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I’ve noticed that when it comes to marketing, freelancers are firmly split into two camps:

• The first are freelancers who realise the absolute importance of marketing their freelancing services in a strategic, well-planned manner.
• The second are freelancers who only think about marketing themselves when they’re running low on clients and money.

Which camp do you belong to?

One of the biggest brand management companies in the world is quite clearly a master of branding and marketing; it is the force behind billion dollar brands such as Duracell, Gillette, Max Factor, Pampers, Lacoste, Pringles, Tampax. Seriously, if they can sell a vile, disgusting liquid like Sunny Delight and convince parents that it’s healthy and kids that it’s cool to drink, they know what they’re doing!

Here are three of the most important things they do when it comes to marketing:

1 Know your market

Don’t just know your market, really know your market. I’m sure you hear this all the time but it’s what the big boys do and so should we. Before the big marketing companies even design or manufacture a product, they conduct hours of research, testing and focus-group brainstorming sessions. They design the product specifically for the consumer.

A more recent distinction in this area is this: who is the buyer versus who is the consumer? The person responsible for handing over the money isn’t necessarily the person who ends up using the purchase. Who do you market to? It depends on the product but ultimately, you design for the consumer and market to the buyer and the consumer.

How to apply this to freelancing:

• Ask yourself this: Who are your ideal clients? Why?
• Review what you offer and see if it’s the optimum solution for your existing clients.
  For example, are your design services structured and priced according to your clients’ needs or are they structured that way because it’s just the way you did them initially? Do your web design services include add-ons that a client doesn’t really want or need, you just include them to make more money? Do your writing clients need the NLP/compelling writing skills you have for their technical, detail-oriented brochures?
• Is the decision-maker the end user for your services?
  For example, is the person who creates the brief and signs off your custom-designed website going to be responsible for maintaining and updating it? When you’re designing a poster for a client, whose needs do you focus on meeting - the client’s personal taste or the people at whom the poster is targeted?

2 Know your brand

Almost as important as knowing your market, knowing your brand is what sets you apart from your competitors.

It’s what someone would say about you if they were woken up in the middle of the night and asked to describe you or your company.

How to apply this to freelancing:

• What would your existing clients say about you?
• If you don’t know, ask them - ask them to describe you and your business/services in single words or give them a list of words and ask them to rate how applicable they are to your business on a scale of 1 to 10.
• What do you want your clients to say about you?
• If there’s a disconnect between the first and second, then how can you change that and bridge the gap?

3 Build the business around the brand

This ties in very closely to number 1 and also to one of my previous posts “The Secret To Keeping Your Freelance Clients Happier Than Larry“. The very best companies design their entire business around the customers’ needs.

Everything from the marketing to the payment options to the support services are designed because the business knows the customer, knows what they need and builds the business to deliver this.

How to apply this to freelancing:

• Check out the above post and identify at each of these stages what your clients’ needs are - do you fulfill these needs?
• If you don’t meet their needs at each stage, then what simple things can you do to better service your clients and address their needs?
• If you have more than one type of client, then is your business set up to cater for this or do you use a one-size-fits-all approach? How well does this work for you - and your clients?

The lessons from the big boys, when it comes to marketing, are wholly applicable to freelancers and their businesses; they are designed to take the mystery out of marketing and remove any confusion about what your customers want. They’re designed to help you, as a freelancer, view marketing as an integrated part of what you do, on an ongoing basis.

After all, if it weren’t for marketing you wouldn’t get clients; and if it weren’t for your clients, you wouldn’t be in business.

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com

Winning a job in the freelance world often comes down to who is the more credible and more professional candidate.

It’s a sad fact, but many freelancers are inconsistent with their customer service and underwhelming with the quality of their work. In the several years that I’ve worked with freelancers, I’ve seen both unbelievably good work and unbelievably bad (as I’m sure most of you have as well).

When it comes down to the wire, your potential clients are trying to figure out which category you fall into: the good or the bad.

So how can you show that you’re an honest and hard-working freelancer? A lot of the time it’s the little things that count the most.

