Here are some ways you can set yourself apart in the highly saturated freelance market. This story originally appeared on Personal Branding Blog The gig economy is bigger than ever, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Tell your personal story "Incorporate personality into your personal brand. Create a personal website for a niche audience "There are many people who freelance, yet only a small percentage have personal websites and even fewer have personal websites that provide content for a niche audience consistently over time. If someone wants to be a freelance designer, having a niche website for design in NYC tech startups would make them stand out in that market as an expert who provides value. Serve your customers before you sell "The gig economy enables us to work on a per-project basis, but I noticed that when I focused on serving the customers and their needs first, the money came after. It wasn’t so much about the money or being focused on how much I was going to make from a client. The freelancers who will get noticed are the ones who invest the time and money into optimizing their personal brand. Link their portfolios on your website or blog as an affiliate so they may, in turn, do the same on their site. Be timely in your communication and work "You may be as well-regarded in your trade as the best in the business, but that does not hold much ground if you fail to deliver on time.
Here are some ways you can set yourself apart in the highly saturated freelance market.
This story originally appeared on Personal Branding Blog
The gig economy is bigger than ever, and it shows no signs of slowing down. With more professionals in virtually every industry going the freelance route, what is one way they can set their personal brands apart to attract more business than their competitors?
These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC has also launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
1. Tell your personal story
“Incorporate personality into your personal brand. Explain why you got into the industry you did, and tell the story about how you got to where you are now by briefly mentioning previous work history. The goal is to set yourself apart, and being unique and creative are a few of the best ways to do that.” — Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
2. Create a personal website for a niche audience
“There are many people who freelance, yet only a small percentage have personal websites and even fewer have personal websites that provide content for a niche audience consistently over time. If someone wants to be a freelance designer, having a niche website for design in NYC tech startups would make them stand out in that market as an expert who provides value. It also shows they have discipline.” — Dan San, Meural
3. Do for you what you do for others
“Most ‘experts’ don’t do for themselves what they do for others. Web designers have basic/mediocre websites. Social media experts have limited social presences. An easy way to stand out is to be about what you talk about. Create and amplify a personal brand that showcases exactly what you can do for others.” — Brandon Harris, NuMedia
4. Set higher prices
“This may seem counter-intuitive at first but it really works: Pricing your work at premium rates will lead potential clients to view you as a premium freelancer with the ability to deliver high-quality work. The ugly truth is that lots of freelancers will price their work extremely low due to the fact that they deliver low-quality work. Doing the opposite will definitely help you stand out.” — Bryce Welker, CPA Exam Guy
5. Serve your customers before you sell
“The gig economy enables us to work on a per-project basis, but I noticed that when I focused on serving the customers and their needs first, the money came after. It wasn’t so much about the money or being focused on how much I was going to make…
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