There’s loads of discuss concerning the potential of AI, however how do you use it as a freelancer?
There are two predominant use circumstances for AI for freelancers:
- Automate administrative duties
- Develop your corporation (advertising and marketing)
I examined many frequent AI use circumstances for freelancers and located that whereas the executive duties have been pretty easy, the AI advertising and marketing use circumstances have been a bit of trickier.
Many advertising and marketing AI instruments enhance effectivity on the expense of high quality, so I’ll share the use circumstances I discovered simplest at bettering effectivity whereas sustaining (or growing) high quality.
I’ll additionally share some administrative AI instruments freelancers can use to function extra effectively.
Advertising and marketing AI For Freelancers
#1. Automate Consumer Outreach
Chilly e-mail continues to be an efficient option to get new shoppers, but it surely must be customized, ship worth, and goal prospects who completely match your superb consumer.
Whereas loads of AI instruments can help you blast generic e-mail instruments, the best consumer outreach technique I examined is utilizing Apollo.io for lead analysis and mixing it with Smartlead.ai to ship the emails.
To start out, open up Apollo.io and create a Persona based mostly on the job title, business and key phrases, location, and worker depend.
Then, it gives you an inventory of people that match that standards.
Now that you’ve got an inventory of right-fit prospects, you may create and ship an e-mail. Apollo presents an AI instrument that writes an e-mail template for you based mostly in your prospect’s ache factors and your resolution.
Nevertheless, watch out when sending mass emails, as you may get your account flagged and banned. To be secure, begin by sending not more than 20 weekly emails.
I really desire to obtain the listing of leads generated by Apollo after which add it to Smartlead.ai, as Smartlead lets you purchase a very new area to keep away from risking your major area and automates the e-mail warmup course of.
Whereas importing the prospect listing to Smartlead isn’t as seamless as sending emails instantly in Apollo’s platform, it’s a lot safer and nonetheless lets you scale your outreach effectively.
Smartlead is understood for its glorious e-mail deliverability, so although you should utilize different e-mail platforms, it’s one of many high rated options.
Another choice is to make use of a platform like Manus.ai to automate your prospecting and outreach course of.
Manus lately confirmed a case examine of how an area marketer uploaded an in depth doc outlining his superb buyer. Then, Manus used it to generate an inventory of prospects and robotically uploaded the listing to an e-mail automation instrument:
After confirming the marketing campaign overview, it generated customized touchdown pages for every prospect:
Manus additionally wrote and despatched the entire outreach messages.
You possibly can see a whole breakdown of the method on this video right here:
The disadvantage with Manus is that it’s nonetheless in beta and hasn’t been launched publicly.
It’s also possible to try instruments like Lindy.ai, although I discovered that their lead prospecting requests weren’t at all times correct (e.g., when you ask for B2B SaaS corporations, a few of the corporations added to the listing have been B2C or ecommerce). AI brokers like Lindy may be extremely efficient, but it surely takes time to learn to use them.
I in the end discovered that utilizing Apollo.io and Smartlead collectively produced the very best outcomes, even when it took a bit of extra time.
#2. Create a Web site
You don’t want an internet site to be a profitable freelancer, but it surely actually makes you look extra skilled.
In order for you a easy one-page web site (like a touchdown web page), you should utilize a instrument like Canva.
They’ve loads of touchdown web page templates you may select from to customise:
Whereas the templates are all pre-made and customizable via drag-and-drop options, you may generate your personal movies, graphics, and pictures with Canva’s AI generator, Magic Media.
For instance, I generated a number of Google Analytics graphics that I may add to my touchdown web page:
Then, you may join it to your personal area identify and publish:
Canva additionally presents full web site builders, however the options and suppleness are restricted.
Alternatively, you should utilize an AI web site builder with extra flexibility, like Wix.
Wix’s AI web site builder begins with a chat interface that asks about your corporation and prospects. Then, it generates an internet site based mostly in your responses.
Right here’s an instance of the preliminary draft it generated for a advertising and marketing company web site:
After producing the preliminary draft, you may ask it to tweak the theme, web site construction, web site description, or format.
For instance, I didn’t just like the preliminary format, so I requested it to generate a brand new one:
Notice that this web site requires rather more modifying than a easy touchdown web page, and I might rewrite a number of the copy myself if I have been to make use of this as an actual web site.
Alternatively, you possibly can choose a template you already like, after which use Wix’s AI author to generate the copy for you.
In order for you a extremely skilled web site, you can even look into Relume. Relume connects with Figma and is right for skilled designers who’re snug making web sites however need to automate extra of the design course of.
