đŸ˜” Is AI killing freelance jobs?

Author

Jim Hamilton
June 28, 2024


Happy Friday! This is the Freelance Gig, where we share news, tools, tips, and tricks to help grow your freelance business.

Welcome to the 177 subscribers who’ve joined us since the last edition.

Mentioned in today’s email: ChatGPT, hybrid work, Notion, Threads, the Fediverse, WeWork, and “quiet vacationing.” Plus why you should embrace the “need for speed” to win more gigs, and 4 questions to include in your Q2 review.

Read time: 3 minutes and 59 seconds

Together with Paid Online Writing Jobs

🙋 Part-Time & Full-Time Writers Wanted

Struggling to find writing work online?

Breaking in as a remote freelancer is the hardest part.

So if you’re sick of competing with a million other writers on freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr


Tired of DMing strangers on Facebook & LinkedIn


And worried that AI has already killed all the good freelance writing jobs


Inside, you’ll learn a simple way to land high paying writing jobs without formal training or prior experience.

You do need a fast internet connection, strong English skills, and a basic understanding of social media platforms though.

But if that sounds like you


And you’re eager to find part-time or full-time work as a freelance writer


Working With Clients

Embrace the “Need For Speed” to Win More Gigs

Looking to set yourself apart as a freelancer?

Here’s an easy way to do it even if you don’t have a portfolio full of big wins


Learn to work fast.

And then don’t be afraid to advertise it.

You see, one of the biggest concerns clients have when hiring freelancers is speed.

This is typically because of bad experiences in the past


(with freelancers missing deadlines, ghosting them, or both)

Or simply because they need it turned around ASAP.

And if you can speak directly to that fear, you’ll have no trouble closing deals.

Now, you can’t just snap your fingers and make yourself work three times faster


So here’s a few tips to help you put the pedal to the metal:

  • Close all open tabs

  • Put your phone on Do Not Disturb

  • Create an outline or wireframe first

  • Use a timer

  • Listen to non-lyrical music (binaural beats, lo-fi, etc)

And don’t forget: the faster you work, the more you can jack up your effective hourly rate.

Making the Rounds

  • Certain types of freelance job postings have dropped 21% since the launch of ChatGPT according to new research

  • Why hybrid work has changed meetings forever

  • Now you can build full-on websites with Notion

  • Threads expands Fediverse sharing to 100 regions

  • Local coworking spaces are thriving after the demise of WeWork

  • Why “quiet vacationing” is on the rise

POLL: Has AI made it easier or harder for you to find freelance work?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Working For Yourself

4 Questions to Include in Your Q2 Review

We’re halfway through 2024.

Here are two things you can do to set yourself up for success in Q3:

1) Conduct a quarterly review

Use these questions to guide yourself:

  • What happened this quarter?

  • What learning lessons & corrections came from this quarter?

  • What wins did I have this quarter?

  • What am I looking forward to next quarter?

It’s important to extract lessons and wins from your day-to-day experiences on a regular basis.

This also sets the stage for the next step.

2) Set goals for Q3

Once you’ve completed your Q2 review, set goals for the upcoming quarter based on how you’re pacing.

Metrics you may want to focus on include:

  • Topline revenue

  • # of pitches sent

  • # of new clients closed

  • # of days off

  • Etc etc

Which metrics you decide to focus on are totally up to you.

But the goals you set should reflect your priorities within the business.

One way to frame this is to consider growth vs development:

Growth is all about increasing revenue, clients, and profits.

Meanwhile, development is all about building the foundation you need to grow further.

No business can sustain the same rate of growth forever.

And on the flipside, no business should be stuck in a development stage forever.

Healthy businesses shift back and forth between the two.

Use this as food for thought when mapping out your goals for Q3.

AI Prompts For Freelancers

Prompt of the Week: The Viral Ghostwriter

This AI prompt is designed to help you write a viral thread on Threads.

Here is the prompt:

You're a world class content writer with expertise in writing viral threads for Threads. My audience is [AUDIENCE]. I want you to create an outline for a viral thread on [TOPIC]. The hook (first post in the thread) must be irresistible and highly attention-grabbing. Remember that each individual post within the thread must be no more than 280 characters. The entire thread should be 10 posts long, including the hook (first post) and recap (last post summarizing all of the tips). It should be optimized for consumption on mobile devices. This means lots of line breaks, bulleted lists, and short, punchy sentences. Emojis are NOT allowed, so there should not be a single emoji in the entire thread. Be creative, specific, and emotional.

Tool of the Week

Whimsical: Build simple funnel maps for free

Even if you’re not a graphic designer or funnel builder


If you work in marketing, chances are you’ll need to map out funnels for clients from time to time. 

And unless your client’s a seasoned direct response marketer


It’s easy to get bogged down trying to explain it to them.

Good news is, there are lots of tools out there to help you do that. 

Bad news is, most of them suck. 

They’re clunky, laggy, and not intuitive at all. 

That’s why we’re big fans of Whimsical.

It’s fast, free, and easy to use. 

So whether you’re using it as a part of a proposal for a prospect


On a kickoff call with a new client


Or to collaborate with another freelancer to make sure they build the next funnel properly


Whimsical can help you get it done.

Bonus Points

đŸ’Ș Success: How to make money as a creator in 2024 (link)

🎩 Remote work: How to make a good first impression on Zoom (link)

đŸ€“ Learning: 5 high income skills students can learn in 2024 (link)