Building A Personal Brand & Freelance Online Presence: Tips & Examples

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You may think that branding is only useful for big companies, but it is actually a very powerful tool that freelancers can use to boost their careers. Having a personal band can not only help increase conversion rates, but it also helps freelancers land higher-paying clients.

So how does one go about building their personal brand and online presence?

What is a personal brand?

As a freelancer, you need to think of yourself not as a hired gun, but as a one-person business.

And just like any other business, you need a name, a niche, a personality, a language — features that make you different from your competition. Features that make you memorable and worth talking about.

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All of these elements make up your personal brand and can help you build your online presence and market your business. 

Personal branding can also help you in your career, as your name will somehow speak for yourself. 

Memorable brands such as Coca-cola, Adidas or Amazon have a huge competitive advantage in their markets. So wouldn’t it be nice to be on your ideal client’s mind should they ever need someone with your skills? 

That’s why you should work on your personal brand. Having your freelance personal brand defined will help you come closer to your ideal client and will bring your freelance business in the right direction.

Benefits of having a personal brand

Having a personal brand offers you loads of benefits, some of which include: 

#1 Increased online visibility

Having a solid personal branding strategy makes you more accessible to people and increases your visibility and presence online. Would-be clients and connections can interact with you via different marketing channels or look you up on Google with ease.

Don’t fret if you would like to limit your visibility though! Remember, your personal branding depends entirely on what you would like it to be. If you want to be selective of what you share, take a second to think about it and craft a strategy that respects those boundaries.

#2 Ever-growing network

Personal branding allows you to expand your network and puts you in touch with people not only from your industry but also beyond it. 

You get to have fewer one-on-one conversations and a lot more one-to-many conversations, meaning it allows people to listen to you through the content you share. 

#3 Improved business

Because personal branding expands your network and puts you in front of a lot more people i.e. potential customers, your business starts to automatically sell itself. This leads to success and takes your business in new directions!

#4 Sets you apart from the competition

Personal branding lends you credibility and tells your customers that they can put their trust in you. This in turn sets you apart from your competition and lets you position yourself as an expert in your field.  

#5 Builds credibility and trust

As stated above, personal branding is key to building credibility and trust. Increasing your online presence tells people that there’s a face behind the brand and lets them know that they can trust you – but not through your words, through your actions!

People can only believe in you when you do exactly what you say you’re going to do. If you stick to your brand identity and revolve your work around its core values, you are automatically on the path to credibility.

The positive effects that developing a personal brand can have for a freelancer: A personal brand allows you to stand out from the crowd. It also increases your online visibility and makes you look more professional.
The Importance of Personal Branding for Freelancers.

How do I brand myself as a freelancer?

Now that we’ve seen the many benefits of personal branding, let’s take a closer look at how to go about branding yourself as a freelancer

#1 Figure out your brand identity 

First things first, you should figure out what makes you, you and try to create an online identity that revolves around that. This is extremely important because every brand – corporate or personal – needs to have an identity in order to build loyalty and trust.

Your brand identity should ideally focus on the following:

  • Your values and vision
  • A tone of voice 
  • Your strengths and attributes
  • Consistent visuals and elements

Your brand should be real and consistent. So don’t try to be someone you’re not hoping to meet someone’s expectations, be your real you and let your personal gut and business vision and values define your brand identity.

You should also decide on a name for your business. You might just use your own name for your business, which is perfectly fine. But if you have a relatively common name, it’s a good idea to think of a name that is not your own.

Here are some tips on finding the right name for your business.

 #2 Invest in a professional photo

Having a professional headshot photo is an essential element of your personal brand. 

We often think of brands as the ones mentioned before – Adidas, Coca-cola or Amazon – and their logos immediately come to our mind. However, especially for freelancers, your profile picture will be even more important than your logo because your face is such a big part of your online presence.

For this reason, you need to carefully consider what kind of images you use to present yourself.

 #3 Connect with people on a personal level

Your story as a freelancer is one of the biggest selling points that you can use to create a good personal brand. This is because people genuinely want to work with someone who’s authentic and can relate to them on a personal level.

Storytelling can work great for freelancers. Try to create a story or an ‘about me’ section for yourself and tell it in a way that makes it compelling and effective

Remember, it’s not just about your skills and experience. If people can connect with you on a personal level – e.g. your interests match, you studied in the same uni, or you both practice yoga – your chances of turning them into clients or customers will be higher.