Right here’s an instance of a Relume web site:
#3. Create and Optimize Weblog Content material
Even when you don’t have an internet site, you may nonetheless create weblog content material and publish on different business blogs to construct credibility as a freelancer.
For instance, when you’re within the website positioning business, you possibly can pitch a weblog to Ahrefs, Search Engine Journal, the Content material Advertising and marketing Institute, or different business leaders.
Even when business publications don’t settle for your weblog publish, you possibly can publish it on Medium or LinkedIn.
There are a number of methods AI may also help with this course of.
Content material Ideation
Most individuals use AI to find key phrases.
Right here’s an instance of how Eric Siu used Manus AI to investigate a competitor’s excessive buy intent key phrase frameworks.
You possibly can then use these key phrase frameworks and apply them to your corporation.
Along with doing key phrase analysis, you can even use AI that can assist you craft thought management content material.
For instance, creating knowledge research is without doubt one of the finest methods to earn consideration, shares, and backlinks.
The hot button is creating a knowledge examine that solutions a controversial or trending matter that provides entrepreneurs actionable insights to enhance their technique.
So I took this knowledge examine from Kevin Indig, pasted it into ChatGPT, after which gave it the next immediate:
Then, it gave me a handful of fairly glorious recommendations, like the concept of testing the prevalence of tangible phrase matches in Google:
You possibly can then ask the LLM how you can take motion and really seize the information.
When you don’t have entry to proprietary knowledge, you possibly can rent a VA on Upwork to manually accumulate knowledge or associate with a SaaS firm that has knowledge.
For instance, Brian Dean partnered with ClickFlow to investigate 4 million search outcomes (they later refreshed the examine and used the information from Semrush).
So, reasonably than simply utilizing AI to generate content material for you, use it to create a extra fascinating angle on a trending matter or generate knowledge.
Semantic Key phrases
There are additionally loads of AI website positioning instruments that make it straightforward to optimize your weblog content material by together with semantic (associated) key phrases.
For instance, instruments like Surfer website positioning provide you with an inventory of different semantic key phrases to incorporate in your weblog publish as you’re writing:
Surfer website positioning additionally offers you a basic content material optimization rating and even lets you “Auto Optimize” the content material. Auto optimization instruments may be useful, however double-check the AI’s work because it isn’t at all times correct and should lower the standard of the content material itself.
Inner Hyperlink Options
It’s also possible to get automated inner hyperlink recommendations utilizing a instrument like Surfer website positioning:
Instruments like Hyperlink Whisper are designed to automate inner linking, although I’ve discovered that instruments that attempt to automate your complete inner linking course of normally aren’t fully correct. In my expertise, it’s nonetheless finest so as to add inner hyperlinks manually.
Moreover, I don’t suggest utilizing AI to generate the content material itself, as Google introduced that AI generated content material that reveals little to no originality is taken into account “lowest high quality.”
And, whereas informative content material can rank and get folks to your web site, these readers received’t keep in mind you or purchase your merchandise/providers if there’s nothing memorable about your content material.
#4. Write Social Media Posts
Constructing a private model on LinkedIn is a perfect technique for freelancers to draw shoppers.
There are many AI writing instruments to generate posts for you, however you should definitely inject your personal private expertise and knowledge into the publish to make it distinctive.
For instance, I used MagicPost to put in writing a LinkedIn publish for me:
This may nonetheless require fairly a little bit of modifying to make it publishable, so there are two different choices.
First, I may additionally select the “import publish template” possibility.
For instance, when you see another person write a productiveness publish, you possibly can import that template after which amend the content material itself to suit your productiveness ideas:
In actual fact, you possibly can make an inventory of a few of the LinkedIn TopVoice consultants after which make templates utilizing their high performing posts.
For instance, I used Favikon, a B2B influencer advertising and marketing instrument, to seek for LinkedIn Prime Voices.
Then, you may make an inventory of those LinkedIn Prime Voice accounts in a instrument like Feedspot after which use their high performing posts as templates in MagicPost.
The hook can also be essential, so I used MagicPost’s Hooks generator to create hooks for my posts:
MagicPost may also repurpose weblog content material for you.
For instance, I had it create a LinkedIn publish summarizing the weblog publish Kevin Indig wrote on SEJ concerning Google’s AI overviews.
The outcomes have been fairly good:
In actual fact, that is most likely my favourite method as a result of it takes a bit of unique knowledge after which organizes it right into a LinkedIn-friendly construction.
Do not forget that what makes an important social media publish isn’t the content material construction – it’s the expertise, opinions, and concepts – the substance of the content material.
So even when you’re utilizing a instrument like MagicPost, embrace your personal private expertise and concepts inside the immediate.
