As a freelance creative copywriter, I spend my time writing in everyone’s voice but my own, changing the way I write copy to fit each brand's unique personality.

It wasn’t until I started The Freelancer Newsletter (a newsletter supporting freelancers, in case it wasn’t obvious 😉) earlier this year where I could write in my voice, with my personality, exactly how I wanted.

At first it was awkward and in the early issues I was weirdly formal. But I find the more “me” I put into an issue, the more replies, comments and support I get from people. Readers have said the thing they like about it most that it sounds like a real person, that it’s personal and it’s human.

We’re in a time where there are more freelancers than ever.

And we’re not even at peak freelance.

Each week thousands more join the freelance market. And let’s face it, plenty of other freelancers are just as good at you. Their portfolios are just as strong, reviews are just as good, and their website looks just as a professional.

So how are you going to stand out as a freelancer when others are writing for the same SEO keywords? Pitching for the same projects? Bidding for the same work?

The most effective and meaningful differentiator in this day and age? Embracing your personality.

I’m going to present my case for why freelancers need to embrace personality in their freelance marketing and why doing so will not only give you a competitive advantage but make you happier at work, too.

Let’s dive in.

Welcome to the Sea of Sameness. Jump on in, the Water’s Bland!

Cruise around freelancer websites or their social media marketing and things are pretty similar. There’s not really any meaningful differentiation in the messaging, layout, or branding (try it, look at a few freelancers in your city).

There’s logic in this.

We look to, and take inspiration from, our freelance competition and communities. It’s easy to trust and follow what’s gone before because if other people are doing it must be right, right?

But what happens when everyone ends up following the same formulas, writing to the same templates, listening to the same advice on how to do this or how to do that?

No one stands out.

Safety in Sameness

Sameness is the default for freelancers because it’s safe. If you do what everyone else is doing you’re not going to ruffle any feathers. No one is going to call you out when they disagree with you.

You’re not going to turn anyone off or scare anyone away with your marketing.

The problem is, of course, that while you won’t stand out, it’s easy to be forgotten or overlooked.

With the number of freelancers on the rise, basing your marketing messages on what everyone else is doing is not going to cut if you want to get ahead.

Playing it Same: Common Freelancer Differentiation Strategies

Most freelancers try to stand out from the crowd in a few key ways.

Price

Some freelancers try and stand out by undercutting the competition. However, “My services are cheaper” is not a great strategy. Somebody can and will always offer a cheaper rate. Don’t enter as a competitor in the race to the bottom. You won’t last long when you’re working 80+ hours a week just to keep the lights on.

Having Unique Services and Experience

The services you offer and your background and experience can set you apart, but it's got to be really unique in this age of freelancing. Services get copied, packages get copied, courses get copied, e-books get copied. Differentiation has to come from somewhere other than products, services and how long you’ve been in the game.

How About Niching?

Freelancers who niche to focus on a small target market of clients or those who specialise do stand out more than many generalists. Niching as a freelancer also gives you the edge of being perceived as more experienced or with deeper understanding of an area or topic than generalists. But guess what, other freelancers are niching too, and they’re niching in your niche!

Why Being “You” is the Ultimate, Meaningful Differentiator

Put yourself in the client’s shoes. How do you choose between two freelancers that are extremely similar? That both check the boxes for a strong portfolio, have the right services and experience, good testimonials and a professional website?

When there’s not much in it, you need to give clients a reason to choose your business over the others. Embracing personality across your marketing is the only differentiation strategy that works for the long-term and it can be embraced by any freelancer.

Services matter, reputation matters, experience matters, but you might not always be able to one-up someone on service offerings, or price or experience. So focus on you. The story you tell, the values you uphold, how you say things, how you present yourself, how you show up. Show them you.

Personality as a point of difference gets people’s attention.

And you know what, clients aren’t just looking for the “best person” - the freelancers with the most prestigious companies in their portfolio, the ones who've been doing this the longest. They’re looking for someone who gels well with them, who they like, who they want to work with.

Personality, Please. Why Individuality Wins

Why does leveraging personality trump other tried and tested marketing hacks or techniques?

It’s an easy way to build trust and authenticity

We’re living in an age of mistrust. Everywhere we look on the Internet everyone is trying to sell us something, our BS detectors are on the highest setting.
As a result, we’re hearing not stop about “authenticity”. But everyone is failing at it miserably because they are trying to be authentic by doing what everyone else is telling them to do which has the exact opposite effect.
Always remember there is another human on the other end of the keyboard. And you know what we humans love? Realness, connection, authenticity. Bringing your personality to your freelance marketing is an easy way to do that instantly.
It creates amazing relationships with clients and readers
It’s hard to hit it off with a client or reader when you’re hiding who you really are behind the screen, sounding like a robot and having all the personality of a wet mop (i.e. none). Using personality in your marketing adds the human in freelancing. We want to read stories, be entertained, hear something genuine, find a connection.
Clients are inundated with boring, robotic responses to their freelancer enquiries. The injection of a real, human “you” in your marketing and communications is going to put you above the rest before you even pitch for the project, or show the great work in your portfolio.
And most importantly, we want to work with people we like (if you want more on that, read 10 Ways Freelancers Can Leverage Likeability Techniques To Win More Work for tips). Being yourself makes it effortless to build authentic relationships with clients and other freelancers and attract the right people.
Embracing personality in your freelance marketing to create a job you love

What could be more liberating than being yourself at work? What could feel more natural and effortless than showing up as yourself each day exactly how you are…And making money that way?

As a freelancer you have permission to be you at work. You are the brand, you are the business, build it how you want. You don’t have to act how you think you should act. Life is too short to be playing a character not to mention exhausting.

Their Argument Against Personality Marketing: It’s Unprofessional

You know, them.

I recently wrote the article 5 Ways To Look More Professional Than 90% Of Freelancers In 5 Minutes Or Less and shared on LinkedIn. One of the comments I got on it was that it was unprofessional to have swearing in a blog post about being professional.

I can absolutely see the point, but here’s a MOTHER FUCKING NEWSFLASH…

Times have changed.

Once upon a time tattoos made you unemployable. You had to show up for work suited and booted.

It’s just not like that anymore in most industries.

Being “professional” is no longer about being boring or stripping away all sense of humanity and personality. Work no longer requires us to default to an outdated notion of what is “professional”.

I’m not saying you should go about your freelance business f-ing and blinding at everyone. But if it adds a little personality, a little spice, if it enhances the point you’re trying to make (see above) it’s okay to do that. And your credibility as a freelancer is probably not going to erode with the dropping of one F*Bomb.

Inject a bit of who you are in your marketing. The world will not end.

But It’s Hard!

I know it’s difficult (pats your head). To embrace personality in your freelancer marketing means thinking for yourself, which is hard. It means fully embracing yourself - faults and all - which is intimidating and scary. It involves risk, exploration and finding what feels right to you, which is time-consuming.

And you are probably going to lose potential clients or put off people in your audience. But you’re going to build a community and find clients that get you, get your work and want to work with you. Not to mention you’ll be happier and more fulfilled, which I'd argue it’s a small price to pay.

And you can’t afford not to. Now is the time to embrace personality marketing as a differentiator. So go be you.

I know I've done a lot of telling and not much showing in this post. So look out for the next in this series where I’ll give you some examples of great personality marketing to inspire your own freelance marketing.

How to Get Paid for Being Yourself. Why You Need to Embrace Personality in Your Freelance Marketing.