 #4 Leverage your passions to build associations

A crucial part of branding yourself as a freelancer is to create long-lasting associations in the minds of people. Talk about things that you’re passionate about and showcase your knowledge in a way that makes people think about you and your business when they come across those same things.

Just a simple exercise such as jumping onto Quora and answering 5 questions on your subject matter, can expose you to hundreds of persons who might now see you as an authority.

Once you leave an answer showing your authority with a link back to your website, you can expect an almost immediate increase in traffic and interest. 

Developing your personal brand: Things to include to boost your online presence

By now, you already know that having an effective personal branding strategy is key to building your online presence. Being present online will also increase the chances of getting found, contacted and ultimately hired.

So what should your personal brand include?

For brand consistency, you’ll need to build your own marketing assets.

Marketing assets include anything that can be used by freelancers to promote their personal brand and services. These assets will help you grow your brand and will bring you closer to new clients.

Here’s a list of internal and external marketing assets examples:

Internal marketing assets: Assets that are used internally.

  • Business cards
  • Document templates/letterheads
  • Brochures
  • Brand guide
  • Logo
  • E-mail signature
  • Client onboarding questionnaire forms

External marketing assets: Assets used to attract clients and educate them.

  • Personal website
  • Specific landing pages
  • Lead magnets
  • Blog posts
  • Marketing campaigns
  • E-mail lists
  • Freebies
  • Blog articles
  • Case studies
  • Social Media
  • Podcasts

What marketing assets should you have as a freelancer?

There are many options for you. We’ve highlighted some of the options you should carefully consider:

#1 Social media presence and engagement

Like it or not, social media has found itself in our business lives as much as it has done so privately. And it’s not hard to see why. For freelancers, who tend to rely on word-of-mouth, and want to build relationships with clients and colleagues, social media is a blessing.

Don’t spread yourself too thin though. Six inactive profiles are worth less than a single well-maintained channel. Instead, try focusing on a couple of social media platforms that suit your business needs and are in line with your brand. 

For example, if your brand tone is more casual and friendly, sites like Instagram, Twitter, and even TikTok are good options. On the other hand, if your brand is more on the professional side, LinkedIn and Facebook are where you need to focus your efforts.

Social media engagement can make a winning freelance business formula, especially when starting your business with a limited budget.

Engagement goes far beyond simply answering questions within the comment section of your posts.

Instead, it is bringing awareness to your content by actively starting conversations surrounding your work and building long-term relationships with the audience on your platforms.

#2 Profiles on freelance sites

Talking about profiles, if you’re not exactly swimming in clients, you might want to consider registering at some freelancing job sites (like freelancermap). Being active in a freelancing community and gaining access to thousands of potential clients who are actively looking for a freelancer can benefit your brand and bolster your personal branding.

We recently had a poll on our Linkedin and asked freelancers how many freelance platforms we could find their profiles in. 35% of freelancers are listed in 3 – 5 sites:

LinkedIn poll: In how many freelance platforms can we find your freelance profile?
LinkedIn poll: In how many freelance platforms can we find your freelance profile?

#3 Personal Website

All reputable businesses have websites. Maintaining a website shows that you are truly committed to your work and that this isn’t just a side job for you.

Your website also serves as a centralised location where potential clients can learn everything they need to know about you—your services, experience, past clients, etc.—and reach out to you if they are interested.

💡 The good news is you don’t need to be a designer to launch a professional-looking website. With WordPress, you can choose from thousands of themes and launch a website in practically no time at all. WordPress is easy to use, requires almost no technical skills, and makes it easy to publish content.

Your website cannot be purely functional; it needs to have a “look” that conveys what your business is all about. The layout, background images, colour scheme, and font of your website are all important aspects of your brand and need to be in line with your brand’s visual identity.

Here’re some examples of personal websites:

 Aaron Ward - Simple, yet unique logo with consistent blue-coloured branding throughout his website.
Aaron Ward – Simple, yet unique logo with consistent blue-coloured branding throughout his website.
Charli Marie – Fun and eye-catching website with a unique look and feel to it. 
  Simon Sinek - Abstract website with unique fonts and colours.
 Simon Sinek – Abstract website with unique fonts and colours.

#4 Branding and Style

Another way to make sure you stay on top of people’s minds is to have recognizable and consistent branding. People do tend to judge businesses by their branding and so it’s safe to assume that they will probably judge you in the same way.

Your branding (logo, colours, fonts, etc) is the first thing people will notice about you and is what will stay with them. This is why you’ll want your branding to be eye-catching, unique, and above all consistent.