#5. Generate Movies For Private Branding
Instruments like HeyGen can help you create AI avatars of your self, and Reply.io’s CEO, Oleg Bilozor, proved that this method works.
He created an avatar of himself in HeyGen and likewise dubbed his voice (I don’t know which instrument he used to dub his voice, however you should utilize one thing like ElevenLabs).
Beneath is an actual video he posted on his TikTok account that at the moment has over 2,000 likes:
The hand motions don’t fairly align with the expressions, and once I performed with the instrument myself, I observed the sentence phrasing wasn’t at all times excellent (although you may edit it).
For instance, you may nonetheless inform that this isn’t fairly a human:
Nevertheless, that is an thrilling different when you don’t have time to be on digicam.
You possibly can log into the platform after which add a number of photos of your self:
Then, you may write your video scripts, and your AI avatar will carry out them for you.
CapCut additionally presents comparable choices. Provided that the AI avatars aren’t excellent, I like that CapCut presents different AI modifying choices that can help you use actual video footage, however accelerates the modifying course of with AI instruments.
It’s also possible to take written textual content and ask it to summarize it into a brief. For instance, I took an extended kind weblog publish, and it created the next video:
I discover that the instrument was most correct when you used a shorter textual content (like a LinkedIn publish or Tweet) reasonably than lengthy kind textual content.
It’s also possible to add lengthy kind movies and ask it to rework them into shorts for you:
Loads of different instruments, like Opus Clip, may also repurpose lengthy kind movies into shorts for you.
#6. Enhance Electronic mail Advertising and marketing Effectivity
Constructing an e-mail listing is essential for freelancers since you personal the viewers. However, social media and even weblog content material is actually a borrowed viewers.
Even when folks comply with you on social media, you may’t make sure that the social media algorithms will present your content material to all of your followers, and you possibly can be banned at any second.
Even when you’re simply getting began, construct an e-mail listing.
AI may also help you develop your e-mail listing in just a few alternative ways.
First, you should utilize AI to create lead magnets.
For instance, right here at Copyblogger, our paid provide is Copyblogger Academy, a neighborhood that additionally accommodates quite a lot of programs on advertising and marketing associated matters, together with private branding.
Due to this fact, I used Replit to code a LinkedIn publish template that lets you paste in a high performing publish from one other individual’s account (ideally from a unique area of interest), which is able to strip it all the way down to a template.
Right here’s the immediate I gave it, together with the publish I inserted.
Then, customers can choose a publish type (business insights, skilled roundup, and many others.) and the instrument generates a template:
Beneath the template, you may even insert your personal business key phrases or titles.
Then, I may deploy this template and use it as a lead magnet that folks may give me to construct our e-mail listing. As folks utilizing this are clearly actively constructing their private manufacturers, this is able to entice and seize excellent prospects for Copyblogger Academy.
You might additionally use Replit to construct calculators and even dynamic checklists.
To advertise the lead magnet and get it in entrance of latest potential prospects, I may even use Favicon to generate an inventory of LinkedIn influencers after which use Smartlead.ai to ship out a marketing campaign asking them to check out my lead magnet and supply some suggestions.
In the event that they prefer it, ask them to share it on social media.
After you construct your e-mail listing, you have to ship subscribers content material to maintain them engaged.
Many entrepreneurs use AI instruments to write emails for them, however just like weblog content material, I really feel that content material that doesn’t stem from your personal ideas, opinions, or knowledge normally isn’t very useful.
One possibility is to repurpose your lengthy kind content material in your emails.
That is Eric Siu’s technique:
You should use any AI writing instrument to explain the content material you’re sending to the listing and ask it to summarize it right into a 200 phrase e-mail.
For instance, let’s say I wished to advertise this weblog publish to our e-mail listing:
Enter the next immediate into the LLM of your alternative. I additionally gave it the instance from Eric Siu’s e-mail in order that it is aware of the format that I like:
Then, I informed it precisely what I favored about Eric Siu’s e-mail format after which pasted the complete knowledge examine under the immediate:
Right here’s the ensuing e-mail it generated:
This e-mail is fairly good, however I felt it didn’t actually seize the essence of the information examine, so I tweaked it extra:
The next outcome was significantly better. When you really feel that the LLM didn’t actually get the primary level of your analysis, inform it what the “predominant level” of your publish is and inform it to concentrate on that within the e-mail:
Another choice is to create a e-newsletter round sure business matters.
When you selected this method, you may use a instrument like Buzzsumo to warn you of the preferred content material associated to a particular matter:
You might then copy and paste the latest trending content material into an AI writing instrument or free LLM and ask it to summarize the publish (just like the technique above).
