In the saturated market in which we find ourselves, a freelancer needs much more than a good business idea or abilities that will get them ahead, they need to build a strong identity of their own to be able to stand out. This means that it is essential to build a solid personal brand and to know how to sell yourself. But what is this and how can you build it? Don’t go away, we’ll tell you!
What is it and what are its benefits?
The personal brand is your letter of introduction to the world, your identity, what defines you as an individual. It is related to the way you are and how you act with other people and your surroundings, so it is built from your actions and the values that represent you. In addition, it also defines what you can provide to the other, that is, your differential value. To sum up, with your personal brand you can explain to the world who you are, what you are like and what you can offer them.
As a freelancer working in your personal brand is essential, since you are a brand by yourself, you don’t have a company to promote, but you have to promote yourself and your work instead. Having a personal brand is an intangible asset of great value for the entrepreneurs that can provide benefits such as:
- Stand out in the sector. Having a personal brand can make you stand out from your competitors, making you more attractive in the sector and, consequently, with more possibilities of being chosen before your competitors by potential customers.
- Possibilities of collaboration. Another advantage is that you will be attractive when it comes to possible collaborations with other brands, people, etc.
- It generates trust. Having a solid and well built personal brand conveys credibility and generates trust, which makes it easier to convince investors, potential partners or potential customers.
- Demonstrate authority. It allows you to show experience in the sector and in what you do, providing security and authority, being able to become a reference.
How to create your personal brand
But how can you create a personal brand that works? Here we explain it in a few simple steps:
- Define your identity. In order to be able to build your personal brand you must start knowing yourself. Identify your values and what makes you unique, what defines you and what do you represent. In addition, before getting down to work, you must also be clear about your purpose, that is, what do you want to achieve with your personal brand. Keeping this in mind will help you to stay focused and firm.
- Show authenticity. Don't try to be someone else or imitate another person, this won’t do anything but damage your credibility and image. You must be yourself and show what makes you different from the others and what makes you stand out.
- Create a logo. Who says that logos are only for companies? Having a logo, and even a slogan, for your personal brand, will give you professionalism. Make sure that it is simple, but conveys who you are and what you do. During this step it is also important to select well the colors that will represent you and the typography.
- Be coherent. If you want your brand to be solid and recognizable, it is essential to maintain coherence all the time. This means that you must always use the same color palette, tone of communication, fonts, etc. In addition, it is also important that what you do is consistent with what you say.
- Knowing your audience well. Your audience is the basis of everything, without it you can't go on. Therefore, you must know it well to know who you are going to address and how you should do it.
- The use of social networks. We are immersed in the digital era which causes us to be present online. In this sense, the presence we have on the Internet is very important for building our personal brand. Therefore, take care of your social networks and what you share on them, make sure they reflect professionalism. In addition, it is important that you have your own website where you can show your services or products.
Keep in mind that once you have done all of the above, consistency and dedication is essential. You must continue working on your personal brand and not leave it aside, be constant in publishing on networks, creating content, interacting with your followers and potential partners, etc. Follow these steps and give life to your personal brand!