5 Things Every Freelance Copywriter Needs to Build a Strong Brand

What's in a name?

Or should I say, what’s in a brand?

A brand might seem like something only the big players need to think about, but, even as a freelancer, you’re still running a business. And businesses need names, they need branding. They need “the set of qualities that people connect with a particular product or organisation” (thank you, dictionary definition!).

Which means…

Strip away all the noise and marketing jargon, and your brand as a freelance copywriter becomes simply this: the qualities people associate with you. What people think of when they hear your name. The impression you leave. The reputation you earn.

Setting up your brand as a copywriter

One of the things we all quickly learn in life is that you can never fully control what other people think of you.

That's just human nature, right? People are viewing you through their own lens, their own experiences, and so sometimes their filter will distort, and they see you however they end up seeing you.

But there are things we do to present ourselves to the world in the way we want to be seen.

Think about it in everyday life. The clothes you wear, your hairstyle, your vocabulary, the things you like and dislike — everything contributes to other people's perceptions of who you are. Building your freelance brand works the same way, because your actions, your communication, your public image all contribute to those qualities being associated with you.

And all this leads me onto talking about how you can help control that narrative. Specifically, with five tips for strengthening your brand as a freelancer.

1. Make your service the one thing clients always remember

Choppy, confusing, stressful = those are not the words you want people to start associating with the service you provide as a copywriter.

“She was so easy to work with, really organised, made the whole thing stress-free” - now we’re talking!

The experience you create for your clients becomes the story that gets told about you. And stories are what build your brand over time. They are what make up your reputation. So your brand is only as strong as your reputation.

One of the easiest ways to stand out as a freelance writer is simply to be easy to work with. That doesn't mean you have to go above and beyond, breaking your back for every client. It doesn't mean you have to be someone you're not. But it does mean having good systems in place that make everything run like a well-oiled machine, so your clients feel taken care of and impressed.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Send a welcome email at the start of each project. Outline what happens next, when they'll hear from you, and what you need from them upfront. This immediately positions you as someone who's done this before and knows how to manage a project properly. If you've got a welcome pack set up with all the details laid out? Even better!

• Keep your files clearly named. "BlogPost_Title_Draft1.docx" vs "FINAL_VERSION_NEW_updated2.docx" might seem like a small thing, but remember, this document might get passed around a team. Clear naming shows you're organised and also makes their life easier. Win, win.

• Share your expectations around communication. The process is a collaboration between you and your client, and you’re two different people, so you might have two different communication styles. Be open and upfront about how you will communicate, and have a little wiggle room to adapt to what they might prefer. Again, you don’t have to do things you don’t want to do as such, but sometimes you have to bend a little to get the best results. WhatsApp messages at midnight? Probably not. But giving them a quick update email because you know they appreciate being kept in the loop? Worth the extra few minutes.

• Track your projects somewhere central. Whether it's Nifty, Notion, or a simple Google Sheet, having one place where you can see what's due means you're never caught off guard. When a client asks for an update, you can give them an answer immediately. That responsiveness becomes part of your brand reputation.

• Handle mistakes with grace. How you handle mistakes, manage delays, or respond to difficult feedback will shape your brand one way or another. Do you own up to errors quickly? Offer solutions before being asked? Stay calm when timelines shift? Clients remember how you handled the tricky moments far longer than they remember the smooth sailing.

My best tip? Have a signature thing as part of your service.

Maybe you always send a project summary at the end. Maybe with every blog post you write, you do a round-up of suggested topics that would spider off from this post to help build up their topic clusters. Maybe you always follow up a month or two after a project wraps to see how the content is performing. These signature touches become part of what people expect when they hire you. They become uniquely your service, which makes your brand memorable and hard to replicate.

At the end of the day, your brand isn't always what you say about yourself on your website. It's what your clients (or fellow copywriters) say about you when you're not in the room. Which leads us onto…

2.  Bank up as many testimonials as possible from the beginning

When past clients say you're organised, that backs up your claim of being organised.

When they mention how well you understood their industry, that proves you're not just saying you specialise in that area.

When they talk about the results your work delivered, that shows you can do what you promise.

This is why testimonials are so powerful for brand building. They take what you say about yourself and turn it into verified truth. They transform your brand from "what Jen claims she does" into "what Jen delivers."

How to get testimonials from your clients:

• Ask at the right moment. Right after delivering something they're pleased with is perfect. They're already thinking about how helpful you've been, so asking feels natural rather than awkward.

• Keep your request simple and specific. "I'd love a quick testimonial from you. Would you be happy to share a sentence or two about what it was like working together?" This gives them a clear ask they can easily say yes to. Make it seem easy and straightforward, not a time-draining task that requires an essay.

• Set up a Google Form template. You want testimonials that highlight your process, your approach, and the results, because those are what differentiate you. A form is great for prompts like:

  • What problem were you trying to solve when you hired me?

  • How did working together help?

  • Would you recommend my services to others? (Hopefully, they say yes, especially if you’ve done everything we talked about in step 1!)

  These questions guide them towards giving you testimonials that strengthen your brand, rather than vague "she was great!" comments that don't tell potential clients anything useful.

A few tips:

• Try to get Google Reviews as well as general testimonials. Google Reviews are publicly visible and searchable, which makes them particularly valuable for your online presence.

• Confirm that they’re happy for you to display the testimonial on your website, tag them on Socials, link to their website etc. Don’t assume every client will know this is what you’re going to do. 

• The worst thing someone will say is no, usually due to time restraints or not wanting to advertise the fact that they worked with a copywriter. It’s highly unlikely they will give you a scathing review that will hurt your feelings. Because if it was so bad, you probably wouldn’t be asking them for a testimonial anyway! 

