Automating work and increasing productivity. A guide to AI for freelancers | AI in business #96

Freelancers must constantly look for new ways to get new assignments, keep their offerings fresh, and perform efficiently. One of the most effective ways to increase competitiveness and productivity is automating work and support creativity with artificial intelligence (AI). By working with AI, are freelancers opening the door to new and unprecedented business opportunities? In this article, we will take a look at how AI can become an invaluable tool for freelancers, allowing them to achieve better results and change the way they work. Read on to find out more.

Specializing in AI

Fiverr has reported a 1400% increase in demand for AI skills over the past six months. That’s probably reason enough to add proficient use of AI tools to your portfolio. If you’re just getting started with AI, pick one area or tool and gradually make changes. You’ll get the best results by looking at undemanding but time-consuming tasks you do every day.

Automating work in repetitive tasks – saving time and focusing on priorities

According to a survey by Freelancer.com, as early as July 2023, 75% of freelancers in the USA were already using AI tools to boost productivity. Automating work with AI can significantly improve freelancers’ daily tasks, such as:

• responding to e-mails,
• managing your calendar, or
• searching for new assignments.

Automating work with AI will allow freelancers to significantly reduce their daily routine and save precious time, which is, after all, a key resource for any freelancer. On top of that, it will enable them to maintain control over the development of their business. In terms of increasing productivity through automation without programming skills, it’s worth looking into:

• Zapier – allows you to integrate with more than 3,000 applications and automate the workflow between them. For example, you can set up automatic addition of new tasks from email directly to the to-do list.
• Make (formerly Integromat) – allows you to create complex scenarios involving multiple applications and services. What can a freelancer do with it? For example, they can use AI to automate the process of sending invoices to clients after a project is completed.

Source: Upwork (https://www.upwork.com/research/freelance-forward-2023-research-report)

Generating content – creating text, graphics, and videos

To be successful, freelancers must not only provide content for their clients but also market themselves. By leveraging AI, freelancers can do both at the same time by automating the work of creating content and materials quickly and effectively.

AI can help with this, offering tools to generate drafts and even advanced versions of:

• text – using the latest Gemini from Google, trusted ChatGPT Plus, or specialized tools like CopyAI or Jasper,
• graphics – from the intuitive DALL-E 3 available through ChatGPT to Midjourney on Discord, to Stable Diffusion for the most advanced users,
• videos – or presentations with avatars, as in Synthesia, or experimental videos with Runway, or – coming soon – with OpenAI’s Sora (https://openai.com/sora).

Content generation tools allow freelancers to quickly create and adapt materials to meet their clients’ requirements.

Process optimization – increasing efficiency

Process optimization is especially important for freelancers who are looking for ways to save time and increase efficiency. AI provides powerful tools for analyzing data, identifying trends, and optimizing workflows.

However, in a freelancer’s work, the best way to optimize and increase productivity may turn out to be… a conversation with ChatGPT about better ways to perform tasks, rather than automating work. All you need to do is to tell it in detail what tasks you do, then ask how AI can help speed up and improve results, leading to greater job satisfaction. The phrase “process optimization” with the help of AI becomes a promise of better use of resources and getting maximum results from them. It is also a chance for more satisfied customers.

Source: DALL·E 3, prompt: Marta M. Kania (https://www.linkedin.com/in/martamatyldakania/)

Collaborating with the customer – better communication and relationship-building

In the field of freelancing, building strong and lasting relationships with clients is crucial. Utilizing AI in this process presents a significant opportunity to create valuable and long-lasting business connections. AI can support freelancers in maintaining high-quality communication, helping analyze client needs, and tailoring messages to their communication style and expectations.

Using AI for sentiment analysis may sound like a task reserved for large companies. However, before sending a difficult email to a client, it’s worth pasting it into ChatGPT or Gemini and asking, ‘What emotional tone does this message convey?’ This simple sentiment analysis can help avoid issues in project execution. It can also be a recipe for receiving feedback on our communication style. In the longer term, it enables a better understanding of emotions in written communication and client needs.

Acquiring new customers – reaching a wider audience

For many solopreneurs, one of the biggest challenges is not delivering projects but finding new customers. AI can play a key role in this process by providing tools that allow us to create applications that are perfectly tailored to customer needs. They also help us know that our offer contains all the necessary elements and is free from errors. For example, Upwork uses AI to help create better project applications, which increases freelancers’ chances of success.

Shaping a business strategy – making the right decisions

A freelancer’s business strategy primarily involves making accurate decisions regarding career development. With the current pace of development of AI-based tools, this is not an easy task. Therefore, freelancers should focus on leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance their skills in what they do best.

AI provides freelancers with tools to analyze the market, competition, and trends. However, if you’ve already found your niche, ask yourself how you can become an even better specialist. In this way, with the use of AI tools, your freelance career can thrive. Continuous learning is key for making the most of AI, allowing freelancers to offer better services.

The future of AI freelancers – automating work and increasing productivity

The evolution of AI is creating new opportunities for freelancers, as well as challenges in adapting to a rapidly changing environment. Those who can harness the potential of AI will gain a competitive advantage by offering services at a higher level and a faster pace. In the future, the ability to effectively leverage the potential of AI will determine the position and growth opportunities of every freelancer.

The development of AI is creating new professions, niches, and business models, offering freelancers a chance to grow and explore new career paths. On the other hand, flexibility and adaptability are key to the future of work in the AI era, helping to make effective use of new technologies.

