Boost Your Freelance Career with Personal Branding, Part 2
How do freelancers get their personal brands out there to bring in more clients? Step one: make sure your foundation is rock-solid. If you're not sure what that looks like, check out Part 1 of our series where we lay down the groundwork for your personal branding journey.
That foundation? It's what makes you stand out in a sea of freelancers. Sure, it will bump your lead count up, but it's a bit of a waiting game. Essential, yes, but its reach only goes as far as the crowd that finds your work.
With a solid base under your feet, it's time to switch from passive to proactive. We're talking about putting your personal brand on the frontline, actively showcasing your skills, and engaging your current followers while strategically connecting with new ones.
People are eager to see your expertise applied in real-world scenarios—beyond just the claims in your foundation from Part 1. They want to see your skills, understand your process, and feel confident that you can back up everything you laid out in your foundation. That's where Part 2 swings into action.
Expanding Your Reach
Writing Content
Developing articles and content to live on the best platform for your audience will help establish your authority. You can develop content that showcases your knowledge and work experiences while remaining authentic to your personal brand. Use stories of past clients, work examples, or other anecdotes to help prospects understand what they can expect if they choose to work with you.
For example: Highlighting a challenging project and detailing your approach to overcoming obstacles can show your problem-solving skills.
How will this attract more clients?
People hire freelancers because they need a solution for a problem, but at the end of the day they want someone who will make their lives easier. That means you need to solve their problem while also considering the other things that could make the process more challenging. That might be clear communication, meeting deadlines, offering innovative solutions, or a number of other things. If you can show them that you’re not only an expert in your area, but also someone who can make their life easier, you’re likely to start getting more interest.
Engage on Social Media
Social media platforms are the perfect opportunity to reach a wide audience relatively quickly. With consistent effort on the right platform(s) for your freelance business, you’ll begin to develop a following who are interested in that content you post. Your content should showcase your expertise, skills, knowledge, and other aspects of your personal brand.
How will this attract more clients?
When you showcase your work in different forms, from still images to video, long format copy to short summaries, you give people a variety of ways to see your value. That can give them confidence in your ability as a freelancer and help them trust that you’ll be a good fit, resulting in more leads.
Networking at Industry Events
Industry events can be a goldmine for freelancers. Actively participating in conferences, seminars, workshops, or other industry events with networking opportunities can help you expand your network. You’ll have the chance to develop personal connections that might lead to referrals, collaborations, or direct job offers. It's a bonus if you can take a more proactive role at these events, like speaking, hosting a workshop, or offering free consultations.
How will this attract more clients?
Networking at these events will put your personal brand in the spotlight and give you opportunities to impress potential clients. The key to getting more leads from networking - building relationships. Be genuine when you’re networking, sharing your knowledge and showing interest in others' work. After the event, send personalized messages through LinkedIn or email to keep your conversations going and foster that relationship. This will help people trust in you and open up the door for collaboration or referral opportunities.
Creating Video Content
Video content is a dynamic way to showcase who you are, your skills, and your value. It could be tutorials that give a glimpse of your technical knowledge, a behind the scenes video that shows your process, one sharing client testimonials, or one of many other possible ideas. You can produce videos with a simple set up at home and use platforms like YouTube or Instagram to reach your audience.
How will this attract more clients?
Videos offer an immersive experience that can captivate potential clients, showcasing your expertise and personality. They allow prospects to see you in action, understand your approach, and gauge your personality and professionalism. Combining a direct showcase of your work and an easier path to connecting with you on a personal level can shorten the trust-building process, turning prospects into clients more efficiently.
Brandwaves
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Design Swell Identity Lab
Want to elevate your personal brand from 'meh' to 'marvelous'? That’s where I swoop in. Think of me and Design Swell Identity Lab as your personal brand stylists, giving your brand image the zing it needs to not just be seen, but to dazzle. Intrigued? Message me or book a chat, and let's make your brand the talk of the town.