3. Start building up a network of virtual colleagues 

When you’re becoming a freelancer, you’ll hear everybody and anybody tell you that you should be networking. 

Networking, to me, always sounded like you’re going to have to put a name badge on and attend a conference dressed in a smart business suit, but, fortunately, this isn’t the only way to meet people!

You can network through lots of different ways, such as:

• LinkedIn

• Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Threads, X

• Slack groups

• Facebook groups

• Online communities for freelancers or writers

Follow other writers, comment on their posts, reach out to them directly. You might not get on with everyone, and that's absolutely fine. You're looking for your people, and they are out there. 

And alongside making friends and having people to chat to, and potentially even get work from yourself, your network is also part of how your brand operates. 

This is because, as your business continues to grow, you might start getting enquiries from businesses that maybe don't fit exactly into what you do. Or they're not quite at the stage when they need you, but they will be down the line.

So having a bank of fellow freelancers you can call on means you can offer referrals and recommendations, and the qualities that become associated with your brand are helpful, kind, and part of a professional community. Sounds pretty good, right?

Let me give you a couple of examples.

I did a website content project for a client. A few months later, they got in touch and asked if I knew anybody who could help them with their social media. I recommended someone I'd met on Instagram. I didn't know them particularly well, but I knew of their work and respected what they did. I sent that person a quick DM, asked if they'd be keen for me to pass on their details, and made the introduction. That client was delighted to have a trusted recommendation, the social media person got new work, and I strengthened my reputation as someone who's helpful and connected.

Another example:  Someone got in touch to ask about product design and development, which isn’t what I do. But I recommended a freelancer platform to them where they might find someone and gave them plenty of helpful advice on the type of person they were searching for. They said when they need the product descriptions, they’ll come back to me and thanked me sincerely for my help. I could have just said, “No, I don’t do that” - but I wanted them to remember me, my brand, my qualities, as being generous and of service.

The more people you know and the more you know in general about the industry you’re operating in, the more you come across as the professional copywriter you want to be.

4. Your Content Ecosystem Makes Your Brand Recognisable

Take two seconds and think about what happens when someone discovers you. 

• Maybe they see a LinkedIn post first. 

• They click through to your profile, which links to your website. 

• They read your About page, look at your portfolio, then check out a blog post you wrote.

At every point in that journey, you need to back up the same story about who you are. 

Consistency is always part of your branding. 

If your LinkedIn says you're a friendly, approachable writer who specialises in product-based businesses, but your website sounds formal and corporate with no mention of e-commerce at all, that disconnect is confusing. People can't get a consistent read on who you are or what you do. That confusion weakens your brand.

I spend a lot of time talking to e-commerce brands about content ecosystems. How everything needs to work together to create one cohesive brand experience. And the same principle applies to your freelance business. Your brand needs to show up consistently everywhere potential clients might find you.

Consistency doesn't mean everything has to be identical. Your blog posts will naturally feel different from your LinkedIn bio. But the underlying voice, the core message about what you do and who you help, should carry through everywhere.

When your brand shows up consistently, people remember you. They can picture who you are and what working with you will be like. 

5. Track What's Working (So Your Brand Can Grow Intentionally)

My final piece of advice for establishing your brand as a copywriter is to keep an eye on what's going well and what's not.

• Which services get the most enquiries? 

• Which clients refer others? 

• Which content gets the most engagement? 

When you pay attention to what's working, you can double down on it.

For example, if you notice that every time you post about working with product-based businesses on LinkedIn, you get enquiries, that's a signal. Your brand is resonating with that audience. Lean into it. Write more about it. 

Or maybe you realise that clients who find you through your blog posts tend to be the best fit. They've already read your work, they understand your approach, and they're ready to hire you. That tells you where to invest your time: keep writing those blog posts because they're attracting your ideal clients.

Tracking also helps you spot what's not working. Maybe you've been spending hours on Instagram but haven't got a single client from it. Meanwhile, LinkedIn brings you steady enquiries. That's valuable information. You might love Instagram as a platform, but if your clients aren't hanging out there, your efforts shouldn't be focused there either. You could decide to use Instagram for your freelancer networking, and LinkedIn for your client networking.

What you like and what's good for business might not always line up. Sometimes you'll have to make a few sacrifices. It's up to you to choose what those sacrifices will be. But the key is making those decisions based on actual evidence, not just assumptions.

Here's something else worth remembering: your brand today doesn't have to be your brand forever. As you gain experience, your services might shift, your ideal client might change, your rates will increase. That's completely normal. 

Go where the work is. Be in the room where it happens. Pay attention to what's bringing results, and adjust your brand strategy accordingly. That's how you grow your brand intentionally instead of just hoping things work out.

Quick Recap

Your freelance copywriting brand is the set of qualities people associate with you. You can't control it entirely, but you can absolutely shape it.

Here's what to focus on:

1. Make your service memorable. Be organised, communicate clearly, and create systems that make clients' lives easier. How you work matters as much as what you deliver.

2. Collect testimonials from day one. Ask at the right moment, make it super simple for clients to say yes, and use those testimonials to transform your claims into verified proof.

3. Build a network of virtual colleagues. Connect with other freelancers so you can offer recommendations, make friends, and show that you're part of a professional community.

4. Show up consistently everywhere. Audit your online presence and make sure your website, LinkedIn, portfolio, and anywhere else you appear all tell the same story about who you are and what you do.

5. Track what's working and adjust. Pay attention to which services, clients, and content bring the best results, then focus your branding efforts there. 

   
   

You build your brand through every project you deliver, every client interaction, every testimonial, every post you share. When you're intentional about it from the start, you create a reputation that opens doors and brings the right clients to you.

So, what’s in a brand?

Everything you want it to be.

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Got any more questions about building your brand as a freelancer? Drop them in the comments below!