Every marketing asset that you create should be consistent in the tone of voice, messaging style, images used, font, etc. Therefore, a brand style would also be useful.

#5 Guest posts or Medium

Contributing to websites as a guest allows you to position yourself as an expert in your field and shows people that you know what you’re talking about. You can choose to focus your guest posts on broad and generic websites (like Medium) or contribute to super-focused websites (like ours!) for people in your own niche.

Guest posts also let you get in front of new audiences, thereby increasing your digital presence and visibility

#6 Interviews & Podcasts

Podcasting has grown steadily in the last few years. According to Statista Podcasts stats, in 2022, over one-third of Americans (104 million) listen to podcasts regularly.

Taking part in interviews and podcasts allows you to really connect with not just your clients but also other freelancers, leaders and experts. You can explain in real-time what you have to offer and gain valuable insights and feedback right there and then.

#7 Email list & Lead magnets

Email lists and newsletters might seem old school but it’s definitely something to consider as part of your personal branding strategy. This is because email is the one channel of communication that is always on, arrives directly to the recipient and is actually controlled by you.

One of the biggest benefits of email marketing is that when people get an email from you, they see your name on it and know that it was meant for them. Now maybe you just sent them the last updates to your business models and pricing or your newsletter – but it still feels personal. 

So what’s the best way to grow your email list? The answer is simple: lead magnets. Lead magnets are what you offer customers in exchange for their contact information. This can be an offer or an incentive.

Highly valuable lead magnets are what potential customers want and these are the ones that help you generate leads.

Some ideas for potentially interesting lead magnets:

  • Free webinar as a sneak peek into your role or field of work
  • E-books
  • Templates that you use in your daily work
  • Discounts

Here are some examples of professionals using newsletters for their personal brands:

#8 Collaborate with freelancers 

As the saying goes, “Two minds are better than one” and this holds true in the freelance industry as well. Working with other freelancers or professionals allows you both to expand your reach and gain new customers or clients. 

Unfortunately, there are still many freelancers that think other freelancers are competitors and this shouldn’t be the case. 

Freelancers are a workforce and there is enough cake for all. Think of other freelancers as colleagues rather than competitors and you’ll see the potential that has. 

#9 Webinars

Webinars are essentially live lectures or lessons that professionals provide over the web. The biggest benefit of webinars is that they impart the knowledge of an expert in real-time. 

As a freelancer, you can use webinars to provide your audience with in-depth knowledge about topics that are relevant to you. This puts you in a position of automatic authority and can also lead to stimulating discussions with people – which can build relationships and trust.

#10 YouTube videos

YouTube has the ability to give you access to millions and millions of people around the world.

Who hasn’t visited YouTube trying to solve a problem? What’s the best way to do this, how can I fix this, tips to get the best hairstyle for a wedding…endless unsolved problems are typed on the YouTube search every minute hoping for a solution!

And because not a lot of people create videos imparting knowledge on a regular basis, YouTube, or any other video platform, is an excellent opportunity for you to expand your personal branding and increase your online presence. 

This is because video marketing allows you to talk to your audience and tell them your story in a creative and emotional way.

Committing to a YouTube channel can be a big time investment, but can also offer huge returns for the work you put into it. So, is a YouTube channel really worth it for you?

Jess, is a freelance illustrator, creative consultant and also, a vlogger who got the courage to quit her day job and start an illustration business.

The hardest part of quitting her corporate job and starting a freelance business was not having people to talk to about it – to bounce ideas off of, have the occasional vent and collaborate with. I wanted to find my tribe, and catalogue the lessons I was learning as I built my business. So, I started a YouTube series called “Freelance Illustration Friday.

All you really need is one video to become popular and subscribers can sky-rocket in a matter of hours.

Jess uses videos in her pitches to new clients as a quick way to introduce herself and give them a glimpse into her creative process. Jess told freelancermap:

“I don’t expect to get discovered by clients on YouTube. The reality is, art directors, editors and marketing managers are not watching YouTube videos looking for creatives to hire. It’s not impossible, but it’s the exception, not the norm. But, it does give you a repository of quality content to help tell your story and strengthen your pitch that can help you stand out and get the gig”.

#11 Conferences, events etc.

You can support your online personal branding strategy with a good offline strategy as well. Your city’s chamber of commerce might host local events for people in your industry. Trade shows, social events, masterclasses, career fairs – are all options you might want to consider.

