Welcome to my little corner of the web. It can get dusty here as I’d much rather work on my clients’ content than my own! I’m Julia Smith, a multi-disciplined digital and print content creator with a background in editorial, copy writing and content strategy. I specialise in taking the hassle out of the hustle for small businesses and entrepreneurs with a one-stop content service that is all about delivering value to - and driving connection with - your audiences.

If you are challenged by:

• Planning and producing consistent, engaging content that reinforces your brand

• Writing copy and content (especially in a timely manner)

• Generating content ideas

• Prioritising publishing and amplifying content

• Creating content for different platforms

• Producing materials and marketing collateral

• The technical skills to build your digital presence and expand your audience.

I can help.

We’ll work together to create and execute a content strategy that gets the right content in front of the right people at the right time.

The value you can gain by us working together includes:

• Improved productivity

• Greater creativity

• More people will know you and what you do

• Improved sales funnel

• High quality resources

• Consistent brand voice

• Faster response to client and market needs

• Always relevant - stay on top of the trends

• Stand out from the crowd - be uniquely positioned

• Improved IP development

• More time to spend on doing your high value work.

What does your content say about you?

Some say content is king; others claim context is king. Both are important, but I believe connection is king.

Creating connection through content means putting out into the world thoughts, images, ideas and actions that are true to who you are, what you offer and why. Some of that is simple enough to achieve - don’t put out content you don’t believe in or can’t back-up. Have a point of view, offer value not just services.

Creating connection in person is the ultimate

goal but your content is an important part of getting to that point.

It requires an understanding of your audience and the ability to create an experience - by sharing stories, describing scenarios that resonate and above all being human.

You are already doing this in person when you deliver for your clients - now it’s time to parlay that into content which will reach a wider audience.

Content that builds connection is thoughtful and thought-provoking. It demonstrates that you understand the challenges, the frustrations, the opportunities and the hurdles - and then it provides new thinking on how to navigate them.

I believe great content sparks action - it offers value to the reader… a way to do things better than before.

What kind of
content?

My clients are all at different stages of their practices, positioning and IP and I work with them to ensure their content is en pointe and published. Some of my clients are voracious writers and my contribution is more about getting the content out into the world: editing and production, creating visuals, social posts, newsletters and blogs.

Other clients have ideas but no time or inclination to write. I take the idea, often a client pain point, and turn it into content that can be amplified across all channels. I also edit podcasts and videos, create audiograms and produce podcast shownotes and shareable soundbites to help grow your audience.

Content examples

• Content writing - blogs, newsletters, social media, website content, brochure copy

• Curated content shares - articles that align with your thinking and spark conversations

• Your blog and newsletter polished, published and shared

• Social media-friendly soundbites and visuals

• Website copy refresh or re-write

• Content assets for list building

• Editing and packaging video and audio

• Help with getting clear on your messaging - why you, why this, why now?

• Content audit and strategy including SEO and list building best practice

• Repurposing existing content.

I use several AI platforms to augment content production including ChatGPT for research and more marketing-focused copy, Dall-E for image creation, Podsqueeze, Audiogram, Squarespace AI (Beta), Podmagic and Pictory. I will continue to explore and learn about new tools that can enhance content production and amplification but rest assured AI is best used with a human’s critical eye and editorial lens. It is very useful for general productivity and creative unblocking and I’m sure its application will only continue to grow.

Why WRDSMTH?

/ˈwəːdsmɪθ/

noun

1. a skilled user of words.

My skills were honed in the age of print media. I was a journalist, editor, sub-editor and page designer on newspapers and magazines in a time of grammar rules, language conventions, strict word limits and even stricter deadlines. I’ve interviewed and written about Bill Gates, British Government Ministers, authors and chefs, countless business leaders and entrepreneurs. From Idaho potato farmers to wedding dress designers… and everything in between.

I’ve also worked in the worlds of corporate and member communications where a lightness of touch was weighed down by layers of approval.

The world has changed since then and so has the way we communicate, create and share content. Now we can be our own media company.

We have social and digital platforms where written, visual, video and audio content can easily be consumed and shared.

WRDSMTH recognises and reflects this new landscape, this new language. We must get the message across with clarity and brevity. Competing for our audience’s scant attention while maintaining quality, credibility and consistency. That’s where having an editorial background comes to the fore: a nose for news, an eye for a story; the ability to generate content ideas and write copy that flows.

I’ve had to adapt, develop new skills and understand new platforms - it’s been exciting and challenging but I’ve never lost sight of the fact that good content must have people at its core.

Increasingly we need to start a conversation, a connection or dialogue. Often we are unpacking complex subjects with very limited opportunity to land our point. But it can be done - by not overthinking (never had time for that on a newspaper deadline!) and committing to delivering value to our audience.

(Also, my surname is Smith so the whole concept is, like, my name, but no vowels… so cool, right? 😉)

“Make content for what you want to be known for. Not for likes.”

― Gary Vaynerchuk

Clients, publications and projects I’ve worked with and on include:

Kind words from clients past and present

“Julia has managed our communications with the community group Protect Park Street Precinct for the last three years. She has done an outstanding job. All our draft messages have been magically and rapidly turned into arresting announcements. She has been an absolute pleasure to work with. We were lucky to have her recommended to us when we really needed a professional approach to communicating to over 1500 people of very different age groups. We highly commend her skills and services."

- Adrienne Clarke AO and Christine Christian AO