How Do You Market This? Branding the Person Behind the Business

Really? I have to market this?

by Chris Vanasdalan

Lately I’ve been struggling to strike a branding balance. I’m a freelance writer, so essentially I’m marketing myself. But I’ve got an unusual last name. That’s why I developed a company, Write Now Indy, to make it easier on the potential clients in my market. Let’s face it. Write Now Indy is much easier to say than Vanasdalan. (I’ll bet just reading it you have no idea where to start.) But how do I combine the two in a way that works for me and keeps me from getting lost in the crowd?

BALANCING THE COMPANY COMPARED TO THE PERSON.

Write Now Indy is me. It’s a staff of one. I offer a full range of services that go well beyond just writing, but I don’t want to give potential clients the wrong idea. I’m not a full service marketing or PR firm, so I’m constantly striving to be open and honest what I can deliver.

I always try to meet with potential clients face-to-face, so they can get to know me better while I explain more about how I can help drive their business. I don’t want them getting the wrong idea about what type of resources I have at my disposal.

KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS

Back to a time when I wasn't as in tune with my limitations.

I try to stay connected to other freelancers in my city. I’m great when it comes to artistic and visual concepts, but terrible at putting them on paper. I know bringing in a good graphic designer could be the key to landing bigger project. The same goes for web design. I can let clients know the importance of a good web presence, I can also tell them what’s working and what’s not when it comes to their site. But a drunken monkey could build a better web page than me. My technical skills pretty much end at anything tougher than adding a new blog post or a few photos. I’ll always try to bring in another freelancer if the job involves more than I can handle. And I hope they’ll do the same if they land a gig that requires a lot of writing. Knowing my personal limitations helps me keep a client’s expectations in check.

KNOW YOUR POTENTIAL CLIENTS

You’ve got to know what kind of problems your target buyers are dealing with. The more you know about their day-to-day issues, the better equipped you’ll be when it’s time to pitch your services. Reach out to your potential customer base. Identify what drives them nuts and offer up solutions. I find that this approach also works when it comes to personal branding. Some clients want to deal with a person, others may feel more comfortable contacting what they see as an established company. Knowing your target audience will go a long way toward helping you taylor your pitch. For instance, a small business, a start-up or a nonprofit might be intimidated by what they perceive as a big firm (which usually means big-time rates.) Approaching them as yourself might help put their mind at ease. They know they’ll be getting personalized attention and your services aren’t going to break their budget. Bigger firms and corporations are used to dealing with other companies. They feel better if you present yourself as established, stable and reliable. Whatever you decide to do, be professional.

PUT YOUR BEST FOOT FORWARD

Simply stated, don’t do anything stupid. If you’re serious about freelancing you already know that anything you put online becomes a matter of public record. Embarrassing photos, drunken blog posts, mean spirited tweets and everything in between will turn up in a Google search. And potential clients will look. That doesn’t mean you can’t have an opinion online, just don’t post anything you wouldn’t be comfortable saying in front of a client in a board room. Remember, they’re hiring you to represent them. They’re trying to build their brand too, and they aren’t going to risk letting you tarnish it.

I personally keep two separate Twitter accounts. That way I can post either business related messages or personal and opinion based stuff. I also have two different facebook pages. One’s personal, one’s for Write Now Indy. I also keep a close eye on those page to make sure no one posts something embarrassing to my wall. Friends are notorious for trying to make you look stupid in front of others. That’s what friends are for. But be vigilant. Don’t let somebody else sabotage all the hard work you’ve put in trying to build your brand. You’re always judged by the company you keep.

The same goes for politics. You wouldn’t want to alienate yourself from half of your potential market by being overly opinionated about politics (unless that’s your niche). You can be political and get involved as an activist, just be ready to defend your positions in a civil, intelligent, fact-based way. Trust me, people will challenge you. I always try to keep my profession and politics separate, but I know that they never truly are.

Hopefully this helped shed some light on the issue of branding for the others out there that feel stuck in the middle as I often do. I want to know what you think. Do you have any tips for balancing your company versus your personality? I’d love to hear them.

Chris Vanasdalan is the man behind Write Now Indy. He’s spent a lifetime trying to make up for doing dumb and embarrassing things in public. You can e-mail him to tell him just what a moron he is at ChrisVan@writenowindy.com.