Valuable Content talks, workshops and events
We run marketing training programmes, business walks and workshops and speak at conferences and events, in the UK and abroad. Here’s the lowdown on upcoming Valuable Content events. Hope to see you at one soon. Do come and say hi.
Upcoming talks, training and events
- September 2018: Autumn Valuable Content Mastery Programme at Pub School begins. Details here.
“I was so pleased to have Sonja join us at the HOW Interactive Conference. Her insight into content strategy is invaluable, but what strikes me as her greatest strength is her keen sense of context. She truly understands what it means for an organization to redefine itself, and her unique blend of warmth, empathy, wit, and intelligence make her the perfect guide through what is often a disorienting, difficult, and discouraging paradigm shift. Sonja’s finely-crafted talk deftly won her the hearts and minds of the discerning designers in our audience. I would recommend her in an instant to any event or organization needing a perspective on content and digital marketing.”
Recent events
- 24th May 2018: Sonja speaks at the You Are The Media conference in Bournemouth, alongside some of her content heroes! (Mark Schaefer, Chris Marr, Jason Miller, Simon Swan)
- 8th February: Design Build Market at Engine Shed, Bristol. Sonja is on the panel for a debate on blogging – With the rise and rise of social media is blogging still relevant to business? 7pm onwards – Design Build Market tickets here
- 17th January: Fresh Air Business Walk in the Mendips – 3 transformative words to shape your business in 2018. Get the lowdown on the walk here
- 5th January: Sonja was a guest on Mark Masters’ You Are The Media podcast, talking about New Year business development resolutions – tune in to the podcast here
- 4th January: Pub School small business marketing programme – spring term begins – Pub School details here
- 13 December 2017: Fresh Air Valuable Walk in the Mendips, exploring presence and impact
- 6 December 2017: Pub Club
- 28 November 2017: How to make digital marketing work for your business – a one day workshop for GW4 Alliance members at University of Bristol
- 8 November 2017: Pub Club
- 19 October 2017: Bristol Content Group – ‘Content as the catalyst for digital transformation, the Met Office Story’ – Content Group meet up tickets here
- 27 September 2017: Content Marketing in Three Acts – a talk for copywriters at the brilliant Copy Cabana conference in Bournemouth
Copy Cabana speaker profiles for Sharon and Sonja
- 21 September 2017: Pub Club – content writing and marketing club for Pub School alumni members
- 18 September 2017: Fresh Air Valuable Walk on the Mendips, exploring business mindset
- 17 August 2017- Pub Club – content writing and marketing club for Pub School alumni members
- 14 July 2017 – Lightening Talk at UX Bristol ‘Can we talk about Content and UX?’
- 13 July 2017 – Pub Club – content writing and marketing club for Pub School alumni members
- 7 July 2017 – Valuable Content workshop – Making Social Media Work – from baffling time-suck to business winning joy
- 5 May 2017 – How to create valuable content, so the right people find it and take action. A workshop for the Met Office‘s Digital Academy in Exeter.
- May 2017 – Valuable Content’s Summer Pub School Programme started – details here
- 23 February 2017 – Sonja’s speaking at the Professional Speakers Association SW Event in Bristol – the topic? Huge content lessons from my 3 worst ever speaking gigs.
- 23 February 2017 – Sonja is speaking in Bournemouth at Mark Masters’ ‘You Are The Media Lunch Club’ – details here
- November 17 2016 – Social Media Week Bristol – How to make social media work for your business (even if you’re feeling confused and left behind).
- 1 November 2016 – Great Big Content Skills Debate at Bristol Content Group
- 19 May 2016 – Bristol Content Group meet up with an Instgramming workshop from @PorthJess
- 22 March 2016 – Valuable Content workshop for Google’s content creators on the Think with Google team
- 21 March 2016 – Valuable Content Marketing Masterclass at the Watershed, Bristol
- 3 March 2016 – Bristol University – how to use social media for business (part of enterprise project for 4th year engineering students)
- 3 March 2016 – Bristol Content Group – How to create valuable video (without the fear), Roll for the Soul cafe, Bristol
- 2 March 2016 – lunchtime talk for True Digital – Where are you on the content marketing map?
- 13 February – Sonja Jefferson workshop for SETsquared, Engine Shed, Bristol – What does your website content need to say in 2016?
- 21 January – Sharon Tanton and Sonja Jefferson lead a content workshop for marketers at Digital Gaggle – Produce Awesome Content in 2016
- 1 December 2015 – Oxford Brookes University. Sonja Jefferson talk for students taking MSC in Marketing – What is content marketing and why does it matter?
- 2 November 2015 – University of the West of England. Sonja Jefferson talk for third year digital marketing students. What is content marketing and why does it matter?
- 29th September 2015 – International Referral Annual Conference, London – Sonja Jefferson presents How to craft original content so your firm stands out from the crowd
- 5th October 2015 – HOW Interactive Conference, Chicago. Sonja Jefferson presents a case study – Content Strategy Is For Designers Too
- 8th October 2015 – Digital Buffet, Bristol. Sharon Tanton talks on 3 Simple Secrets to Stand Out Content Marketing
The Future of Websites event for Bristol Content Group
- August 2015 – Sands Beach Resort, Lanzarote. Social media masterclass.
- 21st May 2015 – Bristol Content Group. Where are you on your content marketing journey?
- 13 April 2015 – London Book Fair, Publishing for Digital Minds. Sonja presented on Effective content strategies.
