best described as a series of angry rants fuelled by too much caffeine.

Jonathan lives in the Blue Mountains, perfecting the art of writing about himself in the third person. @Kimota.

Session Overview:

Everyone hates talking about money, right? Not me. I’ll share every cent I’ve earned since launching my copywriting business in 2012. I’ll reveal my income for each year and highlight key milestones that impacted my earnings. Hint: having three kids at home = slow biz growth.

Plus I’ll share my top money mistakes I made along the way.

1. believing only my income (not my husband’s) should cover child care
2. taking a crappy $35 p/h job with a dodgy agency
3. refusing to niche
4. offering too many services and unclear prices

Session Take-outs:

1. How to avoid the mistakes I’ve listed
2. How to simplify and clarify your service and price offering
3. How to juggle freelancing with young children
4. How to get clear on your pricing (do Kate’s pricing course)
5. Exercise: if you could sell one product to one client at one time, what would it be? How many of those would you have to sell each month to hit your target?

About Kate:

Kate Merryweather helps baby, kids and parenting brands achieve more sales and deeper customer connections. She specialises in non-boring, gimme-more, Google-lovin’ SEO content. Just like Bega peanut butter, Kate’s websites, emails and blogs are never oily, never dry. She lives in Melbourne with one husband, three daughters and one obese cat.

Session Overview:

In this session you’ll learn how to write high-converting copy for your Facebook and Instagram ads that delights your audience and brings in low cost leads and sales. Andrew will show you how to walk the fine-line between writing for your target audience and writing for the algorithms to deliver incredible results for your business.

Session Take-outs:

• How to write a great headline and lead while working within the tight constraints of Facebook & Instagram ads
• An understanding of how the algorithms work, and the smart copywriting tactics you can leverage to take advantage of them and lower your ad costs
• What makes great copy on FB & IG, and how it’s different to regular direct response copywriting
• How long your copy should be and why
• The critical elements of a successful FB / IG and how to weave them into every ad you write

About Andrew:

Andrew is an international speaker and founder of Hubbard Digital, a leading digital agency and education company that specialises in Facebook and Instagram advertising for online businesses. He works with companies around the world to help them generate more revenue from their Facebook & Instagram advertising campaigns.

Session Overview:

Users think that simply publishing content and throwing paid ads, building links and etc. will help you get your ROI from your content marketing and strategy efforts. Or do you have to wait for a long time until it ranks first in Google? Here’s how to make your content work for you once you publish it live.

Session Take-outs:

• Focus on educating clients and their sales teams on sales enablement by using content and podcasting for warm engagement and outreach
• Improve page vitals through constant reoptimisation, content stacking, historical optimisation and other ctr tests and improvements
• Get shared learnings company wide and create a repository of questions and data using docs and your CRM. Alsoasked.com can also help
• By consistent in your flywheel and breakdown your content by evergreen, promotional and sales content for a particular topic cluster – ski slope strategy

About Vahe:

Vahe is the founder of State of Digital Publishing, a veteran SEO & Content strategist for publishers and explorer of digital media and technology trends.

Session Overview:

I want to highlight the value of embracing who you are and where you come from in business and showing this to people, rather than hiding behind uniformity. I’ll use the richness of my multicultural background and how it’s made me a successful copywriter. How it was a journey to become comfortable in putting myself out there in my full ethnic glory.

I want to highlight the stumbling blocks female migrants face, in terms of confidence, multicultural names no one can pronounce, challenging authority and all the things we are brought up to believe when it comes to building a business in Australia and being a female businesswoman (without any male bashing!)

With inclusiveness and diversity being such a hot topic now and in the future, I think it would be a positive action to see an ethnic copywriter on stage for the Kate Toon brand.

Session Take-outs:

1. How to showcase your best qualities in business to clients with confidence
2. Turning your learned self beliefs on their head
3. How diversity and inclusiveness can work really well for you as a business owner and for clients
4. Running a strong business as a migrant in Australia
5. How to show who you really are and what value you add through storytelling

About Rashida Tayabali:

Rashida Tayabali is a copywriter for female entrepreneurs. She helps women in business use the power of clear and concise copy to sell their product or service without sounding salesy. She helps clients reduce their content stress so they can grow their businesses. Her big dream is to be a multicultural fiction author and write in a secluded cabin in the mountains. In her free time, you’ll find her frowning at typos and trying to catch up on the 20+ books she has yet to read on her bookshelf and Kindle.

