Many people find that they have difficulty getting projects when they enter the freelance world.
At the same time, others have been able to reach the level of managing several projects at the same time.
What is the difference? We reveal it to you now: they have created their brand.
Creating an identity in the freelancer community is necessary because people sell their services.
In other words: you and what you do is the product, so you need to present yourself in the best light to potential clients.
What’s this all about, and will it benefit you? Don’t worry, and we’ll tell you all about it here.
You Stand Out from the Competition
With the COVID-19 pandemic, many face-to-face environments moved to the virtual world, which catapulted teleworking.
Together with unemployment (according to the World Labor Organization, 195 million jobs were lost due to confinements to curb COVID worldwide) and the desire for self-management of time, they form the ideal combination to drive freelance work.
Do You Know?: 92% of people trust recommendations from individuals even if they don’t know them or are strangers rather than brands.
However, more people choosing to freelance means that the market will become saturated.
That’s today’s reality around the world. When you write a bid on a freelance platform, you compete with a lot of people from various countries with different ages, experiences, and qualifications like web design, low-price or free essays writing, consulting, and programming.
What do you do than stand out in that tide? You create your brand.
The fact that you have a ‘bonus’ makes you more appealing to prospective clients who may hire your services.
Perhaps you offer a complimentary service that other candidates don’t? Or maybe you are more flexible about specific policies?
Do you connect more quickly with your clients and their needs? All this valuable information is part of your personal brand.
You Reinforce Your Confidence
To have a personal brand, you must first find the added value of your work and then spread those ‘advantages.’
Finding out what makes you distinct necessitates an assessment of your limitations and talents and insights about where you should grow what you should strengthen.
Once you have found your differentiating characteristic, work on it.
It will become what people will say about your work and how they will recognize you, so show your best side.
If you know you’re good at something, share it with the world! There are a lot of people who need your skills or services and don’t know where to find them.
You Let Your Creativity Flow
How do you want to present yourself to the world? What elements do you want to be the ones they recognize you with? You have endless possibilities when creating an online presence, for example:
Maybe you can be recognized as the person who writes about healthy food on the internet (a blog) or as the person who uploads your beautiful event photos to an Instagram account.
Maybe you’re more about giving tips and advice. Have you thought about making a TikTok or reel about it and challenging the professional platforms?
As per the latest research, 73% of consumers love a brand because of great customer service.
Perhaps you can summarize complicated topics in just a few seconds in an engaging way.
Find the best way to convey your messages and services, and don’t forget to create related content periodically! Recognition comes with consistency.
You Create Professional Relationships
Having a personal brand and spreading it is like putting your image in a convention center with many people.
You will see similar products but at the same time different ones.
You can get to know people in the same area as you or in complementary areas, and you can learn from them and maybe even collaborate.
For example, you can join a group where projects are managed or meet service providers who join yours to improve it and reach more people.
The key is always to be open to opportunities but not lose the added value that characterizes you.
You can also meet different people. But remember, you can always learn something!
Your Credibility Will Increase
The fact that you have a community, even a small one, of people who recognize your work gives you a bonus when offering your services.
Credibility is a significant factor in choosing who to collaborate with. If you create and share valuable content for people in your area, your credibility will definitely go through the roof.
In addition, over time, you could become a subject-matter expert and rate your work at a higher level.
But remember: it’s an almost sacred commodity. If people trust you, you must be careful not to let them down.
Be consistent in what you say, what you show, and do. That will improve your professional perception!
Where to Start Building Your Brand?
These are just some of the advantages of creating a personal brand. Now you just need to choose which platform you want to start on. We suggest:
Social Networks:
Communication is more personal here. Currently, it is one of the most used channels.
You can choose the network that best suits your product or service and create content that drives your followers to save it.
Interesting Fact: LinkedIn is considered a great personal branding tool, with 77% of recruiters using it to reach out to potential candidates.
That is -in short- a great indicator that what you are publishing is of interest to people.
Professional Blogs:
If you love letters and want a more classic image, blogs are for you. You can use plenty of templates to build your website; just remember to use SEO techniques to get a good organic reach!
WhatsApp:
Use it if you already have a defined customer base. Also, consider spreading your content carefully, as no one likes spam messages.
Mail:
Recommended for companies, it is a good way to build loyalty with the customers you already have. The content should be distributed through newsletters or videos.