Show up and connect with companies and professionals working in your field. 

Again, you never know where the next opportunity can come from. 

Personal branding examples

Shown below are varied examples of good personal branding:

#1 Paul Seal

Paul Seal is a Umbraco expert with over 500+ connections on LinkedIn and as many endorsements. He also guests posts on codeshare regularly, which has helped him grow his network.

Personal Branding Example: Paul Seal
Personal Branding Example: Paul Seal

#2 Patricia Reiners

A freelance UX designer, Patricia Reiners has worked with brands like Adobe and Google and uses a personal website as a stronghold in her personal branding strategy.

Personal Branding Example: Patricia Reiners
Personal Branding Example: Patricia Reiners

#3 Íñigo Montoya

Íñigo Montoya is a freelance SAP and IT consultant who has been helping people deal with data for more than 20 years.

Personal Branding Example: Íñigo Montoya
Personal Branding Example: Íñigo Montoya

#4 Ricardo Ghekiere 

Ricardo Ghekiere is a freelance growth marketing specialist and creator of Europe’s first LinkedIn Ads Masterclass. He supplements his online personal branding strategy with offline strategies like lectures and classes.

Personal Branding Example: Ricardo Ghekiere
Personal Branding Example: Ricardo Ghekiere

#5 Diana Briceño

Diana Briceño is a marketing specialist and entrepreneur who provides lessons on everything from content writing and video marketing to creative thinking via her website.

 Personal Branding Example: Diana Briceño
Personal Branding Example: Diana Briceño

#6 Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk is not only the chairman of VaynerX and CEO of VaynerMedia, he is also a 5-Time NYT bestselling author. He is considered to be one of the biggest global minds of our generation in terms of culture, relevance and the internet.

Personal Branding Example: Gary Vaynerchuk
Personal Branding Example: Gary Vaynerchuk

Just remember: Repeat your brand wherever you go

Once you’ve branded yourself, start transferring your personal brand everywhere:

  • Be consistent with your brand in all your social media accounts
  • Use your brand imagery for your background photos
  • Use the same language to write your freelancer bio and your social media updates
  • Create an email signature that conveys your brand
  • You may also want to create business cards

Tip💡: Make sure that no matter how people come to you, the first thing they see is your brand

Creating a brand may seem like a daunting task, but it’s definitely worth the time. A strong brand will separate you from your competition, boost your credibility, and help you find the high-paying clients you really want.

Real-life personal brand tips from freelancers

Matheus de Souza, Freelance Writer & Digital Marketer

Matheus De Souza

“Personal branding is a must for freelancers. That said, publishing your work is the basic step. You need to have a good portfolio and allow clients to see it. If you are just starting out and don’t have a consistent portfolio, write articles about your field and work. Have a blog or use LinkedIn Pulse to start with.

Furthermore, have your own channel. Social media channels are owned by third parties and you can’t control them. For instance, even if you have 6 Thousand followers on Facebook, only a small part of your public will see your publications without paying for ads. The solution is to build your own website and have a newsletter to create an email list. I can reach now many more readers through the newsletter than through my publications on Facebook, for example.

Don’t sell yourself too cheap. Research what other freelancers are charging for the service, have a clear picture of how much you want to earn in a year to set your price and include room for negotiation, as many clients will ask for a discount.

Have a lifestyle as a personal brand. This tip is a polemic one, but there is a reason why MacBook is associated with creative professionals, and that’s not because it is a good notebook. Confidence for freelancers is everything. Branding yourself is building confidence through a lifestyle and printing your personality on your services and products”.

You can know more about Matheus and his tips in our Freelance Insides session.

Joanna Kay, Online Business Consultant

Joanna Kay

Start a blog. Create valuable blog posts that help your readers learn more about your niche and they’ll keep coming back for more. They’ll also be more likely to book paid work with you because they know what you say and suggest works! Blogging also drives traffic back to your website which strengthen your SEO and helps you rank higher in search engines.

Share your work on Pinterest. Pinterest brings in over 75% of my website traffic and helps me target people that are interested in my niche. Here are my top tips: Have a clear description in your ‘about you’ section and include a link to your website. For your profile photo, use a friendly photo of yourself as people can relate to you better! The first board on your profile should be solely for things related to your business and freelance work. Here you can pin your work, portfolio, images, designs and blog posts etc. Your Pinterest graphics should be quality images that match your branding and are recognisable. Make your Pinterest profile cohesive and only create boards that are relevant to your target market.