1. Have an established pricing structure

Nothing will help project professionalism more than knowing what your work is worth and charging accordingly. Set up your pricing structure early, and know it completely before pitching to a prospect. If your work requires sending proposals, then be ready to give a ballpark estimate when asked.

I remember the first time I showed up to a meeting with a firm price structure in hand – the difference was night and day. Where before there was bargaining and questioning, now there was acceptance and respect. My confidence convinced them that I was worth what I charged, and knew it.

2. Create a clean and professional brand

Unfortunately, being a freelancer doesn’t give you a get-out-of-branding free card. In fact, it’s just the opposite. With the number of freelancers and small businesses vying for work out there, it’s all the more important to have a professional corporate identity.

So what things do you need?

A consistent logo, proper business cards, and a well-designed website are the foundation of a good identity. I know it sounds a bit harsh, but I usually dismiss potential contractors immediately if they are missing one of the three. On the other hand, if you have all of those, it will go a long way towards showing your professionalism.

3. Pay for a professional telephone service

If you’re anything like the majority of freelancers, you probably have a significant number of calls end up in your voicemail. Unfortunately, a lot of people just don’t leave messages. Even more still are turned off by a home answering machine.

Paying a monthly fee for a phone system can be a great way to boost your professional image, and make sure fewer potential clients get turned away. Telephone systems like these can range from simple call redirection services, all the way to a person actually answering the phone for you every time.

Personally, I pay for an 800 number that redirects the incoming calls to my phone (it also allows me to screen them, forward them, or send them to voicemail). I can’t emphasize enough how much this has done for my company’s image.

4. Show Professional Endorsements

Most industries have a professional association or two that upstanding companies can join. If your freelance work fits into one of these organizations, it can make a lot of sense to sign up and become a member.

Once you’re a member, you can gain some credibility by displaying their seal or logo along with yours. Make sure to do this sparingly, and only on the right materials. For example: I wouldn’t recommend putting another group’s logo on your business cards, unless it’s very important or really small.

This can be a subtle difference, and some people would argue that it doesn’t matter much, but I’ve seen cases where professional affiliations have made the difference between getting a job and coming in second place.

5. Proudly display your previous work

A lot of new freelancers don’t have enough previous work to show, and a lot of crappy freelancers are too scared to show any of it. What would you think of a person who wouldn’t show you a portfolio?

Always be ready to show off your work, and you’ll gain instant professionalism in the eyes of your potential clients.

If you don’t have enough work to build a quality portfolio yet, consider doing a promotion or a few small jobs for free until you do.

6. Proudly display client testimonials and comments

Few things will do more to boost your professionalism than showing off authentic client testimonials. When I started including testimonials in my portfolio, my sales rate literally doubled.

To be effective, your testimonials need to be real – and you don’t even want to think about what might happen if your potential clients get wind of fakes. Make sure they’re real, and include as much of your client’s information as they’ll allow.

7. Dress appropriately for client meetings

Wearing appropriate clothing is very important when dealing face-to-face with clients. Whether we like it or not, people immediately judge us based on what we’re wearing.

In some industries, appropriate dress could be jeans and a tee-shirt. In others, though, a full suit is almost a requirement. You’ll want to spend some time observing and researching so that you can show up confidently in the appropriate attire.
When you get really into it (like me), you might even create signature company colors and outfits.

8. Always be well-groomed

This goes hand-in-hand with wearing the proper attire. Make sure that you are properly washed, don’t smell, have clean teeth, and good smelling breath.

I’ve run into some people who I can smell from 10 feet away. I’m not really sure how their clients can stand it, or how they have any clients at all.

9. Have lots of detailed information on your website

There will never be a brochure or marketing piece in existence that can hold as much information as a website, so it’s important to use that to your advantage.

Digging deep into background information is something most clients will want to do before working with a freelancer. Not having enough information available will put you at a disadvantage. On the flip side, having an excellent page about yourself and your company can give you a lot of credibility.

10. Maintain a confident voice in your industry

Whether you communicate in writing, over the telephone, or in person, having a confident voice about your subject matter is important for your professional image.

Your expertise should show through in every interaction, because it’s that expertise that clients are paying you for. There are many freelancers who are unsure about themselves – you don’t want to be one of them.

