Inexpensive Resources to Help You Build a Polished Brand

  • 1 min read

shutterstock_105412382In an age of extreme competitiveness, you may find yourself contending with your peers, job applicants and other business owners for coveted opportunities. And while you may be the most qualified, without the right packaging, you will not make it past the initial stages. The simple truth is that hiring managers are swapped with resumes and potential customers are inundated daily with sales messages. The easiest way to sort through those messages in the beginning is to toss out those materials that look amateur, error-filled, or just lack the polished look of your competitors.

Luckily, creating sharp, sleek marketing materials to market yourself or your business are no longer prohibitively expensive.

Websites for inexpensive marketing materials

  • Fiverr is a website that offers services, called ‘gigs’, starting at just $5 per job performed. This is one of the most underused resources by professionals. Whether you need help formatting your resume or creating a customized Twitter background for your brand, this is the resource that anyone can afford. However, you should be mindful of the gigs you purchase. Do you trust an ‘expert’ to write your resume for $5? Probably not. However, hiring someone to format one that you’ve already created can help add a touch of class to an already well-written resume.
  • 99Designs is a design contest site that also allows users to work with contractors at set prices. However, 99Designs only allows you to hire graphic and web designers with services starting at $99, but you have the ability to have several contractors submit designs to compete for the final payment. One of the other major benefits is that you have the ability to select ‘finalists’ and take votes from your followers/peers on their favorite. In fact, a 99Designs poll determined the cover of my book, The Social Media Why.
  • Odesk is a global contractor site that allows users to hire and manage remote workers in a variety of areas including graphic design, administrative and much more. I would recommend leveraging this site to find professional proof readers, copywriters, as well as graphic designers. Unlike the two aforementioned sites, you can post your project requirements with budget, hourly or total project, and then wait for contractors to bid.
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Crystal Washington

Crystal Washington is a social media marketing strategist, speaker, co-founder of Socialtunities—a social media instruction brand that trains Gen Ys-Boomers on the strategic use of social media, and the author of The Social Media WHY: A Busy Professional’s Practical Guide to Using Social Media. She is hired by corporations and associations around the globe to provide keynotes, workshops, and webinars.

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