Want to know the current state of freelancing? Take this short survey. *Closes 5/30 9pm ET*
The headlines have been pretty dramatic lately, such as “I’ve Never Hired a Writer Better than ChatGPT” and “A Freelance Writer says ChatGPT wrote a $600 article in 30 seconds.” Not to mention the news articles filled with reports of layoffs and budget cuts. And if you spend any time in freelance writing groups, including my Freelance Content Marketing Group Facebook group, you will see writers who are concerned about our future in this business.
Is it just sensationalism or should we start looking for a new career? I think now is the time to pay attention, but not panic.
To find out what’s actually happening on the ground, I decided to do a survey of fellow freelancers so that we can all figure out our next move. But for it to be accurate, I need your help. First, fill out the survey and then share it with your fellow writers so we can get the most accurate results possible.
And then keep an eye on my blog for posts that share the results and what you can do to stay relevant and stay freelancing.
Just took it this morning. Thanks for doing this; looking forward to seeing the results. I basically said in my survey that all the available data (Content Marketing Institute, etc) still points to high demand in 2023, particularly in B2B. Even with talk of a recession, there are always winners in the market, and we would be wise to look for places where investment is expected to increase (or at least stay consistent) as our world economy changes.
I did a bit of digging myself today and my big takeaways were that consumer demand is in decline but industrialization is up, as big companies respond to demands created by the transition to clean energy and a huge AI push. (Look at Nvidia and other AI chip makers reporting surging demand for anything connected to data centers). Mineral resources are increasing in demand, which is weird for the start of a recession, but seems to point to industrial shifts happening that will still drive need for things like thought leadership and authority.
We see what ChatGPT is doing to content. A lot of companies I’ve spoken with say they’re really hungry for case studies and thought leadership pieces, which are distinctive and higher quality than quick-churn blogging. This is a time where I believe, as you argue all the time, that upskilling and improving our craft will pay off big for freelance writers.
My two cents. We should go all-in on knowing our customers and answering their need for great writing.
I think you meant to say ChatGPT wrote a $600 article in 30 seconds not sections.