Session Overview:

Very few people make it on talent alone.

Have you ever wondered what it is that makes people with seemingly similar talents achieve different results? Chances are their X Factor is the deciding factor.
It’s more than that ‘certain something that they exude.

From the boardroom to the stage it’s your ability to harness your X Factor that will see you shine.
Learn the everyday things that you can rehearse to have you owning the spotlight in any endeavour you pursue.

Session Take-outs:

• 5 daily habits to improve your Confidence
• Uncover your Charismatic style
• Learn to share your message with Clarity
• Discover how to act with Courage in every situation
• Find out that you really do have an X Factor

About Samantha Leith:

Samantha creates a strong and immediate emotional connection by using her expressive and vibrant communication skills as well as her intuition and capacity for immense empathy. An expert in all things Confidence & Charisma, she expects the best from herself and inspires others to focus on constantly improving themselves.

Session Overview:

There’s nothing mind-blowingly new about the need to stay healthy. Our physical and mental health is what allows us to earn a living.

As freelance copywriters, we can’t afford to put our health in jeopardy. Yet it can be too easy to fall into bad habits and negativity. Not only can that affect our wellbeing – it can affect our business too.

This presentation is a reminder that our wellness is strongly influenced by our positivity – our happiness. It’s full of top tips, smiles, hugs and upbeat vibes to remind us how to stay healthier confident copywriters forever (or as long as we want).

Session Take-outs:

The presentation will include:

• Fast tips to stay healthier and happier
• Several short practical activities with the audience incl. audience participation
  (e.g. gratitudes, the latest dance craze, photography appreciation wall, conscious acts of kindness using social media, and use of online polling apps)
• Max of 3 – 5 image slides and/or short video will be used throughout the presentation
• At least one call to action
• An infographic of the top tips to happy healthiness

5 learnings:

1. Perfectly, imperfect
   Participants will push imposter syndrome away, celebrate and acknowledge that no-one is perfect and embrace their imperfections.
2. Healthy Beasts move it move it. Participants will think beyond the gym and consider additional or alternative ways to active living, even while copywriting and having fun.
3. Dear body, I thank you. Participants will rethink their work-life balance, consider healthy sleep and increase their positivity and confidence in self-care.
4. Your tribe inspires your vibe. Participants will find the little ways that social networks can lift their mental health and overall wellbeing, recognising that isolation can have a big impact on copywriters.
5. Glow from the inside out. Participants will think about the food and drink they put in their body and how it can affect their health. They’ll lick their lips at alternative delicious healthier choices.

About Cal Chikwendu:

Cal – she|her – is an ethical, inclusive word-woman who writes crack-a-lacking, down-to-earth copy. She helps kick-arse brands showcase their personality and values and gives legs to their vision.

Her thing is working with businesses who’re all about helping make the world a fairer, kinder, greener place. Her words work cheery, chipper magic to make good things irresistible.
Cal’s most likely put her hand up for this panel because it’s a nod to her twenty-eight years in health promotion. She’s set up social enterprises and designed and delivered award-winning wellbeing programs. She’s headed up fab collabs for umpteen ground-breaking health initiatives in extraordinary communities on both sides of the planet.

Session Overview:

Very few people start their careers thinking they’ll run their own copywriting business. If they’re honest, most people don’t really know what a copywriter does.

So what makes some of us bravely step off the career track – losing the security of a regular paycheque, superannuation, career status and risk the highs and lows of self employment as a copywriter?

In this session, Tanya will share her insights into what bravery means when it comes to being self employed, how to know if it’s bravery or stupidity, surviving the constant challenges to step up repeatedly as a business owner, and how a bravery mindset can help your business grow beyond your wildest dreams.

Session Take-outs:

• What bravery means when it comes to being self employed
• How to know if it’s bravery or stupidity
• Surviving the constant challenges to step up repeatedly as a business owner
• How a bravery mindset can help your business grow beyond your wildest dreams
• Being brave and telling your story can help you connect with your audience and encourage greater connection

About Tanya Abdul:

Tanya Abdul Jalil runs Melbourne Education Writer. After leaving her successful career in the higher education sector, she has set her sights on helping education and training businesses find their unique story. She helps them build their audiences of ideal students by crafting words that connect and inspire.