Build an email list. Sending a newsletter to your subscribers, gives you the opportunity to advertise your services to people that actually care. Your marketing will be much more effective because you’re targeting people that are really interested in what you offer.

Use Facebook Groups where your ideal clients hang out. Sharing your knowledge and advice will position you as an expert in your niche. Another advantage is that you get to know your potential customers on a friendly and more personal level.”

Jason Scott Montoya, Communication Specialist & Author of the Path of the Freelancer

Jason Scott Montoya

Actively engage with people: Three months before I began freelancing I was in the tail-end of a year-long process to close down our marketing company. At this point, I knew I was completing a seven-year marathon, and I needed my community to rally behind me. I began meeting with 10-12 people per week. It was a powerful exercise to help me not only connect with my network but also to help me discover what my options were once our marketing company officially ended. This relational foundation set the stage for a busy and active freelancing career to start.

Regularly blog online: Blogging allowed me the opportunity to think through different topics on my mind as well as share insights that have helped me, with others. Over time blogging activity establishes authority, credibility and simply reminds people we exist and we’re active in our work. Another idea is to guest blog write for other websites. Branching out increases our credibility within our network as well as exposing us to people who would likely not discover us.

Engage on social media: This is a great starting point to establish a distribution network – during the first three months of blogging, social media led to one-third of my overall traffic. Many times these posts would act as triggers for talking with me about communication problems they were having.

Bonus tip: Sustain activity when you’re loaded with paying work: While my online presence has slowed down with the time, I realize it is important to maintain a level of activity so when I do need to find new paying projects, the machine is easily available to accelerate the process. If I can meet with a few people per week, post at least quarterly on my blog and stay active on my social media weekly, I should be able to maintain a steady amount of awareness to reap the benefits when I need them”.

Stefan Lindblad, Freelance Illustrator & Graphic Designer

Stefan Lindblad

“I always carry my business cards with me, and like to talk with people. That alone has helped me quite a bit in marketing and branding myself. Meetings in person have often shown to be one of the best and quick ways to land a gig! I also believe in stickers and flyers and t-shirts. People instantly get a feel of who I am and what I can do.

I try to be aware of what is new, and what might work for me as a professional freelance illustrator and designer. If an image, video and text isn’t reaching the right people, and you don’t convince them to sign up for your Newsletter or to your blog, money can be lost with no real gain.

Marketing is also networking. Therefore, if you have the possibility to interact in Facebook and Linkedin local business groups, then do. I like to let possible clients know they can trust my abilities, that they get great service and above all great illustration and design. My blogs are great, because writing a blog lets me connect in a different way. I can write about issues and ideas in a way that feels, frankly, more serious than let’s say Facebook. I have blog articles that are many years old, and still reach readers, in a way Facebook wouldn’t do today in the same way. And blogging has shown to be a great attractor that keeps on giving”.

You can know more about Stefan and his tips in our Freelance Insides session

Thamires Moura, Freelance Graphic Designer & Digital Marketer

Thamires Moura

“Good examples of self-marketing are entrepreneurs and self-employed people who create a unique profile to talk about their services and personal life at the same time. They use the network that they create as a chance to grow their businesses and find new clients, especially through recommendations of people who follow them and their work.

How to do that? Build an online identity: organize your social media, email accounts, and other online platforms to have a unique nickname, so you can be easily found. After building your identity, you need to choose which tone are you going to use to present yourself to your social network, prospects, and clients. If you want to be recommended, you have to show yourself as dedicated to your work, eager for knowledge and professional enhancement.

Are you conscious of what you publish online? When you are a freelancer and self-employed, you need to be careful with what you publish and share. That means, you have to plan what you are going to post in each channel and produce clever and inspiring content that shows your knowledge and your values. Know who your public are and how to reach them and develop the right content. In my case, I focus on my website as my main communication channel to do my self-marketing through showcasing projects and old clients and sharing stories, tips, and ideas that endorses the kind of professional that I am”.

Jenny Shih, Business Coach & Strategist

Jenny Shih

“The #1 tip I want to give freelancers is to stop thinking of themselves as freelancers. I know that sounds funny, but by setting yourself up as a freelancer, you’re unintentionally saying, “I work at the whims of people who might want to hire me, maybe, sometimes, but not predictably.” Instead, call yourself a business owner, and start running your freelance gig as a real business. First, call yourself what you are. Instead of a “freelance copywriter,” call yourself a copywriter. Instead of a “freelance developer,” just call yourself a developer.

