Personal branding isn’t just one of those buzzwords that people throw around for the sake of it. In fact, it’s the key to building and growing your freelance business; it’s the difference between being seen as a hobbyist and a professional; it’s one of the best investments you can make in yourself and your business. Here’s why:
1. You’ll stand out more
There are a million and one freelancers out there, especially now that more of the world is embracing the freedom and flexibility of the self-employed life. Whatever industry you’re in, there will be many others freelancing in that same arena, and often in the same location as you. So how on earth are you supposed to compete in an industry full of other designers, writers, photographers, and other freelancers?
Now, I don’t point this out to freak you out, I promise! I say this to highlight the importance of the solution.
Personal branding.
The key to standing out in a sea of freelancers is to build a personal brand that helps you shine as the unique, amazing person that you are and carve out a specific niche for yourself!
Take Meg Lewis for example! Meg is a designer, comedian, performer, and educator working to make the world a happier place, and her brand stands out like nothing else in the sea of freelance designers out there.
Meg owns who she is, embraces the things she loves, and has created a bold, fun, hilarious brand that makes her so much more distinct and memorable than many other designers. (Trust me, if you can’t tell from the screenshot below, follow her and you’ll see!)
Meg Lewis’ hilarious and unique personal brand helps her stand out!
2. To grow your network
While around 30% of freelance work comes from referrals, and you likely have returning clients on your roster, not all clients will discover you that way, and relying on referrals alone is a recipe for disaster. In fact, one of the top freelance mistakes you want to avoid is assuming work will come to you. Instead, you should always be thinking about growing your network and increasing your brand visibility.
And one of the best ways to do that is by cultivating your personal brand.
If you want to grow your freelance business through networking, then a well-established personal brand is going to help you throughout the whole process. Not only will it help you get more referrals, get mentioned online, and get asked to speak at events - it will also help you make a strong, confident, clear impression when you are networking.
With personal brand, first impressions are everything. When you meet somebody for the first time, you should be able to explain clearly what you do and show your passion for it. Even better if you can hand them a beautifully branded business card with your name, title, and a web address on it.
It’d feel a LOT better than floundering not knowing how the heck to describe what you do, giving them the email address you set up when you were 12 and asking them to email you so you can send them some JPEGs of your work, right?
With a clear, creative, and consistent brand, you’ll feel SO much better networking, and others will feel confident in connecting and recommending you which will help you grow that network! That’s an all-round win-win when it comes to networking!
3. To connect with the right clients
When you know where you came from and where you’re going, decisions become easier. You know which clients are a good fit and which ones are not. You have a way to filter options and make decisions that will get you to where you want to go without compromising on your values.
Now when we talk about networking and booking more clients, it’s not just about getting any old client to come through your sales pipeline - it’s about getting the right clients.
Why would you battle through an inbox full of irrelevant projects from mundane or sketchy clients when you could be attracting dream projects from your dream clients? I can tell you which I’d prefer!!
The way to ensure that is through a clear personal brand that speaks directly to that dream client while communicating:
- what you do,
- the type of projects you love, and
- what you value in a client relationship
A vague, inconsistent, confusing brand will do the opposite of that, and you’ll be inundated with random requests for logo designs from clients or brands that give you the willies.
4. To become known as an expert
Your expertise is your key to capturing the attention of your dream clients - and landing them when they enquire. You want to become known as the go-to person for your specific skill in your particular industry who people trust and recommend consistently.
This, too, is part of your personal brand.
Let’s check out Kaleigh as an example.
Kaleigh Moore is a freelance writer for eCommerce and SaaS companies who has built a personal brand as an expert at results-driven writing for these types of businesses. Companies like Forbes, Vogue Business, and Shopify turn to her for expertly-written content; aspiring writers look to Kaleigh for advice and expertise.
Her website, social media, and past clients all work together to create a personal brand that establishes her eminence so that future clients can see that she is the person to work with if you’re an eCommerce or SaaS company that wants blog content that gets results.
Kaleigh Moore’s personal brand and website establish her as an expert.
5. To build trust
As I mentioned with Kaleigh, trust is a huge part of being a successful freelancer. Whether you’re working on gaining new clients or building freelance client loyalty, it’s all about trust.
You see, the process that someone has to go through in order to buy from you is simple: Know, Like, Trust.
- First they’ll find and get to KNOW you
- Then they’ll start to LIKE you
- Finally, they’ll TRUST you
This can all happen quite quickly, as a potential client finds your profile, browses your website, and reads testimonials, for example. But they won’t buy your services until they feel they can trust you with their money, their time, and their business.
A strong personal brand can build that trust in seconds by presenting you as a professional, quality, trustworthy business.
If people like you they will listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.
Want to know more about personal branding as a freelancer? Read the full guide here.
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