Freelancer marketing has never been a simple task just
as finding any proper professional for the first time has always been a bit of a gamble.
As an exercise, I “posed” as a translation buyer in my area of specialty – Hebrew-to-English
official documents, a marriage certificate in this case – and searched for a
service provider using both ChatGPT and Google. While the former provided a
reasonable response, the options raised by Google illustrated the irrelevance of
the search for translation purchasers and the need to focus marketing for translation
providers.
In terms of methodology, I used free ChatGPT and posted
the following prompt: “I
am looking for a certified Hebrew-English translator to translate a marriage
certificate for immigration purposes.” I then added, “I am looking for three
freelancers”. Aside from some fairly accurate but somewhat vague background
information, which is understandable since my prompt did not include all the
relevant information, the AI engine initially provided three agencies and then,
following the second prompt, three freelancers. The referred translation agencies
and independent translators were all experienced professionals. Thus, GPT did
provide an adequate starting point for a search for a translation professional.
By contrast,
Google’s output to the same initial question was highly biased. The first page
was almost entirely AI-based translation companies. I understand that people
pay for top billing but I am not familiar with any government agency that will
accept a certified translation of an official document produced by AI. The
first human agencies were a few large, low-cost agencies. I am aware that some
customers have a limited budget but it seems penny- wise and pound-foolish to
skimp on the translation of a document that may make or break an important opportunity.
Among the early entries (page 2) was a site for freelancers. It was shocking to
see their average prices. Almost all of the more than 20 freelancers on the first two pages posted a rate of 5 USD a page, without defining what a page is. At that price, I would not trust
the result as the rate is too good to be true. Thus, faced with a choice of AI,
budget agencies and prostituting freelancers, the search was a non-starter.
It
would seem that first-time translation buyers seeking a professional translator
should take a much more directed approach. The best option may be national
association search engines (such as the ATA in the US and ITA in Israel), which
allow a full comparison of credentials and demonstrate some measure of
professional approach. Service provider recommendation lists may also be relevant,
albeit with a grain or two of salt. Of course, traditional personal recommendations
are always relevant. Notices in relevant Facebook groups will provide several
options. Finally, ChatGPT with more specifics is an ever more relevant path. Clearly,
finding an appropriate translation will require some thinking and effort.
This
situation should determine how translators market themselves. As AI seeks
specifics that make one option more relevant than the others, translators need
to include relevant details in as many locations as possible. These factors
include languages, qualifications, experience, types of documents and skills. A
website is an important but not the sole place to post such information.
Furthermore, appearing on reputable translator lists, e.g., national
associations and government bodies, enhances the probability that a search will
produce one’s name. Of course, additional activities, including lectures, blogs
and volunteer work, further enhance one’s presence. Ultimately, word-of-mouth, whether
through customers or peers, is the best source of reference, requiring translators
to produce quality results regardless of the rate. It is not enough for
translators to prove and improve themselves. They need to market those
attributes in multiple ways.
God
helps those who help themselves. I am not sure that Google is a god even if it
does seem to be omniscient and omnipresent. AI is far too naive to be a god but
people increasingly treat it as one. Translation providers need to help purchasers
find an appropriate option. Keeping on the astral plane, the devil is in the
details. Purchasers need to make intelligent decisions while freelancers must
provide the information they need to make those decisions. The result can be
awe-inspiring, far superior to the uhs produced by simple Google searches and
even ChatGPT.
