The word branding originally comes from the farming practice of burning an emblem on to a cow’s hide to identify who the animal belonged to.
The modern meaning of branding is actually very similar. A brand is an identity for a product or company that helps you distinguish it from other similar products and companies using things like graphics, advertising, and public relations. This branding can be the deciding factor in choosing between two products that are often near identical.
For a freelancer, the brand is the product. The product is the company, and the company is you. How do clients and potential clients tell the difference between your services and your competitors? What makes you stand out from other freelancers that answered that job ad?
Branding your freelance business is all about creating a personal business identity for yourself. At its most basic, it will be a name, a logo, a website and a set of visual materials. You will aim for these elements to give
you a professional and memorable image. They will be one reason to choose you over another freelancer.
Make no mistake – your branding can be the deciding factor between winning a project and being passed over for another freelancer. In some situations you meet a prospective client face to face and win them over with personality and charm, but in many others they will come across your website, an advert, get handed a business card or simply receive an email. In these situations your brand should do the talking for you.
If you choose to take branding further, it can be about creating recognition of your name, mind-share to potential customers about what you do and a certain level of fame. Think of some of the best people in your industry and consider that their names and their businesses are their brands. They have most likely developed them up very carefully.
The modern meaning of branding is actually very similar. A brand is an identity for a product or company that helps you distinguish it from other similar products and companies using things like graphics, advertising, and public relations. This branding can be the deciding factor in choosing between two products that are often near identical.
For a freelancer, the brand is the product. The product is the company, and the company is you. How do clients and potential clients tell the difference between your services and your competitors? What makes you stand out from other freelancers that answered that job ad?
Branding your freelance business is all about creating a personal business identity for yourself. At its most basic, it will be a name, a logo, a website and a set of visual materials. You will aim for these elements to give
you a professional and memorable image. They will be one reason to choose you over another freelancer.
Make no mistake – your branding can be the deciding factor between winning a project and being passed over for another freelancer. In some situations you meet a prospective client face to face and win them over with personality and charm, but in many others they will come across your website, an advert, get handed a business card or simply receive an email. In these situations your brand should do the talking for you.
If you choose to take branding further, it can be about creating recognition of your name, mind-share to potential customers about what you do and a certain level of fame. Think of some of the best people in your industry and consider that their names and their businesses are their brands. They have most likely developed them up very carefully.
