Category Archives: Marketing

Branding, networking & promoting your business

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Build Your Self-Promotion Strategy

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I modestly propose several tactics that you might use to build a subtle,  yet effective, self-promotion strategy that will deliver not only name recognition and hits on your web site,  but also paying clients and enthusiastic referral sources.

Online Tactics

  • Set up a website that describes your services in language that clicks with your clients.  Demonstrate your understanding of what clients need when hiring for your category of services  by highlighting the solutions  you offer and problems that will be solved or avoided through your expertise.
  • Include website features at your discretion.  If a  ‘call to action’  that clients value can be devised, then use it.  If you are a public  speaker and can pinpoint what clients typically want to see and hear when a hiring decision about speaking or teaching is made,  then add a video of you meeting those expectations.  If you’ve written  ‘white papers’  that address topics known to be of interest to clients, then add them.  If you want to add your public appearances calendar to demonstrate that you are in demand by reputable organizations,  by all means add and keep it updated.
  • Establish a LinkedIn profile and use it as your adjunct web site.  Complete your profile and periodically add updates to showcase special achievements,  good business books you’ve read and professional events you will attend.   Join a group or two and stay up to date with what is happening in communities that impact or interest you,  whether alumni or professional.
  • Start thoughtful discussions in your groups and add comments to others’ discussions to build a reputation as a good resource. Visibility in your groups may lead to online relationships that can yield off line results like referrals or maybe even a client.
  • Set up a subgroup in Huddle Workspace for more specific  in-group discussions.   When it seems appropriate,  reply privately to a discussion and invite that person for coffee if the geography is convenient and it seems like a face to face could be mutually beneficial.

Off-line Tactics

  • Join or visit networking organizations affiliated with your profession, where you can meet industry peers and stay current with industry trends, challenges and business growth opportunities.  Join/visit additional organizations where you can meet prospective clients,  referral sources and perhaps find speaking opportunities to showcase your expertise.
  • Prepare a short narrative about a recent achievement:  an interesting project,  a marquee  client,  how you solved a vexing problem that stymied others,  how you brought something to the next level.  Write down your story and practice and perfect the language,  so you will have instant recall and be able to trot it out when necessary.
  • Do some public  speaking and establish yourself as an expert in your field.  There are numerous (alas, often unpaid) speaking opportunities at business associations, professional groups, colleges, adult learning centers and nonprofit organizations. Figure out a topic or two that you can authoritatively address and put yourself on a couple of calendars.  Referral sources/potential clients may be in the audience.
  • Volunteer for a cause that has meaning to you.  This can present a golden opportunity to meet movers and shakers,  potential clients/referral sources, demonstrate leadership and expand your skill set into areas that enhance you professionally.   You might chair a committee  or even propose a high profile event (I’m in the midst of both) and benefit not only the organization but also spice your CV.
  • Become a mentor to someone who will receive a much needed career boost when you share  your knowledge, insights and relationships.  Not only will you receive great satisfaction from guiding someone along the path of professional growth and success,  you will also gain an ally and will learn from the person you mentor.  You’ll benefit from the perspectives of another,  perhaps younger,  person who can broaden your sights and could also  reveal new business avenues for you.  Important benefits accrue to mentors,  including expansion of one’s professional network and renewal of  managerial and coaching skills.
  • Maintain your personal life.  Stay in touch:  send Christmas cards,  remember birthdays and congratulate friends’ accomplishments.  Go to your school reunions.  Go to the flower show or go hear your favorite blues singer.  Go away for the weekend or a week.  Learn to dance the samba or resurrect some long neglected talent like playing the xylophone.  Have things to talk about besides business!

Thanks for reading,
Kim

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The Subtle Art of Self-Promotion

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There was a time,  not terribly long ago,

The Diarist

when one’s accomplishments pretty much spoke for themselves. If you performed well in your chosen profession and discreetly let a few of the right people know, you were often rewarded with the promotion you deserved or the clients you coveted.

The pay-off sometimes took longer than anticipated, but eventually many of us got there, or at least reasonably close. The adage about the rewards of hard work offered numerous confirming examples to back it up. But that was then, my Freelancer friend, and this is now.

Today, the sizzle is worth more than the steak and appearances count more than capability. Exposure is no longer something that you die of, but will die without. Everyone is out there putting on a show, from politicians to athletes, corporate leaders and entertainers, Supreme Court justices, organized crime figures and a platoon of self-created “celebrities” like Paris Hilton and her BFFs and frenemies.

