FFN #50: Boost Your Rates Now With AI!

🥴 Bots to the rescue?

Many of us freelancers will at some stage have to perform in-depth research and analysis for clients. Whether that be providing social reports or predicting consumer trends, we can use AI to make the process much faster than manual search alone. For example, AI-driven platforms can quickly sift through large datasets or online content to extract relevant information, trends, and insights. By integrating these findings into your work, you can offer more informed, data-backed recommendations, making your services more valuable and justifying a higher hourly rate as clients can expect a better ROI. For your own business, utilising messaging systems like Octopus CRM or ManyChat can be invaluable for driving more leads to your services and helping you keep a steady stream of clients in your business.

✨ Automation ✨ 

There’s no denying as small business owners we are always short on time and our to-do lists never seem to end. This is where AI tools can be a life saviour. Using tools like email automation, spell checkers like Grammarly and website communication software like Drift, can streamline your workflows immensely. By automating these tasks, you can ensure consistent and professional communication without spending excessive time on administrative duties. I also love using AI-assisted time-tracking tools like the one in ClickUp. It helps me analyze my work patterns, suggest breaks, and help me allocate time more efficiently which has been a game-changer in my business. This allows you to focus more on billable work, enhancing your productivity and enabling you to raise your rates or take on more clients due to the higher output and efficiency.

🎨 Creative boost?

AI tools can assist in the creative process by generating ideas, concepts, or even initial drafts of copy or strategies. However, whatever you do, don’t just use what AI has spit out, finesse it - you can always tell when something has been written by a bot. I love using AI to help me brainstorm content topics, prompt me on what I should include in strategies, draft awkward emails or generate SEO-optimized copy. By using AI to jumpstart the creative process, you can deliver high-quality, innovative work faster, which adds value for clients and provides a strong rationale for increasing your rates. Not to mention it has significantly helped me feel less creative fatigue as it helps me with the whole brainstorming process, so I can be left in my zone of genius. 

What do you think of AI? Let us know! I believe it’s a tool we can use to supplement our workflows, however, it will never provide the same quality of work as a skilled human freelancer. That’s a fact!

Recess

I love a little bevvy while I work, but I don’t want to get jacked up on sugar. If you’re like me don’t sleep on Recess’s sparkling water. Infused with magnesium (a v. important vitamin for women) and adaptogens this drink is the perfect healthy alternative to soda and a lot less boring than water.