Small businesses today are expected to have a face of their brand, most often the founder themselves.
That means that you as the founder need to embody the brand: its look, its values, its reputation. Getting your branding right is a hefty undertaking, alongside everything else you need to do to make your business a success.
That’s why we’re here to unravel how to build a brand as a freelancer, with advice from the people who have been there before.
Read on for the full guide or go straight to the section that you’re interested in:
- What is your personal brand?
- What do I need to build my personal brand?
- What mistakes should I be avoiding?
- Should I speak to a personal brand consultant?
What is your personal brand?
A personal brand is a series of narrative, aesthetic and reputational markers that make it easier for people to identify you and, in turn, helps you to sell your products and services. It tells your story and why you’re different to everyone else. As a freelancer, it’s essentially who you are and what you have to offer.
Your personal brand is also the content you post on your website and your social media, alongside posters, leaflets and other branding. It’s the consistency of your branding – the same brand colours and same logo partnered with the same tone of voice and writing style. This builds familiarity for your audience.
What do I need to build my personal brand?
A few things – internal and external – are key to nailing your personal branding.
Know yourself
Knowing your why, your values, your ambitions and goals, your strengths and your passions is the first step to building your personal brand.
“Early on in my freelance career, I realised that being great at my craft wasn’t enough,” said Michael Ryan, founder of Ink Digital. “To stand out, I had to create a brand that reflected who I was: both professionally and personally. I focused on crafting a consistent message of reliability, high-quality service, and clear communication.”
For new freelancers looking to build their brand, Ryan advises you to get clear about your core values and the specific expertise you bring to the table, focusing on consistency. “Building a personal brand as a freelancer is about defining a clear identity that sets you apart from others in your field. Make sure your brand messaging is aligned across all touchpoints, from your website and social media to client communication.”
There’s consensus across the board on this one. “Show the person behind the work,” said Sarah Fleming, digital PR strategist and founder of First Create. “From my experience, sharing my personal stories and ‘work wins’ on LinkedIn, for example, really helped me to connect with my network (and beyond). It essentially humanises me in an age of AI and social detachment. Clients want to work with real people, so be your authentic self and let them get to know you as a future collaborator.”
Understanding your niche and zoning in on your specific expertise helps to find a target audience too. “Ideally, you want to become the go-to person for your niche, so understanding exactly where you sit in your industry is key to standing out and finding new clients,” said Fleming. “I found that knowing my niche inside and out helped First Create become more memorable, leading to really successful first year and I’m now in my third year of trading as a result of this momentum.”
Brand statement
Similar to an elevator pitch, which we’ll revisit in a moment, your brand statement is a paragraph that says a little bit about you, your business and who you serve – and how you differ from your competition. It’s more of a guiding statement than something to reel off to customers and investors. Make sure that the finishing section is strong as that’s what will stick in your mind.
Get professional photos
As we’ve covered, your presentation is central to your brand. Ideally you’ll be able to find someone locally who specialises in professional photography and understands personal branding. Turn to your network to find recommendations in the first instance, but don’t just take their word for it; have an initial chat to find out if you’re the right fit. Before this meeting, design a mood board that reflects your logo, colour scheme, font – the works. Finally, your outfit on shooting day should reflect your brand and its values.
Consistency
Having a blog or some kind of consistent content output will connect you with your audience on a regular basis, helping to build loyalty and trust with you and your brand.
Find the right audience on social media
Know where your audience are, otherwise you’re pitching to the wrong people. If your brand is more visual, opt for Instagram, short-form enthusiasts will more likely go for TikTok and people looking for guidance are more likely to be found on YouTube.
Read more in A guide to social media strategy for small business owners.
Sort your ‘elevator pitch’
Some people’s first impression of you can be made in one tenth of a second. That’s why elevator pitches are so effective. Your pitch should be telling listeners what makes you and your business unique and what problem you’re trying to solve. Work on your hook, your unique selling point (USP), and your call to action (CTA), all while avoiding jargon. Rehearse it again and again and again to refine it so that you can deliver it on the spot with confidence and clarity. Aim for 30-60 seconds in length.
