Freelancers are at the cutting edge of the 21st century economy, and an online search for who they are should show it. Today, resumes are getting less important as Google searches become increasingly more relevant towards finding out who you truly are and what skills you possess. Freelancers can control that narrative by developing their own personal brands.
But developing your personal brand doesn’t have to be a massive investment. That’s where your Minimum Viable Personal Brand comes in.
What exactly is a Minimum Viable Personal Brand (MVPB)?
In product development, a Minimum Viable Product is comprised of just the essential features necessary, and nothing more. Similarly, a Minimum Viable Personal Brand includes the essential aspects necessary for you to communicate who you are and what you do to your target audience without investing a large amount of capital.
Today, you can build an MVPB through an online presence combining your own website, social media and publications.
Why is it worth it?
As a freelancer having an MVPB will help to justify the cost of your product or service. It will vibrantly demonstrate the value or your skills, through displayed products/services and positive reviews of your work.
Having an online presence that speaks to the essence of who you are and what you represent is an invaluable tool to differentiate you from competitors. There will be many other freelancers with a similar skill set but by creating an MVPB you will be able stand apart from the pack and allow your values and skills to shine through.
Like in an episode of House of Cards, the Public Relations guru Remy Danton always advises politicians to control the narrative. Now the scandal may not be as large and explosive as presidential misbehavior, however, there may be photos or comments floating around the Internet that you would like to have back for sure. Control the narrative of what online searches will turn up, by creating a positive online presence. Reflect the values that possible clients or employees will be looking for, not the embarrassing photos of you on Spring Break four years ago.
At the end of the day, developing an MVPB helps to communicate who you are to others. In a crowded ocean full of fish, standing out amongst the school can be hard. More importantly, clients or employers looking for your skills will be more likely to be a good fit if you are genuine and sincere in your MVPB. That is a win for all parties.
How do I develop my own?
Developing an MVPB should include the following:
- A LinkedIn profile that displays your credentials and experience
- Twitter handle and a Facebook Fan Page that features your past work and your current interests.
- Basic personal website using WordPress (free) or squarespace.com (low fee and easy to use)
Sharing meaningful content on the platforms above will help you get followers and build a community. Building a community demonstrates value, which you can leverage for higher wages. Using a service like Hootsuite can allow you to coordinate social media in one common place and even time your releases making developing your personal brand even easier.
Do you have tips or experience building your own MVPB? Discuss in the comments below!
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