At some point in your life or career you may ask, ‘What is a personal brand?’ and begin to wonder whether or not you need one. The simple answer to this question is yes. Every prospective client needs to know about your unique value proposition! As a professional interpreter in 2022, your image and the value that you bring to your consumers is priceless and in order to preserve this value and bring awareness to the awesome things you do on a daily basis. Building your personal brand helps a lot in the process.
With this in mind, the Day Interpreting team has put together a few pointers for you on how to build your personal brand as an interpreter. Before we dive into the topic at hand, however, let’s make sure that we understand the basics. So here goes.
What’s a Brand?
A brand, simply put, is a concept that you carefully and creatively put together to help your target audience easily identify you within your area of expertise. Of course, you can’t see or touch a personal brand. But the impression you make on your potential clients is what really matters.
There are common misconceptions out there that brands are logos or other types of marketing tools like slogans. But that is not a personal brand. These are instead avenues by which a brand brings awareness to themselves which now brings us to briefly discuss branding.
What is Branding?
Branding gives meaning to your brand. This is where the creative process comes to life, allowing your consumers to have an immersive experience and give them solid reasons to choose you and your brand above someone else’s.
The branding process comes with a few key components that when put together brings forth an amazing product ready for the public’s eye. They are:
- Brand Identity – As the name suggests, there are the elements that serve as identifiers for your brand. They include the name of your company ( or in your case, simply your name), your tone of voice (are you cheerful, more on the professional side of things or do you like to keep it laid back and casual?), your logo, the color palette that you choose as well as the typography or font’s that are unique to your brand.
- Communication – Clear and up-to-date communication is always key. When it comes to branding, advertising plays a key role. Coupled with your decided tone of voice, communication can involve social media posts, a website (which has blogs, your portfolio, and samples of your work), Communication also includes any features you may have in magazines, newspapers, or any other form of media.
- User experience – This includes the customer service you provide to your clients. It plays a huge role in how your brand is perceived.
- Competitive pricing – Having a good pricing strategy works wonders for your brand and helps you to reap the benefits of work well done all while building your worth as well.
How Do I Build My Brand as an Interpreter?
Answer These Questions About Your Personal Brand as an Interpreter
Now that our understanding of a brand and branding is concrete, it’s now time for us to discuss the ways in which you can build your brand as an interpreter. By answering the following questions, it can serve as a guide for you to get on the right track:
- What do you want your clients to say about you?
- What are your goals?
- Who is your target audience?
After successfully answering these questions ensure that the goals you set are achievable and measurable. You do this by making sure that you have a clear vision and understanding of what you want to get done. This helps you solidify your value proposition.
Establish an Online Presence to Engage with Your Target Audience and Potential Clients
Next up is establishing an online presence for you and your brand. It’s important to keep your socials for your personal life and your career separate though. You can do this by being part of several social media platforms such as Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and even TikTok.
It is also good to have a personal website for yourself. By doing this you are able to showcase your professional work and also build an online portfolio similar to translation agencies. Your website is a great place to show off your language combination options and the professional experience you bring to the table.
Many translators and interpreters forget just what an important component and powerful tool a website can be! But having your own website is something that will differentiate you from your competitors in the eyes of a client. And in times where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to stand out, you can’t risk missing out on an opportunity to make a stand!
Create an Image in Line with the Translation and Localization Industry
Your image becomes important when building your brand. Of course, your physical appearance plays a part, but so too is how sociable you are. Be active on social media; share tips with your community, show yourself in action interpreting, and just be present to answer questions and to interact on a regular basis. The best business advice? Consistency is key!
Blogging is also a great way to maintain your image and effectively communicate your unique value proposition. Through blogging, you can show off your skills, talk about your experiences and also establish yourself as a thought leader within your community. Good blogs are also great ways to bring traffic to your website and increase awareness of your brand. You can also get involved in a professional translator community and gain guest posting opportunities with other interpreters and freelance translators!
Wrapping Up on Building Your Brand as an Interpreter
Whether you’re part of a group of freelance translators or establishing your own interpreting venture, branding is the key to success. It’s the first and best way to start building your professional reputation within the translation services industry.
Get ready to take your career to the next level in the language industry as a professional interpreter through branding.
We hope we were able to give you some great points for building your brand and can’t wait to see you thriving out there. With a reputable brand as your foundation, you can reach your target market with ease and gain more clients and potential customers. Your language skills deserve to be represented by a strong brand associated with industry experts.
Of course, here at Day Interpreting, we’re always looking for interpreters! Reach out to our company today if you think you’re ready to expand and take the next career step. We’re always interested to attract more skills and talent to our professional network of linguists. Our professional translation and interpretation services caters to every sector, from the healthcare industry through to international events.
Kayan is a multi-talented writer based in the beautiful island of Jamaica. Her strong point is ideation and she loves to take on new challenges.
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