Nevertheless, there are many newsletters, so to make yours really distinctive, embrace both:
- Your distinctive tackle the matter or
- Actionable steps associated to the information so that folks can take motion on the information reasonably than passively devour it
For instance, that is an fascinating, well-liked piece of content material on LinkedIn:
I may use AI to summarize the publish after which incorporate my very own take (why I agree or disagree with this individual) together with particular examples of how different industries may duplicate this advertising and marketing stunt.
There are additionally loads of e-mail advertising and marketing instruments that supply AI options for segmentation, A/B exams, and personalization.
Administrative AI For Freelancers
Listed here are a few of my favourite methods to automate fundamental administrative duties with AI.
Automate Calendar and Assembly Scheduling
One among my favourite instruments is Reclaim.ai, a gathering scheduler with superior AI options.
For instance, the Good Scheduler lets you set your availability and preferences for assembly instances.
Then, Reclaim considers the opposite members’ availability and preferences and finds the very best time slot that works for everybody, even throughout completely different time zones. It will probably additionally schedule recurring consumer conferences that match with everybody’s schedules.
It’s also possible to join it with undertaking administration instruments like ClickUp, Asana, and ToDoist to set deadlines and prioritize duties.
The Behavior characteristic can also be helpful, because it enables you to set particular habits (like meditating, going to the gymnasium, and many others.), after which AI finds particular instances all through the week to be sure you get them executed.
Extra Calendar AI Instruments:
Automate Funds
There are many invoicing software program options, however a number of new AI-powered platforms make automating duties, like expense monitoring, simpler.
For instance, Invoicer.ai lets you do all the things you’d anticipate from conventional invoicing software program and has AI powered options like an assistant and expense monitoring.
One other instrument that may make it easier to with taxes is FlyFin. This AI platform analyzes your revenue and bills after which finds each tax deduction you’re eligible for, which may prevent hundreds of {dollars}.
FlyFin additionally has actual CPAs that may deal with your taxes from begin to end to double examine the AI’s work.
Extra Finance AI Instruments:
Automate Mission Administration
A lot of the undertaking administration platforms you’re already aware of are incorporating AI to make freelancers extra environment friendly.
ClickUp is one in all my favourite undertaking administration instruments, and right here’s an summary of a few of the AI options it presents:
- AI Writing Assistant: You should use this characteristic to put in writing emails, social media posts, weblog drafts, and undertaking briefs with choices to regulate tone, size, and enhance grammar. It will probably additionally generate tables and templates.
- Summarization: When you’ve got an extended assembly or want to investigate a doc or internet web page, the summarization makes it straightforward to shortly get the details from prolonged content material.
- AI Mission Administration: As ClickUp is primarily a undertaking administration instrument, it’s no shock that it lets you generate undertaking summaries and standing updates with out guide reporting. That is significantly helpful when you’re collaborating with different freelancers or consumer group members.
- Good Chat: You possibly can ask AI questions on your duties, tasks, and paperwork to get fast solutions and insights with out having to go looking extensively. It will probably additionally assist create duties from chat conversations.
- Good Docs & Data Administration: ClickUp AI can reply questions based mostly in your workspace Docs and wikis, appearing as a centralized data base assistant. It will probably additionally assist draft paperwork and SOPs.
- AI Automation Builder: You possibly can simply sort out what duties you need to automate and it’ll create a customized workflow.
- Translation and Localization: When you’re working with a world group, ClickUp will robotically translate textual content.
- Electronic mail with AI: I like that this characteristic enables you to draft and reply to emails instantly inside ClickUp.
- Related Search: You possibly can join exterior apps (like Google Sheets) and this characteristic lets you ask questions concerning these sources.
Extra Mission Administration AI Instruments:
Get Extra Assist Growing Your Effectivity As a Freelancer With AI
Many conventional software program instruments for freelancers incorporate AI options, and whereas some duties may be totally automated, I nonetheless discovered that producing really high-quality work normally requires some human contact.
Nevertheless, AI is constant to develop into increasingly efficient, and freelancers who learn to use it to streamline operations can have an edge over their rivals.
In order for you extra assist studying how you can successfully leverage AI, think about becoming a member of Copyblogger Academy, a neighborhood of freelancers and entrepreneurs. Along with the neighborhood, you’ll even have entry to a number of advertising and marketing programs, from private branding and copywriting to website positioning and e-mail advertising and marketing.
Copyblogger Academy is operated on my own and 7 determine entrepreneur and private branding coach, Charles Miller.Inside, you may ask for suggestions in your work, attend accountability classes, and collaborate with different neighborhood members to share what’s working in AI.
Get on the spot entry to Copyblogger Academy right this moment and begin rising your revenue as a freelancer.