Shameless and relentless self-promotion in the pursuit of visibility/attention/ branding and image enhancement is rampant and sadly, has become an expectation. Average citizens are not immune and have been dragged into the fray by MTV Real World, FaceBook and Twitter, enticed to divulge and disseminate personal information such as who one drank with on Thursday night.

The advent of first websites and then social media platforms have forced Freelancers and business owners to establish brands for our products that are as strong as those created for Proctor and Gamble soaps. The choice and management of promotional strategies can be exhausting and bewildering. Several of the typical options can also be a waste of time, because visibility and noise level do not necessarily yield billable hours.

“What, you don’t have a ‘call to action’ on your website?” “You really should write a blog. And a newsletter.” “I have 500 + LinkedIn connections!” “I have over 2000 names on my mailing list.” “Absolutely, you should be tweeting about your business and letting people know what you’re up to.” “I go to at least one networking event every day. It’s what I do.” Aaarrgghh!

I propose that it has become necessary for the savvy Freelancer to devise a self- promotion strategy that achieves the following:

1.) Showcases one’s expertise

2.) Resonates with clients and referral sources

3.) Delivers desirable tangible results

4.) Does not consume an inordinate amount of time

5.) Preserves one’s self-respect

Next week, I’ll suggest tactics that you may find useful to include in your self-promotion strategy.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

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Survive and Thrive—Price to Profit

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Let’s segue into the pricing thicket,  which is where accounts receivable begin,  if you think about it.  I confess that I struggled with pricing.  I offer an intangible service and I knew of no way to find out what my competitors charge for similar services.  Clients pay what they think we are “worth”, but how is that determined?

The received wisdom is that clients are very price sensitive  and that they are more so in this economy.  Fear drives many Freelancers to price conservatively,  yet experts advise against that practice.   Many of us need a smarter pricing strategy,  because we’re probably  leaving money on the table.  We  just don’t know how much.

Pricing that is based on what competitors charge,  hoping that number will allow  you to cover costs and turn a profit (“cost competition”),  is what almost everyone does when they can figure out their competitor’s prices.  However,  pricing specialists  warn that this is unwise,  because that price will not reflect your value to the client.  In fact,  prices that fall below a certain threshold can even steer prospects away from a business.

If prices are perceived as too low, clients will suspect that the service delivered must be inadequate.  In a service business,  delivering the service and meeting (or exceeding) expectations are the overriding factors— not money.  The money is always negotiable when it is demonstrated or perceived that the service will deliver the desired results.

What competitors charge is important,  but that should not overwhelm your pricing strategy.  Ideally,  price should accurately reflect the client’s perception of the value of  the deliverables.  But what might that be? Different customers can have very different ideas about what a service is worth,  sometimes based on their ability to pay.

It is therefore worthwhile to develop pricing strategies,  rates and service packages for different categories of clients,  e.g. corporate and nonprofit rates,  with service packages tailored to meet each group’s typical needs.

Think counter-intuitively.  People pay for what they value.  They pay a premium for what is perceived as high quality,  expert,  reliable and trustworthy.   A good reputation, excellent credentials,  impressive client list and referral from a trusted source also influence the price that clients will pay.  If you are holding several of these cards,  you can charge more and clients will be happy to pay.

A useful counter-punch for gaps in your bona fides is your marketing message.   Make your intangible service appear tangible to clients/prospects.  Describe your service as providing deliverables that will produce measurable outcomes.  Make it easy to understand what you do,  so that clients can relate your value to their business problem and can picture themselves as the beneficiary of your unique solutions.

When setting prices,  it is better to err on the premium side.  This will position you as higher quality and will support profitability.  Furthermore,  clients probably don’t know what your competitors charge unless they’ve hired for your category of service recently.

So what if you’re totally in the dark about your industry pricing norms?  If you have money to spend,  hire a pricing consultant.  If you don’t have money to spend, visit gsa.gov/mobis.   Click products & services,  choose a category,  find a vendor,  click terms & conditions and peruse price and service lists used by firms that bid on federal contracts.  Also, you can learn what clients think of your pricing,  scope of services and delivery of services with a follow-up evaluation survey.  You may be surprised to learn that if you tweak a couple of things,  clients would be willing to pay more for what you do.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

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Fishing At C- Level

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Gotta be a big game hunter like Teddy Roosevelt.  Gotta find high level decision makers who can green light projects and not string you along.  Gotta bait the hook and fish for C- level execs,  so you can close some deals and pay some bills.  Oh yeah!

