Creating a brand, whether personal or for a company, is about having a recognizable identity. It's about letting your audience, or clients, know who you are and what you do. This is why it is very important for freelancers to have a brand because clients can easily understand what you do; it is a way to advance their expectations to give them a better idea of what to expect.
A brand represents the set of visual and verbal assets that make up the company, or in this case, the freelancer. Think of it as the direct form of communication between clients and freelancer; and this is why brand recognition is so important as it helps clients recognize, and recommend, more easily. The more eye-catching and easy to remember, the more trust and loyalty it will add to your client relationships. There needs to be consistency in the branding that is presented in different marketing media, as it is through consistency that success is achieved.
Aside from what is communicated to customers, it is how you differentiate yourself from the competition giving you an edge in the marketing process. A brand usually includes the logo, company or project name, color palette, marketing materials and finally tone of voice.
Having a branding strategy while freelancing also benefits your work. For example, if a web designer is creating a site and at first glance there is no consistency in the way it is designed, the client will think that it was not created by one person, but several. It is not only the client who has to have your brand in mind, but you; this way you will reach a point in your professional career when your work will speak as loudly as your logo.
The important thing about having your brand strategy in mind is that it helps everything you create visually represent what you do, your values and what you want to communicate to your clients. If you create logos and marketing without a strategy, nothing may make sense in the end. Creating a strategy ensures that all visual assets reflect the unique brand value proposition and work together to communicate your identity. It is with the brand strategy in mind that you will have clients remembering you long after their project is complete. Think of it as the roadmap you need to create an effective identity. It allows you to keep in mind the message you need to create the color palette, typefaces that are recognizable as yours and ultimately associated with your work. Now, you may ask yourself why it is so important to have that communication with your clients. The main reason is that having a clear identity is like a promise that a freelancer makes to his clients. By doing it the right way, the branding strategy can deliver the messages you need your clients to understand ahead of time: how you're better than the competition, your values to your clients, and your branding strategy. Because freelancers don't have the same resources as large companies, they must be creative with their marketing campaigns and branding strategies in order to compete with large companies. But don't worry, in this article we tell you some points to consider to start creating your branding strategy.
