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Welcome to the 21st issue of Expert•ish Freelancer, a newsletter that helps you launch or elevate your freelance business. Every other Friday, get tips, tools, and insights based on my 35⁺ years as a freelance writer.

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Hi Friend!

By the time you read this, I’ll be somewhere in the Caribbean on an eight-day cruise, enjoying my first press trip of the year. But before I left, I wanted to queue up this next issue of Expert•ish Freelancer.

This issue focuses on the elephant 🐘 in the room: AI. Love it or hate it (or fear it)—AI has dramatically impacted the freelance industry.

So rather than crawl in a hole and pretend it doesn’t exist, or refuse to use it because I think it’s replacing me, I’m taking a head-on approach to understand it and leverage it. And I think smart freelancers should do the same.

I’m going to start discussing AI more in this newsletter as we move forward. There are so many issues to address, from ethics to use cases to best practices. While AI offers many benefits, it also has some drawbacks. And, with a nod to Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Ready to dive in?

Today’s newsletter highlights how to leverage AI to boost your freelance business.

🔍 Key Takeaways: 

✅ Boost your productivity.

✅ Streamline research and processes.

✅ Future-proof your freelance business.

Today’s issue is brought to you by Authory. Sponsors help keep the newsletter free, so please click on their link to check out their offer! ⬇️ 

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Freelance Focus: How to Leverage AI in Your Freelance Business

Imagine this scenario: As a freelancer, you’re writing a short white paper on the latest advancements in cloud computing for a B2B client. You’re working on a tight deadline, you’ve got to conduct extensive research, and you’re staring at a blank screen, feeling a wave of overwhelm wash over you. 

But then, you remember your powerful AI assistant.

With a few well-crafted prompts, you instruct your favorite AI tool to summarize key findings in multiple research papers, analyze data, identify emerging trends in cloud computing, and even generate an outline for your white paper.

Suddenly, what felt like an insurmountable task becomes manageable. And now, you’re ready to do what you do best—write that white paper. 

This is the power of AI for freelancers—a tool that can augment your skills, boost your productivity, and unlock a whole new level of efficiency in your freelance business.

Embrace the Future

If you’ve been shying away from AI because you don’t know how to use it or you’re afraid it’s going to replace you, buckle up, baby. 

AI is not going anywhere. 

👉The sooner you embrace AI, the sooner you can start leveraging it to improve your business.

As a 60-year-old freelancer, I definitely wouldn’t call myself tech-savvy. But I do what I need to do to run my business. 

So, back in 2023, I invested in (and future-proofed) my business by taking a course called Improve Your Productivity With AI Writing Tools by freelancer Jennifer Goforth Gregory. She’d been writing about AI for nearly 10 years for clients, so she understood both the tech and the freelancing side to help other freelancers navigate this shift.

It turned out to be a game-changer in my business.

I now regularly use a variety of free generative AI tools—including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity—to help boost my freelance business. And I encourage you to do the same if you want to thrive as a freelancer.

AI in Action

Let me quickly demonstrate how AI can work for you from the very beginning.

In Gemini, I inputted a well-crafted prompt—basically a detailed request that provides context—on how to use AI. Here's the exact prompt I used and the exact answer it generated.

Prompt:

“I'm new to using AI tools like ChatGPT. Can you provide a step-by-step guide on how to craft effective prompts to get the best results? Include examples.”

Here's what you might expect in the AI's response:

1. Be Specific:

   • Example 1 (Content Generation): Instead of “Write a story,” try “Write a 250-word story about a robot dog who goes on an adventure in space. Use a humorous tone and include at least 3 unique characters. The audience is animal-loving elementary school children.”

   • Example 2 (Brainstorming): Instead of “Give me ideas about pets,” try “I'm launching a new line of eco-friendly pet toys for dogs and cats. Brainstorm 5 unique marketing campaign ideas that appeal to environmentally conscious pet owners.”

2. Provide Context:

   • Example 1 (Data Analysis): Instead of “Analyze this data,” try “I have a spreadsheet with sales data from the past year. Analyze the data and identify any trends or patterns in sales volume across different product categories.”

   • Example 2 (Research): Instead of “Tell me about meditation,” try “I need to write a blog post about the benefits of meditation. Summarize the key findings from 5 scientific studies on the topic of mindfulness and stress reduction.”

3. Use Keywords and Modifiers:

   • Example 1 (Creative Naming): To get a more creative response, use keywords like “imaginative,” “surreal,” “philosophical.”

   • Example 2 (Translation): “Translate the following paragraph into Spanish and check for any grammatical errors.”

4. Break Down Complex Requests:

   • Example: Instead of asking for a complete essay, break it down into smaller tasks: “Generate an outline,” “Write an introduction,” “Summarize these research papers,” etc.

5. Iterate and Refine:

   • Example: If the initial response isn't what you're looking for, refine your prompt by adding more details, changing the tone, or adjusting the instructions.

6. Experiment and Explore:

   • Example: Try different prompts, styles, and levels of detail to see how the AI responds. You'll learn what works best for you and the specific AI tool you're using.

Pretty impressive answer, right?

And it took less than 10 seconds! 

I don’t even think that faster after I’ve had my morning coffee. ☕

Supercharge Your Business

I regularly tap the power of AI to help me save time, simplify, brainstorm, streamline, and more.

Here are just a few of the ways I use AI tools in my freelance business.

• Streamlining Research, Ideation, and Analysis

• Enhancing Productivity and Time Management

• Improving Client Communication and Proposals

• Boosting Marketing and Self-Promotion

• Skill Development and Continuous Learning

• Financial Management and Planning

• Enhanced Research Capabilities

Embracing AI as a Freelance Superpower

Think of AI as your superpower 🦸‍♀️, as you leverage its capabilities to improve your business.

By embracing these technologies and learning to tap their potential, you can streamline your workflow, boost your productivity, and deliver exceptional work to your clients.

Remember, Generative AI is in its infancy 🍼 , and the best way to learn is through experimentation.

Get over the fear (or resentment). Play with it. Try different approaches. And start leveraging AI for your freelance business.

⬇️ If I had these skills, I’d start every day like this!

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When You’re Ready Here’s How I Can Help:

• Turn to Expert•ish Freelancer’s Tools & Resources page highlighting valuable resources to help you successfully run your freelance business. If you’ve got a resource you love, let me know about it.

• Follow me on LinkedIn where I share fresh clips and more freelance tips/insights most weekdays.

• Follow me on Bluesky where I have no idea what I’m doing on this new social platform. 🦋

• Ask Me Anything! Your questions and feedback help shape future newsletter content. You can reach me at [email protected]. 

Thanks for allowing me into your inbox!

I look forward to sharing my freelance journey with you, and I look forward to hearing about yours. I’m just here as your guide. Take what works for you, and tweak it to your needs. Rinse. Repeat.

I’ll be back in two Fridays with another edition of Expert•ish Freelancer.

In the meantime….

Be kind. Do good. Give thanks. 😊

With gratitude,
Lisa Beach

FYI: In yoga, the instructor often closes the session by saying “namaste” as a way of acknowledging and honoring the light, spirit, or goodness within each person in the class. 🧘‍♀️ It’s often used as a closing to convey unity (we’re all interconnected), gratitude (thank you for this shared experience), respect (I respect you and your journey), and peace (may you find peace within yourself). Essentially, it's a way to acknowledge the shared experience and to leave with a sense of peace and connection. 😊