Freelancers: Stop Slacking and Start Branding…Yourself
Once I realized that I would be venturing out on my own, a bit sooner than I had planned due to unique circumstances I knew that it was very important that I really brand myself effectively. Yes, I said branding myself. While in grad school I had a Branding Class that really happened at such a transitional time in my life but most importantly really affected how I viewed companies and myself as a brand. This class really demonstrated and taught the importance of effecting branding, that really extends to individuals as well.
I’ve recently noticed a lot of people with phrases that describe their employment as, Self employed and loving it, I work for myself, or even Me in an area that requires a job title. This is great to make a statement, joke about with friends and or when you are hanging out with your pals. However if you are serious about your chosen path of self employment or as a freelancer, you are NOT doing yourself a favor or effectively marketing YOUR BRAND.
When self employed you are in a position that you can really call the shots for yourself, work at your own pace and work from any location even on the beach if you want. How awesome is that? Well on the flip side, you are also totally responsibility for accounting, sales and marketing YOURSELF. This is why effective branding is very important.
Even if you are using your given name as your business you should create a memorable brand identity and that starts with a professional logo. I say professional logo because when you start in creation of your brand identity you want to make sure that your brand is presented in a professional manner and that the logo is created in a variety of different formats. If you are graphically challenge, you may want to go with a graphic designer to tackle this project for you. You should have a copy of your logo in jpg, pdf, png with a transparent background and EPS formats. The importance of having your logo in EPS format is that it allows the logo to be resized effectively without pixelation. This allows you to add your logo to web and print projects and have them look professional.
Creation of your logo is the first part of creating an effective brand identity for YOU as a freelancer or self employed person. So start spreading your newly branded logo around! Add it to your blog, all of your social media channels and don’t forget to add it to your email signature. Now that you have your logo completed you can now create a great color scheme to match your logo and add it to your entire online presence. So let the Branding begin!!
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Posted on December 20, 2011, in Branding, Career and tagged Advertising and Marketing, Anise Smith, Brand, Business, Business Start up, Design, Freelancer, Logo, Social Media, Web. Bookmark the permalink. 4 Comments.
This is a great idea. We know it’s important for companies to excel at branding themselves if they want to be successful. Looking at yourself (whether you’re a freelancer or an employee) and realizing that you can benefit from creating a branding and marketing strategy for yourself is refreshing. What a great idea!
Hi Cathy! Thank you so much! It is VERY important and often overlooked. Just think about some of the company brands that stand out, Nike, Pepsi and more. Imagine if Nike were promoted without the swoosh and Pepsi without their signature iconic logo. Both would definitely leave less of an impression without their brand. If we select to create a signature brand for ourselves as freelancer and independent workers, people will begin to then recognize us a brand as well. Perception means a lot in this competitive world!
I can’t tell you how many companies I have seen using word clipart as their “logo” and don’t understand what is wrong with that! It is important to have a unique logo that stands apart. It can be as simple as the company name without any other fancy graphics.
Hi there Sharon! You are SO RIGHT! A lot of people don’t really know the importance of branding. I can honestly say that before going back to school and taking a course on Branding I didn’t either. Sometimes when starting a company there are efforts to cut corners financially so some opt out of creating a logo. I think its very important to start any venture off right with presenting a great brand from the start.