OK,  so how to do it? Let’s start by looking at the size of your C-level’s  organization.  If your client sweet spot is companies with fewer than 100 people,  you are likely to find the CEO, CFO, Executive Director or Development Director at a Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce event.  If you’re fishing in organizations with 100 – 1000 + employees,  you may also find C-levels at Rotary and Chamber meetings,  but you’ll have more luck at university sponsored business forums or prestigious networking association events.

In general, when looking to meet C-levels in larger organizations,  it is wise to attend marquis events:  special speaker programs,  awards luncheons and industry specific programs.  C-levels rarely attend holiday parties or networking breakfasts (except for those sponsored by their prestigious networking group and those are usually private).

What if you need contact names and titles? Sometimes,  you can find company leaders on the website.  Other times,  you can call the main number and ask to be transferred to the head of a certain department.  You can also try to meet someone from the organization at a conference or  networking event and chat them up.  Such encounters may or may not pay off.  Employees may fear pissing off a C-level by revealing the name.

You can also use  ZoomInfo, which is a resource discussed in The ROI on 2.0 posting of December 8, 2009.   For a fee,  ZoomInfo will allow you to basically access a company organization chart and find out who leads which business unit.

Once you get specific names and titles,  then internet search,  read the ZoomInfo profile,  LinkedIn profile and anything else you can locate to determine where you might find those people and what their hot buttons could be.  Where might they go to meet peers and network or stay current on industry and business issues?

When you attend programs where targeted C-levels might be found,  skillfully devise the set-up.  Arrive early.  At the check-in desk,  scan name tags to learn who will be in the house.  If you see a name tag that’s on your wish list,  prepare an ice breaker.

I’ve found that comments about the speakers and program focus are excellent conversation openers.  Also, take notes at the program.  This will allow you to 1).  pose an intelligent question during Q & A,  which is wonderful for visibility as it encourages conversation with others,  including the speaker;  and 2).  can segue into a conversation with your C-level at the break.  Oh, and try to sit with this person at lunch.  However,  I caution you to not be too obvious.  Do not appear to stalk.

Remember that your C-level is also there to network and has an agenda.  If you are lucky enough to sit at the right lunch table,  relax and join the conversation.  Everyone will introduce themselves and there will be some mild talk of business.  You will meet a few more C-levels who may be good prospects.  Think relationship building and not selling.

Now for the ask. You need follow-up with your C-level.  Follow your instincts on the flow of your interaction.  If the program is short,  you’ll have to act fast.  In a day long program,  you may want to approach at the afternoon break.  Whatever the timing,  tell  C-level that your product/service has the capability to impact specific success factors or other business concerns that he/she is likely to have.   Ask if the need is being addressed and who might your competition be?  Request an appointment in or out of their office to discuss mutual alignments.

Be calm and professional,  get your point across and don’t arm twist.   No matter what happens,  you’ll learn whether you have a chance with this person and organization or not.  If not,  well,  you’ll know and will waste no further time on pursuit.  In 6-12 months,  you may cross paths again and maybe get another chance.  If yes,  you are on your way—don’t blow it! Focus on big picture outcomes and benefits and make your best pitch.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

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A 5 Step Value Proposition Plan, Steps 3, 4 & 5

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We continue to build the value proposition that will convince clients and prospects that doing business with you helps to make them more successful in their own jobs or businesses.  Let the important customers know that they are important by soliciting their thoughts and opinions about your products and services;  let them tell you what you do that makes their work easier or more productive;  and let them tell you what else you might do that would make their work still more productive or less problematic.

Step Three is to motivate customers to sell for you.  When you demonstrate to customers that they’re on the VIP list,  they will love that feeling of importance.  They will feel even better about doing business with you and will be inclined to talk you up and make good referrals for you.  Word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising,  make no mistake about it.  It will give your business tremendous credibility.

Bring your top clients behind the velvet rope and into the VIP section.  Oh, and make sure you devise a “rewards program”  for this advisory board.  Pass along a few perks to those who help you upgrade your game.  Perhaps you also can make a referral or two?

So Steps One and Two set the stage for Step Three,  when top customers deliver to you prospects who are ready to spend money.  Personally referred prospects are likely to be pleased with your services, because they will have heard about you from one whom they trust.  An expectation of success will be established.

