{"id":1096,"date":"2018-06-08T06:00:11","date_gmt":"2018-06-08T06:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.boonle.com\/?p=1096"},"modified":"2018-06-07T15:40:52","modified_gmt":"2018-06-07T15:40:52","slug":"look-professional-freelancer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.boonle.com\/look-professional-freelancer\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Effective Ways to Look More Professional as a Freelancer"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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When you\u2019re a business of just one person, creating the appearance of a significant, established brand can seem difficult. You don\u2019t have the resources of a larger company\u2014and you can\u2019t exactly lie to people and pretend that you\u2019re more than one person. But that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t put forth a professional image.<\/span><\/p>

Here are 7 helpful methods you can use to give people a better impression of your freelance business.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Online Portfolio<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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You\u2019re unlikely to get very far as a freelancer without some form of online portfolio. You don\u2019t need to design an entire website from scratch; many sites designed to help you create a portfolio already exist.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

If you’re an established professional, you can use sites such as <\/span>Behance<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>Dribble<\/span><\/a>. With these sites, crafting your online portfolio is as simple as uploading files and adding your contact information.<\/span><\/p>

If you’re a student and just getting started, set up your portfolio on Boonle<\/a> as it is for students only.<\/span><\/p>

Don\u2019t feel like you need to include absolutely every piece of work that you\u2019ve ever created; that will only confuse the recipient, and much of your older work probably isn\u2019t representative of your current skill and expertise. Instead, pick out your most impressive, eye-catching pieces and make sure they are prominently placed.<\/span><\/p>

Consider including a \u201cbackstory\u201d with each piece in your online portfolio to provide context and other details. Make sure the portfolio is simply designed and easy to navigate. Note that most online portfolios also include a \u201cbiography\u201d section where you can include more information about your personal background.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Social Media Presence<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Photo by Sticker Mule on Unsplash<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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You\u2019d be hard pressed to find many people who aren\u2019t on social media\u2014which makes it one of the simplest ways to reach people and give your business a professional look. That doesn\u2019t mean you should create an account on any and every social media network you can think of. You can\u2019t possibly maintain all of those platforms at once, at least not if you want the things you post to be distinctive and substantial.<\/span><\/p>

Instead, identify the social media platforms that are most important to your business. If you\u2019re a photographer, for instance, you\u2019ll likely want some sort of presence on <\/span>Instagram<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>Tumblr<\/span><\/a>. Just like with your online portfolio, make sure you\u2019re only posting the materials that you\u2019re most proud of. Don\u2019t overflow your feed with cheap inspirational quotes or other filler; offer something of substantial value. As always, make sure you keep your social media voice and visuals consistent with the rest of your brand.<\/span><\/p>

This may go without saying, but make sure you don\u2019t post anything to your business\u2019s social media account that is degrading to a person or group of people (with certain exceptions; insulting members of a bigoted hate group, for instance, may actually be in line with your brand).<\/span><\/p>

You should also avoid posting things that aren\u2019t directly related to your business. It\u2019s okay to comment on a recent event or social issue, just as long as it aligns with your brand\u2019s values.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Business Email Address<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Email accounts obtained through sites like Gmail are convenient and easy to set up, but they look awfully generic. Consider setting up an email address branded with your freelance company\u2019s name. If your business doesn\u2019t have a name of its own, you may want to use your own name, such as \u201cyourname@yourname.com\u201d. There are many sites that make <\/span>setting up a business email<\/span><\/a> simple and easy to do.<\/span><\/p>

This helps to create the impression that you\u2019re a professional with access to substantial resources, and who cares about their personal branding (rather than just a random person at a computer who doesn\u2019t take their work seriously).<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Branded Stationary<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Anytime you need to send a colleague or potential client a letter or present them with a contract, professional-looking branded stationery goes a long way towards enhancing your image. Invest a good amount of time into your letterhead design. If it looks haphazard or rushed, it could damage the recipient\u2019s impression of you.<\/span><\/p>

Consider creating <\/span>binders with your personal logo<\/span><\/a> and placing examples of your work inside. These are especially useful when meeting a potential client in person. You can give them your work samples in one simple, convenient package\u2014and the binder will serve as a reminder of your brand well after the meeting is over.<\/span><\/p>

If you lack design experience, you may want to get in touch with a professional designer and ask for help creating your printed marketing materials. They\u2019ll be able to assist you in designing envelopes, binders, folders, or other types of collateral.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Direct Mail<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Say what?<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Photo by Cem-Marvin von Hagen on Unsplash<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Direct mail is still a thing and is more personal than most other forms of marketing, which makes it a great way to engage potential clients on an emotional level. That doesn\u2019t necessarily mean you need to send a handwritten letter (though if that\u2019s feasible for you, it\u2019s not a bad idea).<\/p>

Different types of businesses call for different forms of direct mail marketing. Some might send sales letters out to prospects, while others might distribute catalogs, newsletters, or even packages with product samples.<\/span><\/p>

Depending on what type of freelancer you are and how you typically find clients, you may want to create postcards and send them to your community. These could act as reminders to place an order, an update about a new product or service you offer, or even a seasonal holiday greeting. Sometimes something genuine and heartfelt can go a long way towards building trust and rapport.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Client Testimonials<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Testimonials are valuable<\/span><\/a> because clients are more willing to trust their own peers than a faceless business they barely know. It\u2019s one thing to say your own work is good, but a recommendation from one of your previous clients is something else entirely.<\/span><\/p>

Testimonials can take the form of personal recommendations via word-of-mouth, or they could be online reviews. If you don\u2019t have any testimonials readily available, reach out to your best clients and ask them to write one. It\u2019s best to do this with recent customers because their experience with you is still fresh in their mind. Be sure to follow up again later\u2014both with clients who didn\u2019t respond to your request and those who did (and might want to provide more testimonials in the future).<\/span><\/p>

Consider highlighting your favorite testimonials on your website, social media feed, or even within your portfolio. If possible, include a name, date, and photo of the client.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Apps<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Staying on top of the latest, cutting-edge technology can be a great way to show clients that you\u2019re relevant and professional. Try using an app such as <\/span>Freshbooks<\/span><\/a> to create and send invoices. This is especially handy if you don\u2019t have graphic design skills of your own; it will look much more professional than something you quickly typed up in Microsoft Word.<\/span><\/p>

You may also want to use specialized software such as <\/span>Uberconference<\/span><\/a> to keep in touch with your clients. It allows you to keep track of all participants on a call and even add your own hold music, which can help create the impression that you\u2019re a larger business than you actually are.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Your Turn<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Do you have any tools or techniques that you use to improve the image of your freelance business? Share them in the comments below!<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re a business of just one person, creating the appearance of a significant, established brand can seem difficult. You don\u2019t have the resources of a larger company\u2014and you can\u2019t exactly lie to people and pretend that you\u2019re more than one person. But that doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t put forth a professional image. Here are … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1098,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n7 Effective Ways to Look More Professional as a Freelancer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Just because you're a freelancer, doesn't mean that you don't need good business practice. Here are 7 ways to help you look more credible & professional.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/blog.boonle.com\/look-professional-freelancer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"7 Effective Ways to Look More Professional as a Freelancer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Just because you're a freelancer, doesn't mean that you don't need good business practice. 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