The Personal Branding Process for Creative Freelancers Free Course Download
What is personal branding?
Think about it—as a solopreneur, you are the face of your freelance business. What people (and potential clients) think of you impacts the success of your freelance career. Do they hold you in high regard? Do they think you’re creative and capable, and highly skilled and experienced? Why?
The concept of defining your personal brand statement and building a personal brand makes total sense. Essentially, your personal brand is your reputation. When you’re trying to establish yourself as an expert in your field—whether that’s design, programming, photography or writing—your reputation is what distinguishes you from your competitors and helps you create a positive, lasting impression in the mind of your ideal customers.
A guy drawing logos for his own personal branding.
Why is personal branding important?
Getting your personal branding defined should be a conscious decision—one that will help you steer your freelance business in the right direction. here are some key reasons why this is important:
Target your audience: Figuring out your personal brand will allow you to amplify your business message and reach the right audience. In business, like in life, people connect and relate to people, not brands. If you can clarify with yourself what you stand for and what values your business upholds, you can start using this personal branding statement to build a community and attract like-minded clients. As the internet wisely puts it—your vibe attracts your tribe.
Share your skills: Another huge benefit of building a personal brand is the ability to build trust with your target audience and position yourself as an expert in the field. As soon as you become an authority in your area of expertise, you’ll start getting referrals and inquiries from people you’ve never done business with. And that’s exactly what your freelance business needs to take off successfully.
Build trust: Over time, as your personal branding grows stronger and more memorable, it will become your competitive edge. Even if you branch out into new areas and start offering new services, people will trust you to deliver the same kind of quality and expertise. Plus, in the long run, a strong personal brand will also allow you to charge premium rates and have a much wider breadth of projects to choose from.
Personal branding is a non-negotiable for freelancers who want to build a lasting business. But how does one go about building a compelling and profitable personal brand? We have a few personal branding tips that will help you hit the ground running.