Collect client testimonials
Fleming said that the key to establishing her brand was gathering a multitude of testimonials from my previous work. She said that you should never be afraid to reach out to people you’ve worked with in the past, whether it’s colleagues or clients, and ask if they can write a couple of sentences about their experience working with you.
“Starting a brand with absolutely nothing to back you is, essentially, making your life harder than it needs to be and you may struggle to find your first client,” she said. “I’ve found that others were more than happy to help amplify my business, and these testimonials were a great basis for building my brand.”
“Sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of my work process and offering advice on common industry problems helped humanise my brand and build trust with potential clients,” added Ryan. “This approach has been vital in connecting with my target audience on a personal level, even before the first interaction.”
Feedback and regularly reviewing your personal brand
Regular feedback will give you a good idea of what does and doesn’t work so that you can effectively review your personal brand. Ask for the feedback to be concise, constructive and specific.
Collaborate with others
It’s one of the most widespread nuggets of advice in business: collaborate. Collaborate with other local businesses and companies in your sector, allowing you to find opportunities that enhance both of your brands. Join communities and networking events if you need an extra boost.
“The most important thing is to build relationships, not just sell your services. Authenticity is what drives lasting success,” said Michael Ryan.
It’s challenging for those that naturally aren’t the most confident or feel awkward around self-promotion. But Fleming said that being confident has been crucial in her brand-building journey, advocating for a ‘fake it till you make it’ approach. “There is no downside to being confident and believing in yourself,” she said. “The more you back yourself, the more others will take you seriously – after all, clients want to work with freelancers who know what they’re on about and are able to take the lead.”
What mistakes should I be avoiding?
“One of the most common mistakes business owners and freelancers make is thinking their personal brand is about colours, fonts and a polished profile picture – it’s not,” says Taz Thornton, owner of a personal brand coaching service of the same name.
“Your personal brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s the vibe you bring, the values you live by, the energy people feel when they see your name. That’s what lasts. It’s about the personality behind the ‘brand’.
“When clients come to me for help with personal branding, they’re usually overthinking it. They’ve read too many blogs, followed too many shouty ‘gurus’ and got tangled up trying to sound how they think they should – instead of sounding like themselves. They’ve lost their own voice in a sea of content and comparison.”
Should I speak to a personal brand consultant?
Working with a consultant could be an idea for you if you have no idea where to begin, or you have something you want to work on such as establishing a tone of voice or revamping your website.
According to Visuable, a basic package which includes includes initial consultations, could be £2,295 or more. The sum you fork out will be dependent on the services you’re after, the scope and experience of the consultant and the levels of package they cover.
If you’re not sure about whether to hire a consultant, Thornton shares her top tips in the meantime:
- Don’t try to be too polished – this is a big pitfall. Clean and clever might look good on a sales page, but if it doesn’t feel like you, it won’t work. Your brand isn’t the Canva template. It’s not the niche you forced yourself into. It’s not even the coaching qualification you have on the wall. It’s you. The more you lean into that, the more you’ll stand out.
- Get clear on your values and ethics (and translate this into company ethics with your team if relevant). Know what you believe in – and what you’ll never tolerate. Share that. Over and over again. Make it easy for people to understand who you are and what you bring.
- Be consistent – when we’re not consistent, we’re confusing. And when we’re confusing, we’re forgettable.
- Share the messy bits. Not just the wins. The wobbles, the pivots, the missteps and realisations. We don’t build connection through perfection; we build it through truth.
- Make sure the version of you (and your company) that people see online is the same one they’d meet face to face. Anything else is a ticking time-bomb. No brand built on BS will hold.
- Authenticity isn’t a tactic – it’s the foundation. Build from there, and the rest will follow.
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