Confidence can take time to build – I recommend going to a business card exchange or networking event if you think you want some practice talking about your expertise.

11. Always be willing to say no

As a freelancer it can be tempting to offer anything in order to please your clients, but trust me that it’s not a good idea. You’ll actually sound more professional if you turn down some requests that aren’t in your area of expertise.

No professional in their right mind would claim to be an expert at everything, and you need to show that to your client. You are an expert in some fields, but not all, and your clients will eventually learn and respect that about you.

I have a friend who wanted to cut down his business a bit, because his wife was pregnant. He eventually decided to do it by cutting back his services to a select few (the ones he liked best). Within weeks of limiting his offerings, he had even more business than he had started with. His prospects had bought more of his newly-limited offerings because he had said no to others.

It’s good to show as many signs of professionalism as you can, but make sure you still maintain your own personal style

The higher you can position yourself above the mess of inconsistency and unprofessionalism that is fairly common in the freelancing world, the better off you’ll be.

Mason Hipp is an entrepreneur, small business marketing expert and writer. He blogs about marketing and small business at www.SmallFuel.com.

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com

Seldom do you meet a veteran graphic designer that’s done more than create stunning visuals. But Jeff Fisher has managed to maintain a highly successful career while positioning himself as an industry expert—and author.

Hailing from Oregon, this savvy designer has a knack for business development, promotion—and Friday’s off. Read on to find out the secrets to Jeff’s continuing achievements.

Kristen Fischer: Tell us a little about how you got started as a designer.
Jeff Fisher: As a kid I was always artistic—and the one told “you will never make a living as an artist.” Still, art was a major part of my early education and I got a great deal of support from teachers and others in the community. In 1974, as a senior in high school I saw Milton Glaser’s book Graphic Design at the public library and knew that is what I wanted to do for a living.

I went to college to study graphic design and detested the program offered through the Fine Arts School. A friend suggested taking the coursework taught by Roy Paul Nelson in the Journalism School. It involved publication design, advertising design, type design, and all of the requirements of the journalism program including copywriting, public relations and marketing classes.

When I got out of school in 1980 I had no intention of working independently. I wanted to work in a large design firm or advertising agency, but there were no jobs to be had. I spend a lot of time doing informational interviews and talking with anyone who would take the time. That investment in time and energy led to a lot referrals for contract design work.

KF: You’ve taken your expertise in design and gone above and beyond, turning into an industry expert. How’d you do it?
JF: A large part of that success is due to understanding the importance of marketing and promoting oneself. I come from a family of public relations professionals, so perhaps part of my success is genetic. I always sign off my press release with “If I don’t ‘toot! my own horn, no one else will!” and I think it is important for designers to understand that there is a difference between the bragging we were scolded about a kids and effective self-promotion efforts.

KF: Great point! Do you think that’s a vital step for designers?
JF: I don’t think it is vital for all designers to establish themselves as an “industry expert.” However, I do think they have an obligation to themselves to learn and understand as much as possible about the business of graphic design. Sharing that knowledge with those coming up in the industry helps define and maintain graphic design as a valid and healthy profession option.

KF: Again, your reach has gone beyond client work–and into books, too. What’s the gist behind Identity Crisis? Did you come up with all of the branding yourself? How did you find contributors for the book?
JF: In 2004, my first book The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success was published. At the time it wasn’t really the book I wanted to write—but it was what I was asked to write. When I felt I was ready to take on another book project, I proposed writing a volume about the redesign of business and organization identities. I wanted to showcase the efforts of one-person design firms to major design entities, with projects from start-ups to major corporations. That proposal was approved by my publisher HOW Books and Identity Crisis! was the result.

I initially invited about 200 designers and firms to participate in the book (Crisis) project. Nearly 100 expressed interest in submitting case studies to the book. In the end about 60 firms actually made submissions to the book. My editor Amy Schell and I made the final selections as the book concept was altered from 100 case studies to the 50 included in the final volume.

My major contribution to the branding of the book was the addition of the exclamation point to the title. I wanted the book’s title on the spine to scream from shelves—and it does. HOW Books designer Grace Ring did an incredible job of designing the book cover and content.