Session Overview:

If you worry that you’re not good enough, worry about your bank balance, are afraid of dealing with difficult clients, are afraid of putting yourself out there, worry about upsetting people or are constantly overthinking and second-guessing yourself, this session is for you. You’ll discover what you’re really afraid of, how it impacts your business (and probably the rest of your life), and what you can do to become a courageous copywriter instead of a scaredy-cat.

Session Take-outs:

1. What is fear? Why do we experience it?
2. The #1 thing that EVERYONE is afraid of — (not being liked or accepted)
3. Why we feel we need to be accepted and liked by everyone — (it happens when we don’t feel confident in ourselves)
4. How this need for acceptance and validation leads us to become people-pleasers at the expense of ourselves and our business (e.g. trying to keep everyone happy, not standing firm with clients, saying ‘yes’ all the time, over-committing ourselves, second-guessing our decisions, etc. – I have a LONG list of examples)
5. The four steps to overcoming fear — 1) learning to believe in yourself more; 2) learning not to care about what everyone thinks; 3) believing that no matter what happens, you can handle it; 4) start doing the scary things!
6. BONUS – participant worksheet to help participants see why they can believe in themselves and action steps so they can be more courageous (e.g. what are their strengths? What have clients said about them? Who are the people they can rely on to love and support them no matter what? What is their biggest fear? What little things can they start doing each week to overcome their fear?

About Nerissa Bentley:

Nerissa Bentley is The Melbourne Health Writer. She creates credible, evidence-based, AHPRA-compliant health content for national organisations, global companies and health practitioners. She helps her clients connect with patients and the wider community, so they can be seen as the trusted health authority in their field.

Session Overview:

When we start our freelance businesses, many of us stand shivering on the side of the pool not sure where to start. The truth is, you just need to jump in.

Using swimming as an analogy, I will explain the steps to help a new copywriter overcome their fears and take the leap. I will run through the potential problems they might face in the first few years and provide actionable tips to help them not just tread water, but truly swim as a freelance copywriter.

Session Take-outs:

• Feel the confidence to take the leap into copywriting
• How to get work opportunities
• Where to find mentors and support people
• What to do when things get tough
• Define goals and answer why copywriting?

About Caitlin Wright:

Caitlin is a Sydney based SEO copywriter and freelance journalist for communities and organisations that care for others. A former news journalist, she now writes about topics from baby care to aged care and all the aspects of healthcare and education in between.

Session Overview:

This session explores business and life demands versus focusing on bucket list goals. The presentation aims to reframe how you view your everyday expectations, pressures and decisions. Become happier, healthier and more inspired by remembering life is unknown. We’ll discuss a simple method you can use today to bring more fun, satisfaction and creativity into your life and business.

Session Take-outs:

• Discover my 666 method
• Increase your general satisfaction
• Reduce future regret
• Get more clarity for your life and business
• Re-evaluate your priorities and timeframes.

About Mariska Threadgold:

Mariska’s a vibrant, fun-loving SEO copywriter who gets brands discovered by turning browsers into buyers and fans. As a travel-lover with an inquisitive nature, Mariska’s obsessed with putting tourism, 4WD and outdoor brands on the map. She’s a word nerd, wine and coffee lover with a wicked sweet tooth.

Session Overview:

In this presentation, I’ll show you how I do keyword research for my small business clients. You’ll see how I find the best keywords to suit my clients’ business and customer needs and what tools and knowledge I use to analyse and identify which keywords to use and where. I’ll also show you how keyword research can help inform information architecture and content strategy and how to make sure your clients know what to do with those keywords when they get them (including how keyword research could help you win more content writing work into the future).

Session Take-outs:

1. Finding seed keyword ideas
2. Analysing and mapping keywords
3. Uncovering future content ideas
4. Presenting keyword research (in a way your clients understand)
5. What to do when there just aren’t any ‘good’ keywords

Searcher intent is what matters most

About Johanna Kohler:

Joh Kohler is an SEO copywriter who offers keyword research services to copywriters and small business owners. She specialises in finding keywords that help Google find your website (and send the right people to it). Joh will make sure your keywords match your business goals and customer needs. And she’ll dig up searched topics for you to use as blog and content ideas. Joh is a Recipe for SEO Success graduate, a Certified Practising Marketer and an Ambassador for The Clever Copywriting School.

