An AI Target or Irreplaceable: Which Freelancer Are You?

There’s a whole lot being written and discussed right now regarding ChatGPT and other AI applications. Either AI is going to wipe out millions of jobs or AI is going to be the next version of cryptocurrency — pretty hit-and-miss in terms of its value.

No matter which camp you’re in, AI is going to impact your life in some way. However, how it impacts you depends on what kind of freelancer you are.

Let’s look at the different types of freelancers who will most likely be negatively impacted by AI:

• Piecemeal freelancers: They get their work from job listings, Upwork, and other paid/unpaid job sites. They’re not into marketing or they may not know how to market themselves.
• Good-enough freelancers: Those who park their careers on Upwork and such, those who are content working with clients who don’t pay much because it’s easier than fishing upstream.
• Happy-to-be-working freelancers: They’re never rocking the boat. The client may be demanding, but they pay eventually. Not much, but there’s a promised check there somewhere.

Why these freelancers could be the first to lose gigs to AI:

• There will probably be fewer job listings because clients who don’t pay much will want to save the money.
• Fewer gigs posted means more competition for actual paying gigs.
• Cheap clients are going to see a way out of paying at all and drop their writer.

Those who won’t have much to worry about when AI comes to town include this group:

• Relationship marketers: You’re a freelancer, but you’ve marketed to people, not just to win a gig. Building a relationship is the primary focus.
• Niche freelancers: Sure, AI could try to put together that in-depth thought leadership series of articles on an industry-specific topic, but it’s going to sound pieced together. Because it will be. Freelancers who have a niche and have built credibility in the niche will survive quite well.
• Freelancers with top-tier clients. Top-level clients know that brand and reputation are essential to business success and survival. No “Chat” anything is going to be able to nuance content in a way that meshes with the goals and messaging in a company. That’s a human trait.
• The freelance partner. A freelancer who has built a partnership is one who is invested in their client’s success. They’re not going to let words that could have negative meaning get through, and they’re going to be the first to point out potentially thorny issues with copy. They’re there to save their client’s reputation before anything hits print.

Which group are you in?

If you’re in the first group, fear not. There’s plenty you can do today to improve your freelance writing business and become much more immune to AI’s impact. Start here:

Build a Relationship. When you do business with people instead of nailing down one more gig, your entire business outlook changes. So do your results. People want to have a personal connection to those they’re trusting with their messaging and writing. Click on the link to learn how to build that connection. This link could be useful, too.

Actively Seek Clients. Spend that time browsing job sites on browsing the websites of your potential clients. It’s an easy switch, that the link I’ve dropped here will give you a pretty good outline for getting more active in your client search. This one gives even more guidance.

Build and Nurture a Network. The more people you know, the better your ability to score quality clients. Stay in touch with them, too. Here’s a link that gives you some pointers.

Never be Satisfied.  Be curious. Skeptical. Inquisitive. Take that advice someone gave you (even me) and turn it on its head. Does it make sense to you? Do you see yourself applying it? If not, drop it. Keep learning. Find new ways to improve your approach, your interactions, and your business acumen. You are the secret weapon to your own success.

Writers, how have you turned your freelancing career around? 
What defining moment do you recall from your own journey?