In Step four,  incorporate what you’ve learned in the interviews done in Step Two. Implement those suggestions that make good business sense.  Make the necessary adjustments if  you get the heads up on competitive activity or changing conditions of some sort.  Don’t let your good  work go to waste.

In conversations with your customers,  what common themes emerge? Be sure to respect and value in your business practices what your customers respect and value.  For example,  let’s say you’re about ready to trim certain costs in order to stay within a particular price range—yet the VIP crowd indicates otherwise.

If leading customers crave a certain level of service,  quality of merchandise,  or style of packaging and they are willing to keep paying for it,  don’t take it away and disappoint them! Stay the course and give them what they want.  They will love you for it and show that love by handing over more money to you.

Lastly,  in Step Five acknowledge your strengths and apply them to running your business. View your strengths through the prism of a restaurant.   Are you front of the house—excelling at customer contact and relationship building,   making sales calls, networking and schmoozing,  forming strategic partnerships?  Or are you back of the house—most comfortable and effective while overseeing operations,  crunching numbers, devising long term strategies,  negotiating a lease?

Recognize where you excel.  If you work solo,  perhaps outsource what can be comfortably handed over to another party (like PR or bookkeeping).  If you are going into business with partners,  make sure that skill sets are complementary and not competing. This will make roles and  responsibilities  easier to delineate and ensure that the important bases are covered, thus improving the venture’s chances for success.

So there you have it,  5 easy pieces that will help you re-examine and re-focus your business practices,  optimize client loyalty and goodwill,  encourage referrals and the right kind of buzz and build up your bottom line.  If you can convince yourself to try the first two steps,  I guarantee that you will be impressed with the results and sold on working through the entire program.

Good luck to you,
Kim

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A 5 Step Value Proposition Plan, Steps 1 & 2

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No matter what,  human beings must do business.  In feudal societies and capitalist dictatorships;  in flush times and depressions;  in war and in peace;  there will always be traders,  sellers and buyers.  Where there is a need (real or perceived),  there will be a product or service available to provide some level of fulfillment.  Someone always makes money.

The most successful sellers present the most compelling case,  i.e. the strongest value proposition,  for their product or service and  they become  market leaders.  Maybe you’d like  to position your business for that kind of success?  There will be work involved,  but nothing that is insurmountable. The process can be broken down into 5 manageable steps and implemented according to a timetable convenient for you.

Getting started is easy— ask your customers! They may know more about your business than you do.  They certainly know the market place in which your business operates,  because they navigate those waters as purchasers and consumers of the products and services offered therein.  Your customers have done their homework and they have chosen you.

Above all,  we must  value our customers and communicate that to them.  Big spenders, the VIP customers,  deserve to receive the most value.  Important customers can benefit a business in more ways than one.  They are able to become our opinion leaders,  our advisory board. These customers can play a key role in helping to grow the business. Understanding this is Step One.  Next, demonstrate your trust and respect by implementing  Step Two:  interview the VIP customers.

Identify your three biggest billable hour clients and invite those with whom you interact the most out to eat at whatever meal you can afford to buy.  Client priorities can change as their organization and business environment changes.  Organizations will change in response to economic,  leadership,  competitive and consumer preference changes.

Stay on top of things by asking your VIPs what you can do to better serve them,  help them to do business better or make their jobs easier.  You can also ask what the competition is doing,  what changes may be on the drawing board within their company, etc.  You get the idea.  You may even find out about new markets for your services.

If you can access your competitors’ customers,  take them out to coffee,  too and see what you can find out about that scene as well.  What next big thing (or old school remix) is winning the hearts and wallets of customers?

Strengthen relationships,  make important customers feel even more so,  find new business opportunities,  tweak your business model or your advertising choices and maybe even get your foot in the door with a competitor’s client. Talk less,  listen more, take notes and be humble.

Next week,  we’ll examine the remaining three steps that will help you to create a winning  value proposition for your business.

Thanks for reading,

Kim

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The ROI on 2.0 Part II

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This week  we take a look at the corporate-style social networking tools.

Plaxo began as an online address book for those who use Microsoft Outlook.  Plaxo Pulse is the social networking iteration—think Facebook added to LinkedIn.   On Plaxo you can create an extensive business related profile,  plus share videos and photos with professional colleagues,  personal friends and family. You can also add links to favorite websites  such as your blog,  YouTube,  Netflix,  Amazon and other social networking sites,  for easy access.