With my first book project, author Ilise Benun told me that, even with access to the marketing department of a major publisher, an author is going to need to do a major portion of a book’s promotion themselves. I took what was created by the publisher and created my own marketing program for the book, including the Identity Crisis! blog. In doing so, I have created a very strong brand for the book itself. Designers, and book reviewers, are already suggesting that Identity Crisis! become a series of future books.

KF: Why do you think redesigning existing identities is so fundamental for designers, and what tips do you have when clients need this service?
BF: Designers are constantly facing the challenges of recreating, revamping or re-energizing existing business or organization identities. The process can be much more intense than creating a new business image from scratch. When taking on such a redesign effort, I always suggest that designers consider the historical aspects of the existing logo; give thought to the emotional attachment of owners, employees and the customer base; and determine if existing design elements are appropriate to include in the new identity as part of a seemingly natural design evolution. The first thing I usually say to a designer about such projects is “Never tell your client their logo sucks.” If you make that statement you can be assured that the logo was created by the client, their spouse, their child, or the kid next door—and your potential business relationship with that client is already damaged.

KF: So, when it comes to designing logos, what do you think are the biggest mistakes a designer can make?
JF: The vast majority of designers forget to incorporate basic design principles when creating logos. In many cases those designing logos have never been taught design basics and it shows in the final work. The most successful and memorable logos are most often the simplest designs. Many designers try to convey too much information in a logo design. I like designing images that make the viewer want to know more information about a business, organization or event.

I recently posted the following on a design forum:

The personal computer and the accompanying software programs have been incredibly detrimental to identity design over the past two decades. Anyone with a computer, Photoshop, Comic Sans and Papyrus, a clip art book, and someone willing to pay for work, now calls themselves a “professional logo designer.” The primary things missing are often talent, true design skills and an understanding of basic design principles.

Software “special effects” seldom add much to a logo design. Instead, distractions are created that get in the way of the message the logo needs to communicate.

Following design industry trends is another mistake made by many logo creators. By the time something is declared a trend it has usually already been seen too much. A logo making use of trends will soon be dated.

KF: You’ve gotten tons of awards in addition to positioning yourself as an industry expert. How can designers (and other freelancers in general) get out there and do the same?
JF: In 1995, I realized that most of my traditional paid advertising and marketing was ineffective. I decided to invest my money, time and energy into participating in respected industry design competitions. The awards, and publication in design annuals, provided worldwide exposure to my work and gave me the added bonus of opportunities to promote myself via press releases announcing the award news. There are many online resources, including my own bLog-oMotives, that publish international calls for entries for such competitions—and some charge no entry fees at all.

KF: You’re also featured in a slew of books. How did those opportunities come about?
JF: Exposure begets exposure. Publication in books results in requests for work examples to be included in additional books. Sending out press releases about one’s accomplishments brings about the publication of such information on websites and in magazines. That media coverage results in other writers and authors making contact for editorial content, quotes or illustrative submissions.

I also write a great deal myself. The journalism training I had in high school and college has been very helpful when writing articles, reviews, blogs, and books. My own writing then creates additional marketing and promotion opportunities. At some point, it all seems to take on a life of its own.

KF: Tell us how you feel about the jump from a creative career in design into publishing. How has this helped your business, and what has it done for you personally? How do you like the overall vibe of publishing?
JF: For me, there has not been a major “jump” from one to the other. As far back as high school, when I was designing and editing the high schools newspaper, my design and writing efforts have co-existed. Throughout my career I have written and designed ads, brochures and other materials. The progression into writing design articles seemed very natural to me. Writing books was just the next step in my career.

I truly enjoy writing, and the results have given much greater exposure to my design work. Incredible opportunities have come my way as a result. I appreciate the fact that I don’t have to choose one over the other. I assume that I will continue to do both for many years.

Publishing is a totally unique beast. Again, my marketing, promotion and public relation skills have come in very handy in regards to my books. Still, I think success in publishing requires the cultivation of successful, and valuable, personal and professional relationships. With publishing relationships going back only seven or eight years I suppose I’m still a newbie. Design relationships of over 20 years probably qualifies me as a design-o-saur.

