Episode 227 : Using Personalization To Grow Your Design Business with Josh Hall

Are you connecting on a personal level with your existing and potential clients? You can personalize your design business even as you scale. In today’s episode, Josh Hall joins us to share how he’s used personalization to grow his design business. Listen in as he shares a few ways you can personalize your website, your client process, and your business without building a personal brand. Personalization as a Freelancer While freelancers and solopreneurs don’t have to name their business after themselves, personalization will still be a big part of their business, because they’re the primary point of contact for the brand. Therefore, personalization will come easy as a freelancer. Scaling from Me to We as a Business Owner It’s much trickier to personalize your business when you’re scaling from “me” to “we” with team members and contractors in your business. While Josh never wanted to grow into a digital agency, he did want to grow a team. Whether you’re a freelancer or building a team through a non-personalized brand, don’t be afraid to put yourself (and your team) on your website! Clients want to know who they’re working with! If there is no mention of the people behind the brand, clients wonder who they’ll end up working with. When Josh made the move after seven years of being a solopreneur, he had to work through a ton of hurdles. One thing he knew was that he didn’t want to be a typical agency that treated customers like a number. He decided to communicate that while he’s not a freelancer, he’s not an agency—so he highlighted his contractors on his website. Therefore, his scaled team was still personally connecting to potential clients. Personalize Your Business with a Founder’s Note If you’re looking for a quick tip to actually communicating who you are without being the face of the brand is to include a founder’s note on the homepage of your website. This will allow you to connect with your potential clients, then lead them into a page about the company and the team. On that “about” page, you have the freedom to share as much or as little as you’d like with your audience. This could include your pets, your interests, stories about your journey or your team members, and so much more. Personalize Your Business with Video If you’re really looking to implement even more personalization into your business, consider creating personal videos. Throughout the client process, when you follow up with a proposal or design review, adding in a personal video can be a game-changer and allow you to stand out in a sea of proposals. This will also add the know, like, and trust factor that brands need even if they aren’t a personal brand. Overall, your choice in how personal you want to be in your business is up to you. Whether you want to dive deep or stay surface level—the option that serves you best is the option you should pursue. Review your website and your branding today and see how any of Josh’s tips can help you create a more personal brand, even if you’re scaling. Catch the Show Notes Josh’s Journey to Design (2:52) Personalization in the Freelance Stage (11:08) Personalization in Scaling (14:11) Personalize Your Business with a Founder’s Note (24:)59 Connecting Through Personal Videos (27:19)