- 13 January 2015 – Mission Critical: Why businesses with purpose create the best content. A talk for Bath and Bristol Marketing Network. You can find the slides on SlideShare.
Content strategy workshop for UX Bristol conference
“I just wanted to say thank you Sonja and Sharon for the Master Class at the event on Friday. It was a really successful day and the feedback about all the sessions has been really excellent, but yours seems to stand out – lots of comments about how useful your session was.”
Past events
- 4 July 2014 – Content training course for the IDM
- 6 June 2014 – Keynote speaker at Richmond Expo, SW London’s largest business show at Twickenham Stadium – How to set your business apart (and make you feel good). Here are some free takeaways from the talk.
- 19 May 2014 – Content marketing training course for the IDM
- 20 March 2014 – The Big Content Marketing Debate – Bristol Content Group
- 23 January 2014 – The Future of Websites – Bristol Content Group at the Watershed, Bristol
- 15 November 2013 – Bristol Media Masterclass – How to make content marketing work for your business.
- 14 November 2013 – Brighttalk webinar – Should sales follow up content marketing?
- 11 October 2013 – Professional Copywriters’ Conference – Think like a content strategist
- 3 October 2013 – Brighttalk webinar: How many times – a download is not a lead!
- 19 July 2013 – UXBristol 2013 – How to think like a content strategist. Read workshop summary
- 19 June 2013 – PM Forum, South West – In a world awash with content, how do you make yours shine? – Read our takeaway notes for the group
- 13 June 2013 – CCH Conference – Social media: how to be valuable & win more business
- 2 May 2013 – Sands Beach Resort & partners, Lanzarote – The importance of working together to create really creating valuable online content – view slides here
- 9 April 2013 – Bristol & Bath Marketing Network – Getting Your Message Heard in a Noisy World
- 26 February 2013 – Technology for Marketing & Advertising (TFM&A) event, Earls Court – with Bryony Thomas: Powerful marketing content for every step of the sale – what content to use when (a case study)
- 14 March 2013 – West of England Design Forum CPD session – How to be valuable on Twitter and draw in business for your firm
- 17 January 2013 – British Marine Federation at the London Boatshow – What content do you need on your website and what do you share on social media?
- 29 November 2012 – British Marine Federation BMF South Christmas Business Event – What content do you need on your website? Takeaway content here for BMF South Members
- 17 November 2012 – Bristol University Business Basecamp – How to make your marketing pay with valuable content
- 5 October 2012 – Marketing Trends at the British Library – How to make your content shine in a world awash with the stuff. Event review here
“Sonja and Sharon’s workshop for the Bristol University student entrepreneurs was a real eye opener. They really engaged the group, who are often a difficult nut to crack, and through an open discussion showed the students how they can apply the tools provided to their own ventures. We left with more than enough fuel to kickstart our own inbound marketing campaigns.”
“We invited Sharon and Sonja of Valuable Content to run a workshop on content strategy as part of this year’s UXBristol conference. They produced one of the best workshops I have seen in the three years of UXBristol. Basing the workshop around creating a strategy for a real local business, and inviting the business owners to actively take part on the day, was an inspired approach and really brought the workshop to life. The use of a graphic designer to create live sketch-notes and diagrams during the course of the workshop was incredibly powerful and engaging. I would highly recommend them as conference presenters/speakers.”
In May 2013, we began planning the first Professional Copywriters’ Network Conference. With content marketing one of the most requested topics among our members, we knew we needed someone who could represent the inbound community and provide valuable training for conference delegates.
The names of Sonja and Sharon at Valuable Content came up pretty quickly. With a book that’s become the standard textbook for UK content marketing, a lively online presence and a solid reputation for training, they ticked every box for us. So we asked them to provide one of our four breakout sessions, and for Sonja to appear on our panel discussion entitled ‘Content marketing, copywriting and creativity’.
The breakout session was the most popular choice among delegates before the conference and the highest-rated after it. Quotes from delegates included ‘Great insight into content management’ and ‘Lots of ideas’. With so many things to sort out, it was great for us to relax and let Sonja and Sharon deliver.
On the panel, Sonja did an excellent job of answering some fairly direct criticism of content marketing as a discipline, making a strong case for inbound as a powerful marketing technique that deserves a place alongside more traditional channels.
Based on our experience, I strongly recommend Sonja and Sharon as trainers and speakers.
Sonja and Sharon, I just wanted to thank you for your participation in the Marketing Trends event at the British Library this month.
Your presentation was both lively and informative and I’ve had very good feedback from delegates. The division of labour worked well and having two speakers kept the audience interested and engaged (as did the content!). It was succinct and to the point but also had interesting anecdotes that brought the subject to life for the audience.
Valuable content is such an important aspect of marketing that I believe you have really hit on a stream of interest that isn’t currently covered elsewhere.
Sonja ran a great workshop for 4th year Bristol University Computer Science students as part of their Enterprise module. The workshop covered the benefits of using social media, illustrated with a great start up example – BeerBods. The students left the workshop equipped with practical tips for exploiting social media and some clear next steps to improve their knowledge. Their feedback was excellent! Many thanks.
Looking for a bespoke workshop or talk?
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Topics we cover:
- How to make digital marketing work for your business
- The content marketing journey, in 3 deliberate acts
- Selling with valuable content, in a way that feels natural and right
- What content do you need on your website?
- Content marketing strategy
- What to write. How to pinpoint your content sweet spot
- Businesses with purpose create the best content – how to use content to uncover your ‘why’
- How to write valuable content