Freelancing and More!

One of the biggest challenges that perhaps faces a freelancer, is the amount of competition from other freelancers. The best way to overcome this is to establish your own brand early on, and maintain it.

This might become especially challenging if you tend to be in “Jack of all trades” versus a specialist in your field. Those who tend to write only about finance for instance are only dealing with others who were writing about finance. However, if you’re writing about a variety of topics, there’s a very good chance that your brand could be very confusing.

You don’t necessarily have to be a specialist to have a strong brand. Branding occurs in a number of ways. In fact, your brand should be a combination of logos, work, portfolio etc. The fact is more strength you add to your brand, the more likely you are to succeed as a freelancer.

As a freelancer, most of your brand is built on your reputation. However, there were other things you can and should do to establish your own “personal” brand. Of primary importance of course is the reputation that you develop as a freelancer. However, establishing your “business name” as well as a specific “look and feel” for your websites, blogs, etc. should also be part of your brand.  Avoid the common pitfalls that make businesses fail and you can develop a strong brand, even as a new business.

Don’t be terribly concerned if you get a false start or two. Even large companies have gone through initial growing pains with their primary brand may have changed one or more times. Don’t get too excited if you find that your initial attempts aren’t what you anticipate.

Once you have decided on your brand, what ever you do do not stop promoting it. This can cause more damage than you can even imagine. Once you feel that your brand is well-established, if you fail to maintain that brand, you can find yourself going into a tailspin. This is one mistake you want to avoid.

Another thing to remember, is that while your name is associated with your brand, it’s not your brand.Your brand really consists a combination of your name, the quality of your work, and the service you provide to your customers. These are all integral parts of your brand.

Another word of caution-make sure you continuously expand your network. While you may receive a steady flow of work from inside your network, failing to look outside of your current network will result in stagnation. The ultimate goal of all freelancers just like any other company, is to grow. It’s nearly impossible to grow if you refuse to reach outside of your existing network.

Keep things realistic regardless of how strong a brand is. If you start doubling your rates, you’ll quickly discover that your strong brand will begin weakening as your base will look for less expensive alternatives.

Summary
Regardless of how big or small your business is, it’s important that you establish your brand. Keeping your brand strong once it’s established is equally if not more important.