Ways to Differentiate Your Brand as a Freelancer

The internet has evolved the freelance marketplace in unprecedented ways. Freelance websites allow anyone to connect with a staggering amount of specialists to find the one which suits their needs best. According to FounderJar, there are over 1.57 billion freelancers, which makes standing out from the crowd a daunting task.

If you’re a freelancer, you can’t realistically expect to always be the best at everything, nor be the only person offering your services. It is imperative then, to identify what it is exactly that makes you different from everyone else and also be able to communicate that with your branding strategies. This all starts with analyzing the market, your competition, and most importantly yourself.

But what exactly differentiates you from your competitors? Do you actually know? How can you continue to stand out from the crowd as a freelancer and attract dream clients to your small business? We dive into tips below.

Identify your unique selling proposition

Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) will be the key to distinguishing your brand from the sea of other freelancers vying for your potential client’s business. Are you simply more skilled than other freelancers? Perhaps you have extraordinary customer service or lighting quick turnaround times? Without knowing exactly how you differ from your competition, you run the risk of appearing generic and mediocre. Once you’ve identified your strengths, you can then work them into a cohesive brand strategy that helps set you apart.

So, how exactly do you do that? Here are three ways that I’ve found to be most effective:

Specialize

There is no one in the freelance marketplace quite like you. This is a fact regardless of your level of expertise. While it may be tempting to be a generalist and to go after every type of project imaginable, this will not help you create a unique brand identity. By specializing your talents you stand out from the jack-of-all-trades that crowd most freelance markets.

Figuring out what to specialize in can be a challenge, but it’s one worth pursuing. Look to your own past experiences and personal interests and leverage them to offer services that are uniquely yours. For example, if you worked in construction before you started as a web designer, your experience puts you in a unique position to build websites for construction companies. You’ll know first hand what those companies need and will have a better understanding of the image they are trying to portray. Word of mouth will take hold and you will begin to be known as “the” freelancer to hire if you need a construction website.

If you have a hobby that you are extremely passionate about, consider tailoring your brand around it. Perhaps you’re a writer who golfs five days a week. By seeking out jobs that center around golfing and consistently delivering high-quality content, you can begin to corner the market. Your passion will shine through your writing and other golf enthusiasts will respond to it more than they would a generic piece written by someone who clearly doesn’t play the sport.

By specializing you can command higher pay, tailor your marketing towards a specific group, and greatly cut down on the research you would need to do as a generalist. It is important to realize, however, that by specializing you open yourself up to any slumps within your chosen niche so be prepared to quickly pivot if you find yourself in a shallow market with too few prospective clients.

Alternative pricing

One way for your brand to stand out among the competition is by offering your services at a price not typically seen from other freelancers in your domain.  But price can certainly be a deciding factor for many clients. Your expertise, combined with a fair rate, can differentiate you and your competition.

If you are an exceptional designer with many years of experience and the quality of your designs reflect this, it may be prudent to offer your services at a premium. By charging more than your competitors, you send a clear message that you are simply better at the job than the vast majority and by hiring you the client is putting their project in the hands of a true expert.

However, this doesn’t mean you opt for the cheapest possible rate! You’re here to make money. As an independent professional, find a rate that’s just right—for you and the client to both feel like it’s a fair deal. Research what other independent professionals are charging for similar work on platforms like Uptiers. Take a look at salaries for full-time roles in your niche. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shares data about median pay. For example, writers make $35.45 per hour.

If your service is better than your competition, then charge more for it! It may seem counter intuitive but this will pique people’s curiosity and make them more interested in checking out your portfolio, leading to more work.

Alternatively, you could offer your services at a discount. Offering a similar service at a cheaper price is basic business and will obviously appeal to clients that may be cash-strapped. It’s important that you don’t go too low but if you can find the sweet spot between price and quality, you can make up for the lower wages by attracting a higher volume of clients.

However, try to think outside the box. Perhaps as a freelance writer, you offer your first few articles at a discount. Simply by changing the way you charge for your services you begin to distance yourself from those who follow industry standards and further separate yourself from the competition.

Capitalize on client reviews

Nothing speaks louder than a great review of your work. Collect testimonials from satisfied clients at every milestone or completed project. Feature the feedback on your Uptiers profile, LinkedIn, personal website, and even on social media.

Your testimonials can become a powerful word-of-mouth style marketing tool. Clients will see your reviews as proof of your capabilities.

Say your latest project with a new startup launch went really well. Ask your client to leave you a review describing the project’s success and how you contributed to it. The next time you pitch to a startup, that testimonial will indicate to the potential client that you’re already experienced in the area.

Form a partnership

It goes without saying that the more problems you can solve for a client the more you increase your value. If I’m in the market for an SEO expert, the odds of me needing someone that deals with WordPress development or social media marketing is pretty high. By finding other freelancers that complement your skillset and forming strategic partnerships, you enable yourself to offer service packages that the vast majority of your competition will be unable to.

This is a powerful unique selling proposition and is something that most freelancers are simply unwilling to do. Once you’ve found another freelancer you’d like to partner with and they agree to work with you, draft up a contract that covers things like deadlines, compensation, and how to divide the workload. Try to limit misunderstandings by coming to a clear agreement about who is responsible for what. While this may seem like a pain, it will ensure that your partnership is built for the long haul

As freelancers, we tend to live in our own little world. However, a little team building can transform your brand from run-of-the-mill to something truly unique in the marketplace. The great thing about a partnership is that you don’t have to be as nervous about the jobs you take because you have partners that can shore up your weaknesses and cover your blind spots. This allows you to bid on more jobs and directly increase profitability.

Create a strong freelancer portfolio

A strong and complete profile gives clients the information they need to hire you.

Your profile is the hub for your freelance business on Uptiers. Creating a high-quality profile is essential for clients to notice (and find!) you in the work marketplace.

For more advice on creating a complete and high-quality Uptiers profile, check out our How to setup your profile on Uptiers. These profile examples may also be helpful.