Second, create a website for your business. Your website should represent you and the services you provide in the best way possible. This doesn’t mean you need expensive design or a complicated site. You need only to create a simple, clear site that talks about the distinct, results-focused packages that solve the problems your clients most need help solving.

Finally, take charge of marketing your business. Create and build connections actively. Start an email list. Build a reputation as someone who creates incredible results for your clients. If you start taking your business seriously, you’ll be surprised at how much further you can go than you can as a freelancer.”

Gustavo Sapienza, Full-Stack Web Developer

Gustavo Sapienza

Be fair with your pricing. Don’t be too expensive to scare the client, but don’t sell yourself too cheap. To know how to explain your price to the client is fundamental to sell your services. I set a price per hour, calculate how many hours I’m going to need to finish a project and I stick to it. If there are any changes that were not previously agreed, even a small one, I recalculate my price. That said, be good at your work and with the delivery. This is the best way to make your client loyal to you. Be fair and transparent. Know how to say yes or no. The worse thing is to promise something that you fail to deliver.

Make partnerships. So did you make the client happy and does he has always project demands? Close a partnership! This can include payment installments, discounts and also a fixed monthly payment. Last but not least, keep networking with other freelancers. Not only clients can be partners, but also other freelancers. Did you get a last minute job, but don’t have the time? Have a list of other freelancers to help you deliver the work.”

Krystel Leal, Freelance Digital Marketer

Krystel Leal

Know your typical client and who your public are: Every freelancer needs a marketing strategy, but it depends on the kind of professional you are, and on your target group. For example, a graphic designer specializing in cover books for children will certainly not apply the same strategies of an industrial designer.

Branding: As a professional, you sell your service to clients. So as a brand, you need to create an image and show it in every communication channel and in every work you do. Which tone of voice do you use? Which colors are associated with your brand? How do you approach a client? Having consistency in your online presence is important. Clients will be confident in hiring you because everything they see and read seems professional.

Be really present on social media channels: it is not enough to have a profile on Facebook or LinkedIn. Search for groups related to your field, follow the postings, answer questions and help people. Especially the last one: it will help showcase your knowledge and people will remember you as a reference in your field. Furthermore, people will usually search for an answer in the Google search before consulting a professional. So one of the best marketing strategies for you is to answer questions people ask on sites such as Quora, Yahoo Answers, and forums.”

Matt Press, Freelance Copywriter

Matt Press

Create your own brand:. Ask yourself: What sort of services will you offer? Have in mind that great businesses all have strong brands. They know that it’s important to have USPs that differentiates them from their competition. Just because you’re a freelancer, it doesn’t mean that it’s not the same for you.

Understand your audience: What kind of clients are you trying to attract? What type of content do they like to consume and why? Your answers to these questions will dictate how good you are at reaching exactly the type of people you need to, in order to flourish.

Join communities: Be open-minded and connect with other freelancers in your field. Embrace all the different groups out there on social media and you could end up with more support than you’d ever thought possible.

Learn SEO: Of all the different marketing strategies out there, SEO is perhaps the most reliable. The better we are at SEO and the higher we rank, the more attention we’ll get. The great thing about SEO is, if you do it yourself, it’s free.

Create case studies and social proof: If you are starting out and still don’t have lots of client experience or testimonials to shout about, it might be an idea to perform some work for free. This’ll give you the case studies, testimonials and social proof that you need to convince other clients to trust you”.

Jo Harrison, Programme Manager for Coaches

Jo Harrison

“My top advice would be to get yourself on social media. In particular, the channels you think your target audience is on. Then, you need to spend time interacting with them, getting to know them and providing immense value in everything you share with them. Share personal successes, images and videos. Show them who you are and what you are all about – do not try and sell to them directly! Then, and only then, will you have gained their trust and attention. When people like you and see that you know what you’re doing, they will come to you!”

Iwona Gruszka, Online Business & Brand Strategist

Iwona Gruszka

“To stand out as a freelancer you have to build a strong and cohesive personal brand offline and online. Define a clear message on what it is that you do and polish your elevator pitch. Your pitch should be centred around your potential client. Show them what pains you can alleviate for them. People will pay for your services when they feel that you can solve a problem they have or fulfill their need. Decide on your visuals. Decide on the visual side of your branding. Human perception responds better to images than written words thus finding something that distinguishes you from others may really work for you.