KF: Because you have all this other stuff going on, in addition to your business, do you find that you spend less time with clients now? Are you more selective in choosing clients?
JF: After 30 years as a professional designer, I have reached a point where I can usually pick and choose clients. I get to take on projects that are truly of interest to me, rather than absolutely everything that comes my way.

I spend very little face-to-face time with clients. Most of my client projects are conducted almost entirely by email. Very little time is spent in client meetings with even local clients.

I also have no client contact at all on Fridays. My office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 to 5:00. Fridays are usually spent on marketing efforts of doing work-related paper work.

KF: Brilliant idea. So who is your biggest source of inspiration?
JF: There really is no one “who.” Milton Glaser has always been the person who inspired me to be a designer. However, designers, artists, and writers in general provide me constant and varied inspiration. Having the support of my partner of 17.5 years, Ed, is a major source of inspiration.

My work inspiration seldom comes from sitting at my desk in my home-based studio. Pushing myself away from the computer and getting out in the world provides inspiration. Gardening, travel, time with my friends, reading everything I can get my hands on, and “creative field trips” to galleries, museums and great retail establishments all provide inspiration for my design efforts.

Kristen Fischer is a copywriter and author living in New Jersey. Check out more on her copywriting business at http://www.kristenfischer.com.

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com

Editor’s Note: This post is a sponsored review. You can purchase an impartial review through Sponsored Reviews. We only take on reviews which we think the FreelanceSwitch audience will enjoy and benefit from.

It’s easy to think that branding is something reserved solely for big companies, but the reality is it’s just as important for freelancers. And if you think branding just means having a logo and cards, think again. For freelancers, just as for large companies, branding should extend out to your reputation and people’s knowledge and perception of you. This post is a review of a blog about personal branding called QuickSprout. It’s written by Neil Patel but before I get to that, let me just give you an example worth thinking about.

Hollywood and what branding can do for you?

Consider for a moment the world of acting. Think about the highest paid actors and actresses (you can see a list here at Forbes). These people make millions of dollars where their fellow actors earn a tiny fraction of that amount. Is it because the highest paid actors and actresses are the best actors? No doubt there are equally talented actors around who haven’t ‘made it’. Are they the best looking? Probably not. Is it just luck and coincidence that gets them to the top? Nope.

So what’s the difference? I would argue that some part of that is personal branding and reputation. If you think about the oft-quoted 80-20 principle, a minority of people in any industry earn the majority of pay. In all instances there is skill and expertise involved, but there is also a point when skill and expertise is common and an added edge is needed.

Building a strong personal brand and reputation can put you in the elite category. To give you an example closer to home, recently I decided we needed some SEO services for one of our sites. Now there are thousands of SEO experts around, but who did I think about first? I thought of Aaron Wall of SEOBook. Why? Because he has a very strong personal brand associated with SEO work. I’m not sure who we will hire in the end, but you can bet that Aaron Wall will be near the top of the list, and I’m not even sure what he charges yet!

What’s this got to do with Quicksprout?

Neil Patel is a bit of a pro when it comes to personal branding, having created a fair bit of name recognition in social media and oddly enough SEO as well, through his blog Pronet Advertising which led him to work as evangelist for Text Link Ads, managing Crazy Egg - the heat map / stats software, and lots of other gigs. Back in April he started the blog Quicksprout which talks about how to build a brand and reputation around what you do. I’ve been reading it since May which is why I’m quite happy to be reviewing it now!

Business Cards, About Me Pages and More

To give you a flavour for what Neil writes about, you should definitely read articles like:

• The 4 Essential Elements of an About Me page
• 5 Branding Errors that Make You Look Dumb
• What Does Your Business Card Say about You?

Articles aren’t published too frequently (4-5 a month), but their high quality and have some interesting things to say that you don’t really hear about anywhere else.

The Verdict

I would recommend reading the blog to any freelancer looking to take themselves to the next level, you can subscribe to his RSS feed directly through this link or if you are a non-RSS person like me just go to QuickSprout.com

Original post by FreelanceSwitch.com