Building A Freelance Brand
Today we’re going to be talking about how to build a brand for your freelance business! First off, what is a brand? I like to think of a brand as the personalization of a business. It’s the idea that you can use a consistent style of visuals, manner of speaking and messaging to create a personality for your business that connects with people on a more meaningful level. As freelancers, building a solid brand is one of the best ways to connect with your dream client and to find like minded people who value the same things as you! In this post I’ll be talking about what you should take into consideration when building your brand so that you can be effective as possible.
TARGET AUDIENCE
First off, before we even start talking about your logo, or your brand colors, we have to establish who your target market is. Who is your dream client and what do they value and connect with? For me, my ideal clients are:
Businesses (rather than individuals who want custom art for their house)
Small Businesses who value craftsmanship and quality
Other brands/businesses who value individuality and want to stand out
How specific you are with your target audience depends on what you want. Here are a few examples. My friend Keeley Hays is a wedding photographer in Utah. There are thousands of wedding photographers in Utah, but Keeley has done a great job narrowing her audience to couples looking for an adventurous photoshoot and couples who are eloping. The work that she shares clearly reflects the type of client she’s trying to attract, and consequently, she gets clients that she loves! (Click here to follow Keeley on Instagram!)
Another great example is my designer friend Kinzie Madsen. Kinzie’s target audience is businesses run by millennial women for millennial women. She even says it right on the home page of her website! By being super specific about who she wants to work with, she’s been able to build a brand that attracts those kinds of clients. (Click here to follow Kinzie on Instagram!)
One last example is lettering artist Kevin Cantrell. Kevin does intricate lettering for high end luxury brands, and his portfolio clearly represents that. Right off the bat you can tell exactly what type of client he works with and is trying to attract. (Click here to follow Kevin on Instagram!)
ESTABLISH YOUR VISUAL BRAND
Once you know your target audience, it’s time to establish your visual brand. This is what people usually think of when they hear the word “branding.” The four basic elements of a visual brand are your logo, brand colors, brand fonts and brand photography.
LOGOS: A good logo should do a few things. Number one, it should be recognizable, and easy to read. A logo should work well in a single color and sometimes in multiple formats. A logo can be a symbol or a word mark. A logo is NOT a super detailed image or photo. If you’re a designer, create a nice logo that reflects the work you do. If you’re not a designer, PAY A DESIGNER TO MAKE YOU A GOOD LOGO. It is an important investment that will save you money in the long run.
Need a new logo? Why not get a hand lettered one? (Shameless plug, I know!) Click here to get a quote on a new logo from me!
COLORS: Color is a pretty straightforward concept, but as you're picking colors for your brand, REMEMBER YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE! If you’re favorite color of all time is florescent purple, but you’re trying to start a company that sells soap made from all natural ingredients, then maybe more natural muted colors would be the way to go.
Find ways to use color consistently through your branding, it will build consistency in your brand. Here are a few examples of freelance friends of mine who have done a great job incorporating color into their brands! On the left is lettering artist Tayler Mitchell, in the center is photographer Stephanie Bagley and on the right is Nikki Williams who makes pillows! To learn more about how to have a good looking feed, check out my 5 Tips For Sharing Your Work On Instagram.
FONTS: Fonts are also pretty straight forward but important. Make sure the fonts on your business cards, website, and promotional materials are the same across the board and reflect your brand. Again, if you’re not sure what fonts you should use for your brand, hire a designer, they’ll take good care of you.
PHOTOGRAPHY: Having a consistent photography style for your brand is HUGE! But it’s something that a lot of people overlook when they’re getting started. As a lettering artist, I do work for tons of different clients each with their own brand. When I’m sharing that work online or on my website, I can keep a consistent look and feel through the way I take my photos, even if I’m showing work done for a wide range of brands.
My favorite example of good brand photography is 1924 US. Their beautiful moody photography perfectly illustrates their brand and helps to attract their target clients.
BRAND PURPOSE
The next thing you should do to have an effective brand is to establish your brand purpose. Why are you doing what you do? For instance, if you are a quilter, WHY are you a quilter? It could be because you’re dedicated to preserving a dying craft, or it could be because quilts tell stories and bring people to together. Making sure that the WHY of your brand is part of your brand will help people connect with you on an emotional level. When people interact with your brand, they should be able to know pretty easily what you care about, and why you do what you do.
For example, a big part of my brand at Type Affiliated is supporting other small businesses and supporting my community in my home town of Provo! Because that is so important to me, I make a point to share about community events happening in my town and to feature other small businesses. In 2019 I started Provo People Project, which is a lettering and photography series celebrating people in the community who are doing great things. When corona started to hit the small businesses in Provo, I shared a new post every day featuring a small business that I love. Because I consistently make Provo part of my brand, people associate me with it and other people who love Provo support my brand.
Find out what makes you excited and causes you are passionate about and find ways to incorporate them into your brand, but make sure they are also relevant. If you are a caterer who really loves cats, it might not make a lot of sense to incorporate cats into your brand since they have literally nothing to do with your industry.
CONSISTENCY
The last and most important element of branding is consistency! If you’re brand is not consistent, then it’s not a brand. You should be consistent in your visuals, but also in the way that you talk, the way you present yourself and the way you act in real life when you are at events representing your brand. If you are really funny online but boring in real life, your clients are going to be disappointed in you when they meet you. Make sure that people are getting the same message and experience anytime they interact with your brand.
As an example, here is my own brand! Chances are, you’re reading this post because you’ve liked what I’ve shared on Instagram, or you’ve taken one of my classes. Not only is my brand imagery consistent across platforms, but my message and my personality and the same as well. Below are some examples of imagery that I’ve used on social media, or for my website, or email campaigns. It all is consistent and on brand.
Now it’s time for you to get out there are build a brand! Remember, building a solid brand can take time, but as your strive to present your work in a way that represents your values, you’ll be able to connect with a wider audience that shares those values and in turn will get more work doing what you love.