Build your online presence. Create your presence online to become discoverable. Because you are a service-based solopreneur it may be beneficial to have a yourname.com domain and build your website. Your website has to be consistent and most importantly, has to be centered, similarly to your elevator pitch, around your customer. You can also build your presence on social media. Find out where your potential clients hang out and make use of that channel. Be active, engage and provide a lot of value. Value, value and value once again. Start a blog and create social media posts that respond to your potential clients’ needs and wants. If you don’t know what they struggle with, simply ask and provide help.

Remember my favorite saying ABH: Always Be Helping. Help people with things that are within your zone of genius. People whom you have helped will be recommending you and that network of recommendations will work wonders for your business. Be yourself and don’t be scared to be visible. In today’s world people want to work with real people. Don’t be afraid to show who you are and “advertise” the value you can provide. Your talents are unique. There is no other person out there who is exactly like you. Work smart and let your talents speak for you.”

Paulo Oliveira, Freelance Web Strategist

Paulo Oliveira

“My best marketing tips for freelancers are: don’t create lousy content on the Internet; make it easy for prospects to find you and attend to events on your work field; get testimonials and references from clients; continue marketing even while you’re busy; join and provide value in discussions on LinkedIn groups, Google Plus communities and Quora; outsource work when needed; learn how to say no and always keep learning.

Besides that, I recommend that you don’t wait until you quit your regular job to start freelancing: go out there to find your clients, tell all your contacts (friends, family, colleagues and former colleagues) that you are freelancing and team up with advertising agencies and other freelancers. That makes the transition easier”.

You can know more about Paulo and his tips in our Freelance Insides session.

Stefano Scarpanti, Freelance Software Engineer

Stefano Scarpanti

“My suggestions are for IT/software freelancers, but all freelancers can also benefit : It is important to build a small personal website listing your skills and work done. If you are a developer, it can be both a smart presentation of personal skills, and a real presentation of a website technology you are an expert in. Subscribe to some developer sites or technology forums to have a tech repository of answers and to be acknowledged of most recent issues in the IT world.

Participate in tech conferences, especially in the countries or sectors you want to enter, to improve your networking, find and meet new clients and partners. Conferences are also perfect places to get up-to-date to your field and getting new ideas.

It is crucial for freelancers to understand the importance to take care of their own virtual image and reputation. That said, I also think it is very important to try to have physical meetings in addition to virtual ones, when it is possible. Remote communication is much cheaper and less time consuming, but it is important to remember that physical meetings are able to convey much more information and trust, especially when you are starting difficult or extensive projects and dealing with big clients. Freelancers need to have confidence in the use of IT tools for communication but they also need to learn “best contact practices” to increase their trustworthiness.”

You can know more about Stefano and his tips in our Freelance Insides session.

Sam Landa, Social Media & Content Strategy Specialist

Sam Landa

Talk about yourself and about your services. The key is to publicize what you’re doing without outright asking for someone’s business. Make a website. You might want to send prospects to a website where they can see your portfolio. A personal site reflects your personal brand, which is the experience you want clients to have whenever they interact with you or your work. Create your own USP (Unique Selling Proposition) in order to stand out in the market. Research competitors in your space and ask yourself: how do you distinguish yourself from the competition?

Go to meetups and events. Building relationships is a critical part of marketing. Grow your network by seeking out industry events or masterminds. Share what you know. Write content for a blog or LinkedIn, do public talks, don’t be afraid to share what you know. It’s more likely that a potential client will stumble upon you realize just how much you really know.

Create systems and templates. Proposal template, Agreement template, New client onboarding process, Feedback delivery process, etc – investing a few hours into creating systems can save you a lot more time later.

Follow up. You do want to follow up with anyone you’ve had contact with. A follow up message isn’t a lengthy pitch–it’s a genuine note to check in and keep you top of mind. Engage with prospects on social media. Identify dream clients and participate in discussions with them when you can. This is an opportunity for you to offer insights (and for them to see your name).

Find your niche. Don’t be scared in specializing yourself. You’d be surprised at a) how much more you can earn, and b) how much you’ll learn.

Ask for referrals and references for clients and don’t forget to ABM (Always Be Marketing). Consistency is key to long-term success, so keep marketing even at your busiest times.

Thaís Dias, Freelance Graphic Designer

Thaís Dias

“Having a good SEO strategy to appear in Google searches is very important for freelancers. Discover which search terms are mostly searched in your field, their concurrence and define the keywords you want to rank. For example, it can be hard to rank “designer freelancer”, but it can be easier with “designer freelancer Rio de Janeiro”. Invest in a good website optimization, which goes into the code and loading speed (hire a web developer to help you) and content.

