Note: I just found out that the Summit on Content Marketing is an even better deal than I thought because its $199 Canadian, which is around $150 US. I corrected the post below, but wanted to point it out since I didn’t clarify that earlier in the week. 

Last night, I browsed through the Summit on Content Marketing schedule to pick the sessions I want to watch next week and was happily surprised to find that I had a long list on my notepad.

Unlike many conferences where most sessions are geared totally towards marketers, this event has a ton of presentations that will help content marketing writers (both freelance and employed) learn practical takeaways for writing better content. Some teach you skills that will help increase the effectiveness of your content – which means clients will be much more likely to offer you additional projects. Others educate you about specific deliverables, such as whitepapers and case studies, so you can add new services to increase your income.

Since it’s an online conference, you don’t have to leave your house or office and can fit the sessions into your schedule. The way it works is that different sessions are scheduled throughout each day starting Monday May 22 and ending Friday June 2. You can watch a session for 24 hours after its time slot and then when the conference is over you can watch any session you missed for the next 30 days. Tip: Interacting with other attendees on the hashtag #summitoncontent is a great way to make connections.

If you decide to register for the event, use my affiliate link because I am donating my commission ($100 from each registration) to help writers in need through the ASJA Writers Emergency Assistance Fund. You can learn practical skills to help you increase your content writing skills AND help other writers at the same time – win, win. This conference is also a great value at $199 Canadian (which is around $150US), much lower than other conferences and even training sessions. I don’t promote events often on my blog and I only share events that I think can really help freelance content marketing writers grow their skills. This is one of them.

Here are eight sessions to put on your list to attend during the Summit on Content Marketing:

How to Write Customer Focused Content
Carrie Hane

I’m very excited for this session because Carrie is focusing on how to tell a great story though content. While we have been telling stories our whole careers, this session focuses on how to translate those skills into content writing and gives specific tips on writing.

15 Ways to Improve Your Content Writing
Tereza Litsa

This session was top on my list because of its focus on writing and its practical takeaways on subjects that writers love – psychology of writing, editing and formatting. Since many writers love writing long form content, I am especially interested in hearing her thoughts on the subject.

Dramatizing the Dull: Content Marketing When Your Product Or Service is Dull
Hannah Thorpe

A lot of the high-paying niches in content marketing are a bit on the boring side, but that doesn’t mean your content has to be dull or dry. This session gives tips on creating content on even the most boring topics that doesn’t put your reader to sleep.

How Savvy Companies Use Case Studies Today to Grow Traffic, Leads and Sales
Casey Hibbard

I love writing case studies! They are a perfect blend between content marketing and journalism because you tell a story about how the product helped someone. If you haven’t written case studies or want to add more case study projects to your calendar, this session is for you. While on the surface it may seem that the part of her talk about how to use case studies for sales isn’t applicable, you can use this information to help convince customers to hire you to write case studies as well as help your clients see results, which means more work for you.

How Buzzfeed and Other Top Publishers Optimize Their Headlines and Images
Amanda Walgrove

I had never written a headline until I started writing content marketing. And I quickly learned that I suck at writing headlines. In journalism, writers have nothing to do with headlines or finding pictures, but in content marketing we are often responsible for these important parts of a story. By learning to write great headlines, your content will get more clicks and your editors will love you because they don’t have to rewrite all your headlines.

How to Develop a Customer-Centric Keyword Strategy
Marie Wiese

Yes, some clients give you the keyword that they want you to use. But typically writers must determine their own keywords and write content that customers can easily find on Google. Most writers understand the basics of SEO and keywords, but you can really increase your value to a client by being able to create a keyword strategy.

Boring to Brilliant: How to Write B2B Content People Enjoy Reading
Jennifer Goforth Gregory

OK, yes, so this is my session. But I think I would include it even if it wasn’t my own. I share how writers can use a single word (Target Takeaway) to help create more interesting content. I give specific tips on how to pick topics, write headlines, present content in an engaging way, word choice and headlines. I also give examples of great content on boring topics, which will help inspire you to create content that people actually enjoy reading.

Promoting Content with Great Copywriting
Steve Slaunwhite

Yes, copywriting and content writing are different, but almost all of my clients ask me to write social media posts, which is definitely copywriting. I have found that sometimes my clients ask me to do landing pages or other copywriting projects. By being able to create snazzy copy as well as tell great stories through content, you can become a more valuable writer.

Sessions to Learn more about Content Marketing  

If you want to learn more about content marketing outside of writing and tasks usually handled by writers, check out these sessions as well:

A to Z of Content: Everything You Wanted to Know about Content Marketing, But Were Afraid to Ask
Dominque Antarkis

Wondering about the jargon your clients use? Want to learn more about the different types of content? This session will give you the basics you need to know.

A Crash Course in Content Strategy
Laura Creekmore

Adding content strategy to your services is a great way to increase both your value and your income. I met Laura at Content Marketing World last year and was very impressed with her ability to explain complicated concepts in an easy to understand way.

What’s Working (And Not So Much) in Content Marketing Today
Rand Fishkin

I’ve heard Rand speak several times and he is knowledgeable, entertaining and inspiring. If you want to know more about the current state of content marketing, Rand’s session is a must watch.

 

Are you planning on attending? What sessions are on your list?