3 Quick Ways to Boost Your Personal Brand as a Freelancer

A study by Upwork from 2017 revealed that the size of the freelance workforce has been growing three times the rate of the total workforce in the United States alone. Today, with unemployment levels skyrocketing in many countries worldwide due to the Corona pandemic, more and more skilled workers resort to freelance work styles. It is predicted that freelancers will eventually constitute most of the U.S. population by 2027. This means you must create a Brand as a Freelancer to succeed. 

What does that mean for you as a freelancer? More and more competition.

That’s right. More freelancers will be online and offline ready to grab market share. Signing a freelancer contract is easy, as contract templates are widely available. This will make it more urgent for you to stand out from the crowd. Here are three quick ways to do it.

Have Your Own Website

When we say website, we mean website. Not a social media page, or a portfolio on some third-party site, or a boosted advertisement. You need to have your own dedicated website that is all for you: your background, your work, experience, client reviews, professional pictures of yourself (optional), your social media presence, and an easy way to contact you. Your website is where your brand’s home is and where business can start flowing: producing content on that website and optimizing it for better search results will get you more visitors and potential clients.

Show Your Strengths First

Amid the competition, you should first stand out by promoting your most valuable skills first. What are you good at? In other words, what is your ‘sweet spot’? Referring to the CEO of Interbrand, Jez Frampton: “Brands are a business strategy brought to life and are the primary means for differentiation and growth.” So first, see yourself as a brand and establish a website. Second, explain what your brand promise is and what your most consistently positive feedback from clients is. Is it reliable? Creativity? Speed? Affordability? Emphasize it when you promote your brand and refer to customer testimonials as evidence.

Detect and Fill the Gaps

As you build your brand, you may see it as an all-perfect presentation of your expertise. That’s expected because you see it from your perspective. Ask for honest reviews on how your brand looks by inviting your friends, relatives, and current and past clients who have the relevant knowledge to look at your brand presentation and spot the gaps. Make them your trusted ‘coaches’ to whom you refer to for honest feedback – one that would be useful for you to detect the differences and weaknesses in your branding and correct them on the spot. Such feedback will ensure you’re on the right track.

Bottom Line

Finally, establishing yourself as an industry authority will greatly depend on how vividly you present yourself, highlighting your skills and the extent to which you act as a ‘brand.’ Yet the bottom line is consistently delivering a performance that under-promises and over-delivers. These are the cornerstone for a memorable, positive experience with clients that will reinforce your brand’s reputation without your need to promote it.