Zoominfo is an online listing service that provides comprehensive info on businesses and individuals.  It is likely that you are already in the Zoominfo database, with a nascent profile waiting to be “claimed”.

Information is compiled by scanning online listings,  press releases and websites,  which are searched and updated 24/7,  to provide the most current data on people and businesses.  You can scroll through the database,  find your name, create a profile and upload a photo.

Zoominfo power search can give a real boost to your ability to do business.  The very impressive PowerSell feature will help you prospect within just about any organization at any level, while the JobCast feature helps hiring managers ferret out qualified candidates. These services are not free,  but they just might pay for themselves when you are able to identify and contact the decision maker who can seal the deal for you.

LinkedIn is of course the big Kahuna for business networking, the gold standard against which all others are measured.  Professionals of every stripe are here, along with Freelancers and business owners.  I think of LinkedIn as an adjunct website.

You can create a profile and  make and receive recommendations that testify to your professional competency and that of your contacts. You can join networking peer groups within LinkedIn to trade info,  talk shop,  get to know people in a similar industry or with similar interests,  or re-connect with alumni from your alma mater.

You can link your blog to LinkedIn (as I have done), alert contacts to your speaking engagements and events you will attend,  research companies for prospecting and even demonstrate your expertise on a range of business topics in the Answers forum.

I’ve heard a lot about how referrals and introductions are made via LinkedIn, but I’ve yet to either meet or know of someone who has done this, nor have I experienced it myself. Still,  I find it sort of useful to participate,  although my ROI expectations are modest.

If you decide to delve into multiple 2.0 sites,  I recommend that you use Google Alert or a similar service, to let you know when someone has posted a comment to one of your profiles,  so that you can respond ASAP.   Quick response is key.  I also recommend that you use a service that will automatically post updates to all of your profiles.  You might like ping.fm.

So ROI can be derived from social networking, perhaps for some more than others.   We are in it now and there will be no turning back the clock,  so why not make the best of it?

Do what makes sense for your business,  but be mindful of the time you spend on the upkeep of this stuff.   At the end of the day,  I still say that there is no substitute for face to face networking.  It can be augmented, but not replaced, by 2.0.

Thanks for reading,
Kim

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The ROI on 2.0 Part I

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By this time,  nearly every Freelancer has hopped onto the social networking 2.0 bus.   As a matter of fact, a large cohort of Americans has established an online presence in some fashion, possibly even your grandparents.  Your loyal Diarist can be found on LinkedIn.

Still,  among Freelancers and other business owners, nagging little doubts about the meaning of all this will sometimes surface in our conversations.  What does social networking really do for business?   Have you ever gotten so much as a referral,  let alone an actual piece of business, through social networking? Do you know anyone who has? What is the ROI on 2.0?

It appears that much depends upon the business you are in.   Are 12-25 year olds your target market? Are you an athlete or a rock musician looking to build and connect with a fan base? Are you an author of books aimed at the teen and young adult market,  trying to grow your book sales? Do you operate a retail business that sells clothing,  anime or video games to the teen and ‘tween crowd? Then MySpace is where you want to be,  because this is where your target market hangs out.

Visual and performing artists of all types,  plus restaurants and nightclubs,  most often gravitate to Facebook. This site is also popular for personal networking,  providing a nice way to stay connected to family and friends.   Facebook is about the visual.  Here you can post photos of your latest group of paintings or sculptures;  display the bar scene on Tuesday nights at your establishment;  or show off pix of your new haircut,  the baby,  or your new puppy.  Maybe you sent out Thanksgiving greetings to those you have “friended” and will do the same at Christmas and the New Year.

To create in the moment on the ground buzz,  go to Twitter. You can put the word out about performances at your nightclub,   special events at your store,  book signings,  the waves in Perth, Australia or skateboarding at the Xtreme Games.   Wine shops can announce tastings and let customers know that Beaujolais Nouveau c’est arrive.

I even read about a woman in Belfast, Ireland who tweets these great recipes.  In 140 characters,  she will hook you up with good ideas for dinner! Twitter is best used to augment the connections you’ve made on MySpace and Facebook with microblogging. Here’s how to keep your young, short attention span crowd in the loop about interesting happenings at your business that will keep your business at top of mind.

More 2.0 next week,
Kim

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Going up! Expert Elevator Pitch

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I don’t want to brag, but…oh, yes I do and so do you! We just need to figure out how to tell people how amazing we are, how talented and lovable, without being obnoxious.  Bragging is a turn off and nice boys and girls don’t.

