You’re a Web writer. You’re also a brand.
If you’re a new Web writer, start thinking of yourself as a brand now – the more you think of what special talents you bring to Web writing, and the more you promote your name, the more successful you will be.
Not sure what branding entails? The best advice I can give you is to do a marketing course. The amount of money you will make in your Web writing career is directly related to what you know, and what you can do.
I did a marketing course many years ago; it took a year. However, the benefits of doing the course included learning to brand myself. The benefits of branding included:
* Requests to write business books – I wrote a business book series for Prentice Hall, and some of the books are still in print
* The ability to extend my copywriting career into PR and marketing areas
* Confidence
It’s Not Enough to Be a “Writer” or Even a Web Writer, You Gotta Be Brand You
These days, anyone can call themselves a “writer,” no credits or qualifications are necessary. Hundreds of thousands of people are calling themselves writers. So, in order to stand out from the crowd of wannabes, you must brand yourself.
Branding isn’t a one-time event; it’s a process. You put your name to everything you do online, splash your photo onto your Web sites and blogs, just so that people will be aware of your name. Branding makes you a price maker, rather than a price taker. Over the months and years to come, clients will request your services because they’ve seen your name many times, and feel as if they know you. They will trust you, because they feel they know you.
With the hordes of “writers” online now, you must devote yourself to branding.
Branding and Self-Promotion Builds Credibility and Trust
Branding is a form of self-promotion. If you’re a typical writer, you’re not much into self-promotion. It shouldn’t be necessary. After all, you have skills and talents, and people should just hire you, right?
In the best of all possible worlds, yes. Unfortunately we live in a crowded and noisy world. Self-promotion is essential. Branding is essential too. (Branding and self-promotion are conjoined twins.)
The benefit of all the branding is: TRUST.
Of course, branding means that you must be professional, reliable, competent and ethical in your dealings. That goes without saying.
When people know your name and what you do, they trust you. In a global marketplace, your Web sites and blogs mean that the search engines trust you too. So your name will come up in Web searches when prospective clients search for “Web writer” or “Web content” or whatever.
Branding equals trust, and when your new clients trust you, everything flows more smoothly.
Develop your marketing and branding skills: it’s vital to your success as a Web writer.