Paid Ads: SEO can take some time to work, so you may want to market your services in a faster way investing in Google AdWords and Facebook Ads. Knowing your focus keywords and target group can help you to achieve better results in both campaigns.

Social Media: don’t mix your personal profile with your professional one and try to keep it updated. Leaving posts from 2 years ago can give clients a bad impression. Social media is also part of a good SEO strategy, so create quality content on your blog to share.

Add an human touch. You can use many tools and techniques, but don’t forget that you are dealing with people. Offer a good costumer service in every moment, from the prospection, work execution and to the delivery. Be patient. Explain every step of the work and the pricing. Freelancers are searched for every kind of clients, and some of them may not know exactly what they want or need”.

Mallie Rust, Freelance Editor & Copywriter

Mallie Rust

Establish a brand to differentiate yourself. It should connect you to clients and guide all efforts to your business. A cool logo or a website is not enough, you have to create a useful brand that shows potential clients the value you can add to their business. You should also give your clients something they find valuable before they’re even your client, e.g with quality blog posts.

Engage on Twitter to establish trust with your clients. Show off your knowledge and engage with potential clients. Be authentic. Real engagement will help you build incredible relationships. Start by taking part in Twitter chats.

Don’t neglect your website. Make sure your website is user friendly and potential clients can easily contact you. Also, keep track of your visitors with Google Analytics, not to miss very valuable information from your users (demographics, user flow, etc.). The most important tip is to know the message you want to get across, then make sure you’re speaking to that message at every touch point.”

Cherise Henry, Freelance Writer, Editor & Journalist

Cherise Henry

“Three words: word of mouth. When you’re first starting out as a freelancer, your number one goal should be to get your name (or business name) and service offerings out there. Send an email, shoot a text, make a phone call or send smoke signals to everyone you know – think: colleagues, prior clients, friends and family – and let them know about your new freelance business venture. Most importantly, let them know what services you offer, how to contact you and express your eagerness (and excitement) to add clients and projects to your new business lineup”.

Alejandra Muñoz, Publicist, Graphic Designer & Copywriter

Alejandra Muñoz

Be online. It starts with having a personal website where you show your portfolio, present the services that you offer and leave your details on how people can get in touch. There are even free alternatives where you don’t need any programming knowledge, so there are no excuses. Add social media to your online strategy. Identify where your clients are and engage with them (regularly). Write informative and valuable content on your blog.

Share your knowledge and let everyone get to know you by reading you. It can give you the chance to collaborate in campaigns, receive invitations to local events or just extend your network (Make sure they can easily contact you!).

Create your profile on freelancing platforms and share links to your site and social media networks within the profile.

Develop an email marketing strategy once you have an audience on your blog. Share your best blog posts, inform them about your last discount or simply invite them to give you a call.

Social connections are really important. Don’t leave home without a business card! Your next client might come from a friend’s friend of your cashier. Rely on fellow freelancers to get the work done faster (and better). Find the perfect partner to work with on projects for which you could need a hand. My last tip is to focus on creating a solid personal brand.”

Nilton Vilhena, Freelance Digital Marketer

Nilton Vilhena

“The best way to start is to specialize yourself in a field. To place yourself as a specialist, you can create profiles in websites and platforms for freelancers. Remember to give complete and accurate information, create a portfolio with your best work and use related keywords in the description. That said, don’t waste your time trying to reach every client offering a project. Focus on your niche only and research a client’s reputation online.

Furthermore, treat every client individually, as they have different and specific needs. That means, you need to personalize every work proposal: answer directly to the client’s needs, explain what exactly you can do, and what differentiates your work.

Do every job thinking about your portfolio. A portfolio is the most important asset for a successful freelance career. Besides that, if a client is happy with your work, he will certainly hire you again and recommend you further. Last tip: focus on building your reputation. Ask clients to write recommendations and to leave positive evaluations on the freelance platforms.”

How are you developing your personal brand? Share your methods and strategies with us down below!

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Natalia Campana

Natalia is part of the international team at freelancermap. She loves the digital world, social media and meeting different cultures. Before she moved to Germany and joined the freelancermap team she worked in the US, UK and her home country Spain. Now she focuses on helping freelancers and IT professionals to find jobs and clients worldwide at www.freelancermap.com

By Natalia Campana

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