But how do you let colleagues and prospects know what you’re good at? How do you network if you don’t know how to put your story across?

Every Freelancer needs a first rate elevator pitch.  A Freelancer must be able to position him/herself as an expert, a capable problem solver who can get the job done and is therefore worthy of important assignments.

A basic elevator pitch can be broken down into three  parts:

1). What you do

2). For whom you do it

3). Outcomes and benefits derived

What You Do

Concisely describe your service in straightforward and uncomplicated terms.  Challenging economic times can bring the temptation to be all things to all people–let’s face it, if there’s a legal way to get paid we’ve gotta bring it on.  Still  clients,  prospects and referral sources want to know what you are known for.  Help them out and develop a niche.

For Whom You Do It

Who are your typical clients? What are they looking for when they call you? What kind of pain are they in? Prospects and referral sources need to know who you typically do business with. They need to know who might need you.

Outcomes and Benefits Derived

What’s in it for the client who hires you? Describe the problems you solve, the money you help clients make or save, how you make them look good.  Mention an advantage  or two that distinguishes  you from competitors.  Stay on top of what is going on in your client’s industry so you’ll know how to position your services in relation to the hot issues.

Practice your elevator pitch until you’re comfortable with your phrasing.  Make sure it sounds natural for you and that it will spark the interest of your target customers.  A basic elevator pitch should take you less than a minute to present. Your pitch can serve as a  self introduction and will also allow you to transition into a more meaningful discussion of  your services should an interested party want more info.

Use your bragging skills, artfully packaged in a good elevator pitch, to establish your reputation as a results-oriented professional and an available source of useful information in your area of expertise.

OK,  so now that you know how to create and deliver an expert elevator pitch,  it’s time to do some savvy networking!

More later,
Kim

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Your Personal Brand Part II

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Here we are, back to continue talking about how to increase your perceived value in the marketplace by building a strong brand identity.

Maybe you created a SWOT matrix and listed attributes that make clients hire you and also weak areas that may give some clients pause? Perhaps you’ve taken stock of some major challenges that you face, but have also uncovered some opportunities to pursue?

I hope you’ve made a serious examination of services your clients actually need or think they need (not necessarily the same thing, as you know). You must be able to address their objectives in the story– the brand narrative–you’ll create to establish yourself as the go-to guy or gal who is an expert, a trusted adviser who can get the job done.

PACKAGE and PRESENT

You provide an excellent product (I know you do. That’s why you read this blog!). You owe it to yourself to showcase your talents by packaging your value proposition with care and flair.  Communicate your unique competencies in ways that decision makers will perceive as conferring benefits to them.  Express your professional credentials to differentiate yourself from the competition in ways that clients value.

In other words, don’t tout the fact that yours is the only store that offers bubblegum flavored ice cream if no one really wants it.  Of course, if customers suddenly decide they love the stuff, then you’re golden!

When you’ve crafted a brand narrative that works for you, because it appropriately grabs the attention of your target audiences, spread the good news in a variety of ways that are consistent with your brand.

Showcase your accomplishments and get yourself some speaking engagements, get on a panel or two, propose and lead workshops. You are a well respected expert in your field and you must help the right people get to know and trust you.

Familiarity will work to build trust in your abilities. Trust in your abilities will bring requests for your expert advice and referrals.  Referrals are yours to convert into loyal customers.

Take pains to develop a strong and consistent brand narrative and communicate this message to whomever can help you further your business interests.

ON LINE BRAND  STRATEGY

Type your name and your company name into a couple of search engines.  Are you there? What information is listed? Does it present an accurate impression of you?

Make sure that your brand identity on line is in synch with how you verbally package yourself.  If there is a disconnect, work to fix it.  Create a visible and flattering on line presence.

Create good profiles in the 2.0 media that support your brand identity and strategy.  Be careful posting aspects of your personal life if using the more social media. You wouldn’t want anything to be misinterpreted by clients and prospects.

SYSTEM UPDATES

Finally, remember that your personal brand, like your life, will continue to evolve and will never be static (at least not if you’re doing it right!). Branding is an ongoing endeavor.

As your professional achievements expand and become more sophisticated or specialized and as changing business environments impact your clients’ needs, your brand narrative will change with the times.  Freelancer, I know you’ve got what it takes to roll with the punches!

More later,
Kim

Kim presented the workshop “Your Personal Brand” at the Center for Women & Enterprise in Boston on July 14, 2009  http://www.cweonline.org