Automating work with AI offers freelancers a range of benefits, from time savings to access to new clients. However, the key to success lies not only in knowing the tools but in the ability to use them practically. Freelancers who can adapt to the new realities and harness the potential of AI will have an advantage in the marketplace, offering services at a level that previously only larger companies could provide. Investing in developing AI skills and knowledge is, therefore, essential for anyone who wants to maximize their potential. Freelancers must learn to think outside the box and use AI in creative ways to succeed in a world that is constantly evolving due to technology.

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AI in business:

1. Threats and opportunities of AI in business (part 1)
2. Threats and opportunities of AI in business (part 2)
3. AI applications in business - overview
4. AI-assisted text chatbots
5. Business NLP today and tomorrow
6. The role of AI in business decision-making
7. Scheduling social media posts. How can AI help?
8. Automated social media posts
9. New services and products operating with AI
10. What are the weaknesses of my business idea? A brainstorming session with ChatGPT
11. Using ChatGPT in business
12. Synthetic actors. Top 3 AI video generators
13. 3 useful AI graphic design tools. Generative AI in business
14. 3 awesome AI writers you must try out today
15. Exploring the power of AI in music creation
16. Navigating new business opportunities with ChatGPT-4
17. AI tools for the manager
18. 6 awesome ChatGTP plugins that will make your life easier
19. 3 grafików AI. Generatywna sztuczna inteligencja dla biznesu
20. What is the future of AI according to McKinsey Global Institute?
21. Artificial intelligence in business - Introduction
22. What is NLP, or natural language processing in business
23. Automatic document processing
24. Google Translate vs DeepL. 5 applications of machine translation for business
25. The operation and business applications of voicebots
26. Virtual assistant technology, or how to talk to AI?
27. What is Business Intelligence?
28. Will artificial intelligence replace business analysts?
29. How can artificial intelligence help with BPM?
30. AI and social media – what do they say about us?
31. Artificial intelligence in content management
32. Creative AI of today and tomorrow
33. Multimodal AI and its applications in business
34. New interactions. How is AI changing the way we operate devices?
35. RPA and APIs in a digital company
36. The future job market and upcoming professions
37. AI in EdTech. 3 examples of companies that used the potential of artificial intelligence
38. Artificial intelligence and the environment. 3 AI solutions to help you build a sustainable business
39. AI content detectors. Are they worth it?
40. ChatGPT vs Bard vs Bing. Which AI chatbot is leading the race?
41. Is chatbot AI a competitor to Google search?
42. Effective ChatGPT Prompts for HR and Recruitment
43. Prompt engineering. What does a prompt engineer do?
44. AI Mockup generator. Top 4 tools
45. AI and what else? Top technology trends for business in 2024
46. AI and business ethics. Why you should invest in ethical solutions
47. Meta AI. What should you know about Facebook and Instagram's AI-supported features?
48. AI regulation. What do you need to know as an entrepreneur?
49. 5 new uses of AI in business
50. AI products and projects - how are they different from others?
51. AI-assisted process automation. Where to start?
52. How do you match an AI solution to a business problem?
53. AI as an expert on your team
54. AI team vs. division of roles
55. How to choose a career field in AI?
56. Is it always worth it to add artificial intelligence to the product development process?
57. AI in HR: How recruitment automation affects HR and team development
58. 6 most interesting AI tools in 2023
59. 6 biggest business mishaps caused by AI
60. What is the company's AI maturity analysis?
61. AI for B2B personalization
62. ChatGPT use cases. 18 examples of how to improve your business with ChatGPT in 2024
63. Microlearning. A quick way to get new skills
64. The most interesting AI implementations in companies in 2024
65. What do artificial intelligence specialists do?
66. What challenges does the AI project bring?
67. Top 8 AI tools for business in 2024
68. AI in CRM. What does AI change in CRM tools?
69. The UE AI Act. How does Europe regulate the use of artificial intelligence
70. Sora. How will realistic videos from OpenAI change business?
71. Top 7 AI website builders
72. No-code tools and AI innovations
73. How much does using AI increase the productivity of your team?
74. How to use ChatGTP for market research?
75. How to broaden the reach of your AI marketing campaign?
76. "We are all developers". How can citizen developers help your company?
77. AI in transportation and logistics
78. What business pain points can AI fix?
79. Artificial intelligence in the media
80. AI in banking and finance. Stripe, Monzo, and Grab
81. AI in the travel industry
82. How AI is fostering the birth of new technologies
83. The revolution of AI in social media
84. AI in e-commerce. Overview of global leaders
85. Top 4 AI image creation tools
86. Top 5 AI tools for data analysis
87. AI strategy in your company - how to build it?
88. Best AI courses – 6 awesome recommendations
89. Optimizing social media listening with AI tools
90. IoT + AI, or how to reduce energy costs in a company
91. AI in logistics. 5 best tools
92. GPT Store – an overview of the most interesting GPTs for business
93. LLM, GPT, RAG... What do AI acronyms mean?
94. AI robots – the future or present of business?
95. What is the cost of implementing AI in a company?
96. How can AI help in a freelancer’s career?
97. Automating work and increasing productivity. A guide to AI for freelancers
98. AI for startups – best tools
99. Building a website with AI
100. OpenAI, Midjourney, Anthropic, Hugging Face. Who is who in the world of AI?
101. Eleven Labs and what else? The most promising AI startups
102. Synthetic data and its importance for the development of your business
103. Top AI search engines. Where to look for AI tools?
104. Video AI. The latest AI video generators
105. AI for managers. How AI can make your job easier
106. What’s new in Google Gemini? Everything you need to know
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109. AI and the future of work. How to prepare your business for change?