Why Freelancers Should Stop Chasing Clients and Build Their Own Brand

Looking for clients plays an important role in a freelancer’s life because it addresses a freelancer’s short term needs.  When a freelancer obtains clients, he is able to sustain his lifestyle and provide for his family’s needs.  Nevertheless, while its important to constantly chase clients, it is more sustainable for freelancers to focus their energies on their business by establishing their own brand.    Building a brand does not mean that the freelancer seeks to build something similar to what Apple or Samsung has built understandably because of lack of resources.  However, it is still possible for a freelancer to establish his brand and differentiate himself from his competitors.  Through brand building a freelancer is able to show that he is a hardworking freelancer who consistently gets the job done according to the client’s specifications. 

Brand Building is Long Term

New freelancers have the tendency to focus on chasing their clients and trying to satisfy their clients’ needs that they neglect focusing on their brand.  Building one’s own brand is an essential part of ensuring that the freelancer remains in business in the near future.  It addresses the freelancers’ long term needs because he is able to position himself in the market as one of the top notch freelances in his niche.   

 

Brand Building is Within a Freelancer’s Control

A freelancer should realize that he does not have control of their clients.  Whether or not a client will hire a freelancer is something beyond the latter’s control.  Freelancers who chase their clients are simply wasting their valuable time.  However, building your own brand is within the full control of the freelancer.  Presently, there are so many free tools available online that a freelancers can use to promote his own brand.  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn are effective tools to showcase a freelancer’s services.

Brand Building Can Be Fun

 

Chasing clients can be very stressful because freelancers have to please their clients.  The more aggressive a freelancer is in chasing their clients, the more they become uninterested in the freelancers’ offer.  The most effective strategy is to let the clients come to you.  When clients find posts on your blog or Facebook page, interesting and they find that your work meets their satisfaction, they will definitely contact you.  Based on our experience, brand building is fun because a freelancer serves as a brand ambassador for his own business.  He thinks of different ways to promote his brand to his global audience.  Considering that they are many unique ways of promoting his business, it is up to the freelancer to come up with creative and exciting ways to make his products and services known. 

 

Freelancers should avoid getting trapped in the cycle of chasing clients just so they could replace their income.  It is more important to focus on the bigger picture which is to build your own business, differentiate yourself from the competitors who are all chasing their clients, and stand out from the pack.