You have been dreaming of becoming your own boss for years and now you have finally taken the leap of faith. You are a freelancer! Being a freelancer doesn’t mean that all you need to do is build a regular client base and bill your hours.
You are now your own business. To build this business, you need to build yourself. You are your brand and it’s time to own it, market it and get it out there. 2020 has seen many new freelancer trends. Here are some tips on how to create a personal freelance brand.
It’s All About You
Every brand has something unique that makes it what it is. That thing is personality and in the case of a freelancer, you are the personality of the brand. There has never been a better time to start owning who you truly are and begin to celebrate it.
Be real, be authentic and take the risk to express in writing who you think you really are. The best way to do this is to write a free-association essay in the first person. By using the words, I am, you are affirming who you are to yourself. Next, think of your eulogy.
Seriously! A legacy is what we leave behind when we are gone. It’s what pops into mind when people think of us. What other people think when they interact with you as your business is very important to how they feel about your business and what you are offering.
As the experts on best essay services advice, sit down and write a second free-association essay about how you would like people to describe you. Finally, narrow both essays down into three words that you feel will best describe you; that will best describe your business.
Consider Getting a Life Coach
As your own business, you now need to strive for success on a whole new level. Part of owning who we are is identifying our strengths and weaknesses to know how we can be the most successful version of ourselves.
A life coach will help you pinpoint your personal and professional goals. The more clarity you have on what these goals are, the more successful you can be at achieving them.
The training manager at assignment help UK suggests that as you define your goals, you will find it easier to define your intention of what you want to achieve with your business and the services you are offering. This will help you gain a solid focus on where you are going and give you an intention to focus on something that is unique to who you are.
A life coach will help you see exactly what you define as “success,” which will help you solidify your goals and what exactly you want to achieve with your business. Eventually, you will be able to coach yourself and consistently ask yourself the necessary questions to keep your eye on the ball and your motivation up.
Define Your Business Name
This, of course, all depends on what exactly your business is and what services you are offering. As a one-person show, it makes perfect sense to just go by your name, particularly if you are offering a creative service. Using your own name as your business name solidifies that you are owning what you do and offer. It’s what it says on the label.
Business writers for MBA essay writing service are of the opinion that on the flip side, you may want to give your business a completely different name. This name could define your business intention in just one word. The decision between using your own name and giving your business a different name also will depend on whether or not your intention is to remain a one-person show.
If you envision growing your business to include partners or to become a family business, a more general name would be a better option.
Build a Social Media Presence
Social media marketing is the most effective and affordable way to start getting your brand out there. The more you get it out there, the bigger it will grow.
Start with your own personal network as that is already a “fan base” of support that you can garner. As your network likes and shares your posts, your audience will grow. As your audience grows, so will your business opportunities.
It is important to remember that a social media presence is something that you have to maintain. The internet is a very big place and social media users are bombarded with new posts every few seconds. Daily posts that are visually appealing will catch eyes and make them stop scrolling for long enough to take a closer look.
Decide on Your Logo
This is the single image that will depict your brand and become recognizable with your clients and target market. It’s a bigger decision than you think and is an important link in the chain of creating your personal brand. Define what you want people to think when they see your logo. Invest some money in hiring an experienced logo designer who can help you achieve this goal.
Your logo could also be your profile picture, particularly if you are a performing artist. In this case, it is necessary to invest money in a professional photoshoot. But, don’t just call up any photographer. There is an art to portrait photography. Your personality, and therefore that of your business, must shine through in your profile photo.
Network, Network, and Network Some More
This is particularly difficult if you are an introvert. But never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth self-marketing. This is another affordable way to get your brand out there because most of the time, it is absolutely free.
Make it a habit of constantly observing what is happening around you in every public place you find yourself in and eavesdrop on conversations. Not only is this free potential market research, but it’s a way of finding the right moment to start a conversation that matters. Some of your best businesses will come from those who know you from the gym, your favorite coffee spot or your kid’s school.
Maintain It
Building your brand and business is a marathon and not a sprint. It’s the biggest endurance race of your life. Don’t get carried away with the excitement of starting up and then lose steam as soon as everything has fallen into place. You have to keep working at it.
Consistent reviews of your intentions, offerings and overall portfolio are very important. You need to make sure that you are keeping your brand updated and interesting. The times move fast and you have to keep up with them.
You need to keep it interesting, so don’t get complacent. Remember that the more money and time you invest in your own brand and business, the more you will get out of it in the end. Update your bio, logo and profile pictures at least once a year. Keep up relations with your client base, even if this is through regular emails or text messages.
Conclusion
Creating a personal freelance brand is a necessary and ongoing process. This is possibly the most important thing you need to do to build and grow your business. Knowing what you want to achieve and owning it is the best start. Accepting the challenge and constantly reminding yourself why you started will help keep you motivated. Use what’s available to you and don’t overcomplicate things. Keep it personal and you will keep it grounded and authentic.
Author Bio:
Michael Gorman is a highly-skilled academic writer currently working for https://www.dissertation-service.org/, which is regarded as one of the best essay writing services UK. He has expertise in writing and editing thesis, dissertations, term papers and coursework and has recently reviewed the best essay writing websites. He’s currently writing a book on student entrepreneurs and startup challenges and dreams of being a bestseller author someday.
