New Side Hustle Alert: Create a Chatbot and Get Paid!
Calling all entrepreneurs – there’s a new side hustle in the game that has some serious earning potential. But first, you need to learn how to create a chatbot.
In today’s digital era, AI is dominating the tech world. Chatbots are streamlining processes anywhere from customer service to lead generation. And with new technology comes a high demand.
That’s where you come in.
Chatbot building is a unique side hustle opportunity with endless possibilities. Best of all, you don’t necessarily need a coding background to get started. If you’re tech-savvy and willing to learn, there are intuitive tools for you to create your very own chatbot and start earning.
Read on to explore more of this chatbot craze and how you can leverage it for a brand new side hustle.
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What is an AI Chatbot?
An AI chatbot isn’t a new concept, though they’re certainly getting more advanced. Even if you haven’t heard of one by name, you’ve definitely experienced them when surfing the web.
Those little chat pop-ups asking you, “How can I help you today?” Those are the ones!
These chatbots are used as a shortcut for human conversation, relaying information to users about a product, process, etc.
Some common chatbot uses include:
- Receive feedback or relay surveys
- Lead generation for marketing teams
- Customer support, answering of FAQs
- Product sales for e-commerce businesses
Why Create a Chatbot?
If you’re wondering whether creating a chatbot is worth your time, I’m here to tell you that it is!
There is a high market demand for chatbots right now, with many businesses excited by the possibilities of AI in digital marketing.
This is also an incredibly flexible side hustle, allowing you to work from anywhere and at any time.
Chatbots require minimal overhead to create, with high-profit possibilities over time. Best of all, you can earn low-effort income when re-using chatbot applications for multiple clients (with a few simple tweaks). There’s even a high probability of future revenue to update and maintain these chatbots.
In short, creating a chatbot is a great way to benefit from basic tech skills.
How to Offer a Chatbot Service
Convinced you need to create a chatbot of your own? Here’s how to get started:
Tools to Use
Anyone can create a chatbot, even without coding experience. These applications are made with drag-and-drop interfaces, streamlining the creation process.
If you have coding experience, you can create more advanced chatbots. This will increase your overall hiring desirability. Code-based applications to create a chatbot include:
- Microsoft Bot Framework
- Chatterbot
- Rasa
- Dialogflow
Courses to Learn More
To run a successful chatbot side hustle, you need a mixture of experience in technology and marketing. Thankfully, the internet is a trove of (often free) information.
Take online courses to diversify your skills in:
- Software – Learning coding languages like Python, Node.js, or JavaScript can help you build more advanced chatbots. You can also take courses in Chatbot frameworks, including NLPs and APIs, to better understand the technology.
- Marketing and Sales – Taking courses in e-commerce, SEO, Google Ads, and social media marketing give you the basics you need to sell the chatbots that you create.
- Machine Learning – Courses like AI for Everyone teach you the basics of AI and how to integrate it into your business.
You can find a ton of helpful courses in these areas on sites like Skillshare, Udemy, and Coursera.
Finding Clients
While there is a huge market for chatbot software, clients need to know how to find and hire you.
Your first step is to create a website that best showcases your services. This should include a portfolio of previous work, references, and a way to set up a meeting with you. Ensure your site is search-engine-optimized – writing blog posts about chatbots is a good way to increase your reach.
From there, create correlating social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Mix natural reach with paid ads.
Finally, you can advertise your services on a freelancing job board like Freelancer.com, Upwork, or Fiverr. While you may receive lower-paying gigs on these boards, they’re a good way to gain experience and referrals.
Pricing Tips
A custom AI chatbot can cost a company thousands of dollars (and that’s not including maintenance fees!). That’s what makes this such a lucrative side hustle for anyone with the right skill set.
Here are a few pricing tips to keep in mind:
- Decide on a pricing model – A fixed price is preferable for clients because they know what they’re paying up-front. This can work for or against you, depending on how accurate your estimate is. You can also charge an hourly rate for all time spent. Finally, you can adopt a hybrid model, including a one-time charge plus an hourly rate for all future development.
- Price by experience – When you create a chatbot, pricing should reflect your experience and time spent. Custom-coded chatbots are more valuable than bots created using a drag-and-drop interface. Price accordingly.
- Secure the relationship – Consider how you can find future work besides the original chatbot creation. Think of pricing packages, including options for development, regular maintenance, consultations, and strategy meetings.
Bonus: How to Create a Live Chatbot Service
A live chatbot service allows another level of customer service. While chatbots can be expert problem solvers, some issues are too complex.
Using a live service means that a chatbox will hand off complex issues to human agents to provide the best service possible.
If you’d like to create a live chatbot service, check out options like LiveChat, SendPulse, Freshchat, LiveAgent, and Chatrify.
Create a Chatbot and Get Paid: Final Thoughts
With a mix of tech and marketing skills, you can run a profitable side hustle by creating chatbots.
The demand has never been higher – industries including banking, travel, retail, and sales are all looking for high-quality, custom chatbots.
Ready to fill the demand (and profit)?