Session Overview:

After auditing over 130 WordPress websites in the last few years I have seen every type of approach to make a website. Some great, some scary and some just awful.
This has allowed me to confirm what a solid reliable WordPress website needs and just as importantly doesn’t need and this is what I would like to share with you.

Session Take-outs:

You’ll learn:

• Web hosting is bloody important, why don’t you treat it that way!
• Why your website is too slow.
• Security, do I need Fort Knox or a hippy commune?
• What Google tools they forgot to set up for you.
• Why your contact page is potentially losing you money

About Tony Consentino:

Tony has been excited about WordPress since 2008. After building a literal shit-tonne of websites, he now likes to cast his eye over ones that need some love and provide solutions to improve them. He also has a virtual orphanage for WordPress website owners left out in the cold needing regular support.

Session Overview:

Pricing is one of the biggest challenges business owners face, despite it being the number one driver of profitability for a business. This session will address the undercharging endemic, pricing myths, what value really is, how to measure willingness to pay, and how to talk about pricing in a way that attracts your ideal clients.
The insights, research and case studies shared will give practical tools and knowledge the audience members can use to implement better pricing in their business straight away.

Session Take-outs:

• Why undercharging is so common
• Busting pricing myths and revealing the truth
• What is value? What is perceived value, and how can you increase it?
• How to measure your client’s willingness to pay – using science
• Communication excellence: using psychology insights to know how to talk about prices in a way that attracts the best clients for you

About Courtney Rogers:

I’m a pricing & value expert with a background in psychology, sales, and marketing. I’ve worked with many micro and small businesses to teach and consult them about pricing, value, selling, and marketing. I’ve been invited to speak at various events, and I also host workshops for local business owners.

Session Overview:

Information architecture (or IA) is all about structuring information so it’s easy for people to find and use. If you’ve ever thought about ways of organising a chunky document or pages on a website, you’ve done IA. Learning about IA means bringing some evidence and best practices to the way you do all that.

Even if you’re only doing smallish websites, knowing about IA helps to put your fabulous copy into the right frame. And if you’re keen to get into value add, and consulting, knowing a bit about IA is very handy indeed.

Session Take-outs:

1. Foundations of IA: chunking, chunking and more chunking
2. Intuitive labelling: navigation should be easy, not clever
3. Ways to generate an IA: card-sorting and presenting.
4. How IA fits into web projects
5. Tools of the trade

About Mathew Fenwick:

Matt Fenwick started True North Content to bring UX, communications and content together into one big happy smoosh. And by jove he’s done it. True North have delivered IA and content strategy for some of Australia’s largest government departments and peak bodies.

Ask him about being ADHD. Don’t ask him about sport.

Session Overview:

In this session I’ll give you the tools you need to confidently grow your business through outsourcing. Letting someone in to see your ‘business undies’ can be pretty scary but there are strategies you can implement to take the pressure off and to make smart choices in your team building adventure.

Session Take-outs:

• How to select the right tasks to outsource
• How to find the right fit for your business
• How to avoid spending money with no ROI
• What key things to avoid when looking for a Virtual Assistant
• How to ensure your team are on the same page and collaborating beautifully

About Rosie Shilo:

As the owner of Virtually Yours, Rosie has inspired and mentored hundreds of VAs to run their own successful businesses. As a true advocate for the industry, Rosie not only guides VAs to deliver exceptional client services, but also works with business owners to show how they can benefit from using a VA. Affectionately known as ‘The Awesome Mother Duck’, Rosie has fast become the go-to chick in the virtual assistant industry.

Rosie has mentored many new and experienced VAs in their business, and seen them overcome many hurdles to achieve amazing goals. This inspired her to write ‘Reaching for the Stars: a woman’s guide to becoming a Stellar Virtual Assistant‘ and ‘The Outsourcing Secret: A stress-free guide to growing your business’.
She has also launched her own VA podcast ‘Outsourcing Mysteries Exposed ‘ – check that out here!