Congratulations, you’ve finally launched your freelance or small design business. From graphic and web designers to content creators and strategists, branding is essential as it helps you set yourself apart from your competitors. Join us in this article as we share 6 Steps to Set Your Brand Apart.
Feeling overwhelmed when it comes to advertising your new brand? We’ve all been there. This six-step guide to building brand awareness will make you stand out from the crowd fast.
Table of Contents
Promotional Materials
By now you have probably created an original logo design and a business name. And I bet you cannot wait to show them off.
What better way to create brand awareness than by printing some trendy promotional material? Canvas tote bags are so fashionable now.
Or why not try something quirky like a branded beach ball or a packet of chocolate-chip cookies? You could even try combine style with function and go for a branded USB charger or power bank.
If you want your promotional gifts a bit normal. You can order a batch of custom keychains. Every house has a variety of keys that require a different keychain. So, the usefulness of keychains is high. Please go to the professional custom keychain website, www.keychains.co, to customize your event keychains.
Try handing these out at conferences or similar events to really make your mark.
Website and Blog
Next think about building a professional website to showcase your design portfolio. This will build brand awareness and draw in potential clients.
Don’t have anything to put in your portfolio yet? Try offering services to friends and family or adding projects you have done in your spare time or during your studies.
Consider setting up a blog. To drive traffic to your website, it is best to blog directly on your site rather than linking up to external blogging websites.
Blog about topics that would interest potential clients and not just you! Put yourself in their shoes and think of innovative solutions to solve their problems.
Try to write in a clear and casual tone as if conversing with a friend.
Socials
So, you’ve launched your glossy new website and now you need to drive traffic to it? It’s time to get social.
Set up profiles on the sites most relevant to you and your target audience. Don’t feel you have to be active on absolutely every social media platform.
Less is more. It’s better to post regularly on a couple of sites than to spread yourself too thinly across every channel.
Video marketing is the latest trend with 87% of video marketers saying that video has resulted in more website traffic. So, why not jump in front of a camera and make a lasting impression?
Organic Growth
Blogging, social media, and videos are a great way to create content. Try to make it as original as possible and invest enough time to generate organic growth.
While you could consider pay-per-click advertising too, this can be expensive and hard to maintain in the long-run. At the very least, you should combine a paid strategy with organic growth to reach your dream clients and build a loyal following.
Specialise and Become an Expert
If you really want to set yourself apart from the competition, why not specialise and become an expert in whatever you are most passionate about? This will also enhance your credibility and make an indelible impression on potential clients.
It will also help you to focus on niche marketing and content. A win-win.
You could specialise in a specific platform such as WordPress or even a particular industry. Got a weird and wonderful hobby? Now is the time to put it to good use!
Use Design Platforms to Showcase Your Work
Apart from your website, there are other avenues you can explore to build and showcase your design portfolio. There are so many coding-free platforms to sign up for in the time it takes to make your next cup of coffee!
Some of the best sites to show off your talents and grow your brand are:
- DeviantArt: The mother of all networking sites has been around for a long time, but it is still the most popular online art and design community.
- Carbonmade: Does HTML make you break out in a sweat? If so, this is the platform for you. Get the free trial and consider splashing out for premium to showcase even more projects.
Be sure to create a personal bio and alert clients to your availability.
- Dribble: This platform is perfect as it focuses on the designer and creatives community only. You can showcase your talent by creating beautiful case studies and even find work on here.
Bonus point: the site offers diverse training courses and workshops to take your skills to the next level.
Now you have the tools and you’re ready to boost your brand. Take it one step at a time and be patient.
Brand awareness doesn’t happen overnight but once you put the work in, you should start to see results.
Join The Logo Community
We hope you have enjoyed these 6 Steps to Set Your Brand Apart. If you would like more personal tips, advice, insights, and access to our community threads and other goodies, join me in our community. You can comment directly on posts and have a discussion.
*TIP – We use and recommend DesignCuts for all your fonts, mockups and design bundles.
