If you’ve done any sort of research you know that there are TONNES of creative freelancers out there. So many, in fact, that it’s difficult to make your freelance business stand out. But guess what? It’s possible! 

Let’s face it, there’s SO much advice for creative freelancers out there, telling you how to make your freelance business stand out. Some of it is awesome advice, some of it’s wishy washy. (Hey, did you see what I did there?!).

This won’t be wishy-washy. I promise.

It’s HARD to make your freelance business stand out in this day and age, because the numbers are just too damn high. Everyone and his mother seems to be going out on their own and, if you look at the surface, the industry seems saturated.

Actually, it’s not and there’s plenty of work to go around if you know where to look for it, but it can still be mega daunting when you’re about to open that door into the self-employed world.

Yes, standing out is hard, but it’s necessary and, more importantly, it’s totally do-able.

It’s not some elusive unicorn frolicking around under the rainbow by the pot full of gold. It’s actually something you can practice and practice until it becomes second nature. Who knows, maybe you’re already doing some of these things, or maybe you just need a little push in the right direction.

Well I’m here to give you that little nudge. You’ve totally got this!

If you want to play along, grab the free worksheet at the bottom to level up your business! Are you ready? Yeah, let’s do this! 

How to Make Your Freelance Business Stand Out

Build Your Personal Brand

Let me get straight into the nitty gritty of it. Branding is so important if you want to make your freelance business stand out and keep people coming back for more. Think about it – when you see the glorious golden arches you immediately know it’s McDonalds because you’ve been exposed to it time and time again.

While I’m not saying you should shove your metaphorical fries in anyone who’ll listen’s face, there are ways you can go about building a memorable brand (without the bad press) which, in turn, will make your freelance business stand out.

• Have a distinct message that speaks directly to your ideal clients

So many freelancers are terrified of scaring off potential clients that they try and promote themselves to anyone who’ll have them. In fact, this has the opposite effect. Instead of all and sundry flocking to your door, you’ll have clients passing up the chance to work with you because you’re a jack of all trades, master of absolutely nothing.

The best way to combat this? Write directly to your target audience whenever you’re promoting your services online. Whether it’s on your website, on social media, or on your business cards. A simple message that speaks directly to your ideal client, one that makes them sit up and go “oh hey, this person was MADE for us” will do the job.

• Use consistent imagery and voice

If, one day, McDonald’s abruptly stopped selling its burgers and changed them all over for burritos or pizzas, we’d all be scratching our heads thinking they’d had a tiny breakdown, right?

Consistency is the key to creating a hard-hitting brand that’s difficult to forget. Whilst you might not be on the same playing field as McDonalds (really, who is?!), you can execute consistency in a number of smaller ways, whether it’s a colour scheme, specific graphics, or your style of writing.

• Insert yourself into your brand

No one likes to work with a faceless figure. Not only does it mean you can’t forge a human connection, it’s also a little creepy. Us humans like to be able to see each other, know who we’re talking to, and create sociable connections and, therefore, relationships with others.

It’s exactly the same with crafting and honing client relationships. I’m not saying you should whack a selfie up a day (in fact, I’d really rather you didn’t!). Instead, just make sure there’s a photograph of you on your website and social channels and, when you’re communicating with clients, just act like you would if you were face to face.

Brief story tangent: I was hiring a researcher/writer for a project a couple of months ago and I was blown away by the stuffy applications I got. These people were supposed to be writers, dammit, but their emails were as stiff as anything. Too many long words, too many formal phrases, too much fluff and not enough detail.

If in doubt, imagine you’re emailing a friend of a friend. 

Show Your Value With Results

A lot of freelancers can hark on about the work they’ve done but not as many can really wrap up some tight results when they’re pitching for work.

I hate to say it, but potential clients don’t care about this awesome piece you wrote for so-and-so, they care about the results it garnered and how it added value to the brand.

If you can start showing the results you’ve garnered from previous clients through case studies or easy-to-digest analytical results, you’ll be laughing all the way to the bank. This is one thing I’m so surprised so many people leave out. Think about if the roles were reversed and YOU were the client looking for a freelancer.

What would be the most important thing to you? Your business, right?

• What would be the most important thing you’d be looking for in a freelancer? Someone to help your business.
• How do you know if you’ve found the right freelancer? Because they’ve done similar projects in the past with great results.

Things change when you alter the perspective, right? If I could only ever give you one piece of advice again, it would be to think about things from the client’s perspective when you’re pitching for work.

Focus on the Details

I ordered a taxi once to take me to the airport. It was an online company where you just typed in your flight times and they came and picked you up. It was the cheapest I could find, so I wasn’t expecting much, but their level of service and attention to detail was so incredible I don’t think I’ll ever forget about it.

When the taxi turned up the guy was dressed in a suit and waiting outside the car for me. He rushed over to lift my bags in, opened the doors for me, and made sure the temperature was okay inside. Remember this was the cheapest cab I could find so I wasn’t expecting this at all. Not to mention I felt like I was in a James Bond-mobile, what with the tinted windows and pale leather upholstery.

Moral of the story: pay attention to the details and your clients will notice. It doesn’t have to be anything major or time-consuming (in fact, that can be detrimental to your business if everyone starts expecting it), but simple things like sending across a timeline for the project beforehand or wrapping it up with a report can do wonders for your reputation.

A happy client means more referrals and the possibility of more work in the future. Plus, they’ll remember how much extra value you provided them with and will have no problem whacking up their budget for you.

Know Who You Are and Stick With It

Clients come to you because they believe you’re the right person to do the job. They don’t come to you to test your abilities or your knowledge. 

So many freelancers are scared to voice their opinions about a project or pipe up with any clarifying questions because they’re worried the client will laugh in their face and head straight onto the next freelancer.

Knowing who you are and how you run your business is so important if you want to stand out. Having your own voice and principles makes you professional and, because you’ll have a greater understanding of your business, your clients will have much more confidence in you as a freelancer.

Your Turn!

How do you make your freelance business stand out in a sea of others? Any techniques I haven’t listed here? Please feel free to share in the comments!