If you decide to become a freelancer, you will probably start observing other freelancers’ paths. You might notice that some of them became top-rated specialists who are indeed experts in what they are doing, constantly receiving many orders. Some might have already hired a team and transformed their freelance into a successful business. But there are also those who haven’t achieved anything at all. Rarely do they get any orders. So, you most likely start worrying about how not to fail. To avoid failure, diving out of routine tasks in time is essential. And ask yourself:
- Why are they doing great, and I’m munching on ramen?
- How can I convince a client that I can do many things, even though I’m still a junkie?
- Why didn’t they choose my design and that fancy man in a tie?
The point is that most of the questions are not about hard skills but the intelligent positioning of yourself as an expert, strategist, or jack of all trades.
Today we will give 5 good tips for pumping the personal brand of a freelancer. This material will be beneficial for marketers, PR specialists, content managers, and communication specialists who always have to work with people.
1. Do not leave a blank page on the marketplace of services
The algorithm of most freelance exchanges brings to the forefront pages of specialists with a high rating and maximally filled profile. The rating is accumulated by systematic execution of tasks and the presence of at least 90% of their copyright works. Despite the eternal reminder that there should only be your cases, you can include some examples of teamwork describing your critical tasks.
For example, present a landing page with your text that was like a team effort by you + the designer + the brand manager at the agency.
It’s essential to indicate in the comments or case caption that only text from yours is here. Or, if you want to show an example of product positioning development, attach files with only your key ideas.
These cases can be considered an additional 10% to 90% of your authoring.
Contact information, a brief description about yourself, and a completed portfolio are 50% of success. And yes, it’s better to put a portrait in full-face on your avatar rather than selfies from above. The smile, tidiness, and friendliness you exude are more likely to prompt the choice in your favor than a competitor with a stone face on the couch.
With that in mind, overtake 50% of your competitors from the newcomer flow.
2. Don’t be too lazy to work for the desk drawer
This rule is vital for beginner freelancers who are either changing careers or don’t know how to sell themselves as experts. The client chooses you based on your description, rating, and projects that resonated with them mentally and seemed relevant.
They don’t dig into the nuances of whether it’s your test development or one made in practice. Instead, they need to trace the train of thought and assess the feasibility of hiring a performer for particular money and time in a short period.
Therefore, during the first month, adding at least 3-5 cases to the portfolio is advisable. You can also add work from internships at the university or on courses.
3. Use a secondary phone number
It’s not about becoming incognito. And not always honest: at the moment of scrolling, no one reads the sheets of tiny text, and many nuances and riddles are hidden there. But to be safe: by registering in various service applications, service stores, or exchanges, you automatically get into the database of third parties.
Plus, there is the risk that the conversation with the client will be interrupted by an incoming promotional call from the bank or operator.
Set up call forwarding to a new number that can be used to track message analytics and record conversations.
4. Describe your experience in three sentences
The elevator speech, which investors and recruiters talk about, works here, too. According to the best writing services, an elevator speech is a short presentation of yourself or your project to a client you would meet in an elevator. There are entire schools and courses on elevator speech, for example, Coursera.
The story about yourself should not be more than a minute and a half, be understandable, and contain a concentration of skills and knowledge.
For example, you are an open-minded content marketer with 2+ years of IT experience, able to write engaging texts for landing pages, HealthTech ads, and banners. Working for tech companies, created 200 web pages and attracted 1000 leads on them. Now looking for marketing, SMM projects in this or related niches.
This brief description will be suitable for a resume, a profile on the exchanges, and a self-presentation on the phone or Zoom.
5. 90% positive feedback is enough, not 100%
Don’t forget that customers are different: for some people, it is crucial to have only positive feedback with recommendations and detailed descriptions of the work, while others care about the tone of the comment, even if it is negative. This type of customer used to be a freelancer, who knows the peculiarities of work firsthand and can assess when the performer was a failure and when the client was wrong. It is essential for such people to feel the customer’s and the doer’s emotions at the time of delivery. And to reconstruct the situation under the “how would I react”?
Such customers may ask questions about “that case.” Here your task is to provide solid arguments and facts in your favor, justify your position and give honest answers to compromising questions.
We hope that our advice will be helpful to you. And especially valuable when we are all looking for good and loyal clients. Most importantly, remember that you are what you do in the world of brands. Of course, in order to succeed, along with personal brand, you have to meet all the deadlines and do your job properly and consistently.
About the Author
Melissa Holt is a professional writer of the paper writing service Writingapaper.net, and her competency is providing research papers on business and marketing fields. In her free time enjoys listening to financial podcasts and riding a bike.
Aamir Zahoor says
Really helpful and working tips for freelancers. Thanks