Why all freelancers should build a personal brand

Your personal brand adds an incredible amount of value to your business. How? By giving your audience a reason to choose YOU. Your brand is the relationship you build with them. It’s how you set your business apart and make it irreplaceable in the minds of your ideal clients.

Frankly, when people feel connected to you, then it’s your business they’ll choose to work with.

That’s why it’s well worth the effort of establishing your personal brand and treating it with all the same care and consideration that should go into any business branding. I’m talking consistency in your visual presence, your messaging and the way you apply that to your marketing efforts.

Are you currently in the process of defining your brand and getting it out of your head and into words? My branding workbook will help you with all the foundational pieces you need to cover. Get it for free.

Now, let’s get into some of the reasons to build a personal brand, if you’re a freelancer or solo business owner.

Take control of the image you present

You’re not running some “hobby business”, right? So, don’t look like it! Part of being a professional is acting like one, and that means presenting a polished image of yourself. And by “polished” I don’t mean it has to have this corporate-looking, ultra-tidy look.

Let’s say you describe yourself as raw and messy. That might be an important aspect of your brand.

No problem — create a style and message for your brand that expresses that. But do it deliberately, with care. That’s what I mean by polished. You’re being intentional about it. Taking control of this image helps you with point number 2:

Attract an audience and clients who are a good fit

Before I focused on growing my personal brand, I was getting a lot of my clients through word-of-mouth. Great, right? People who knew me were recommending me to other people they knew. Back when I was just starting out, I was especially grateful for it.

But I also soon realised what a mixed bag of clients I was then working with. The services they were asking from me were very diverse, so I was often doing work that I wasn’t super keen about. And I also realised they didn’t value working with me as much as they just needed someone who could give them the work they required.

Working on my personal brand gave me clarity about who I truly wanted to serve. I was then able to communicate that through my visual branding and messaging, which now helps me to attract people who are going to be the best possible fit for the work I offer. That’s better for my clients, because they’re getting services that have been specifically designed to help them, and also for me, because I’m so much more excited to do the work I do now.

Also read: How to build a community around your brand

Build brand awareness and recognisability

Here’s where the visuals really come to play (find out the 5 essential brand identity elements your business needs). If you’re running a business, I think it’s important to have a recognisable visual image that people can become familiar with.

Any business should have a logo, brand colours, imagery, typefaces that establish the look and personality of the brand. And that should be no different for a business that’s run under your own name. It not only helps you to be taken seriously, but also raises awareness of your business.

It commonly takes multiple points of contact before someone decides to give your business a closer look. But you won’t get there if those multiple points of contact aren’t cohesively coming together in the minds of your audience. A consistent visual presence helps tie your touchpoints together and strengthens the experience for your ideal clients.

Showcase your core message

You don’t want your audience to simply compare your service offerings to the service offerings of other people in your industry. You want them choosing to work with you because of the unique perspective and insights that you bring.

You’ve got to be communicating the values you stand for and the approach you take to your work. That’s what’s really going to make your business different. So, share your point of view and the tips and tricks you’ve picked up. Share it on your platforms of choice — Instagram, Facebook, your personal website. Build an audience who like what you have to say on the matter.

Also read: The essential guide to defining your core brand values

Last thoughts

Defining your personal brand takes time and is also certain to evolve as more time goes on. But what’s important is doing the work to define what kind of relationship you want to build with your audience and how you want your brand to be seen. Then, create an experience through your services and the way you market your business that fits that image.

My Core Brand Pillars Workbook will help you get clarity about the brand you’re building and get it out of your head and into words. Download it for free here!