Why and how creatives need to communicate their value.

There is no doubt that today as a creative, you can be successful and thrive by sharing your passion with the rest of the world. With platforms such as Instagram, Tik Tok, and YouTube, content creators can establish large communities of trusting followers and have more liberty to express themselves. Through creativity they reflect their truth and authenticity. Bye-bye third-party selective publications and hello direct social validation. Creators can connect directly with brands and seal partnership deals. They can even sell directly to their target audiences and so much more. For video creators, this represents a better opportunity to monetize their skills. Video content is expected to account for over 80% of traffic on the internet in 2021.  

But while this all sounds exciting, one of the most important things I believe every creative should never lose sight of is the necessity to communicate their value. Why is it important to communicate your value? How can you go about communicating your value? These are questions I wish I had answers to when starting my video production company.  In this article, we will be discussing practical ways to convince potential clients of the value of your skillset.

Why creatives need to communicate their value.

Being a creative means creating solutions for problems in a unique way. It means using your perspective and breaking the routine by creating something different. As a video producer, you do not sell the finished product that ends up on the screen. What you are selling is the whole process of taking an idea (whether yours or a clients') and transforming it into an experience others can connect with relate to, and take an action. That is your real value. As such, you should be able to communicate that to your potential clients. By making them understand the value to you add to their lives/businesses, they will be ready to pay for your services.

Have you ever wondered why people understand why they can be asked to pay $50,000 or $100,000 for medical or legal expertise? It is because they know how valuable these services are to them. For example, a successful business owner will only try to get the best legal counsel possible to secure his dealings without trying to bargain for a discount to keep his business out of legal trouble that could cost them millions. The same goes for individuals going to see a doctor. Because they know a doctor is valuable to their life, without whose care when ill they can die. These occupations have been communicated to reflect that doctors or lawyers care about their clients and can do everything possible to help them.  

The same applies in our context.  Once you effectively communicate your value as a creative by showing your potential clients why they need your service, they would be ready to pay what you charge for it. Below are a few practical tips on how to do it.

How to communicate your value as a creative 

At the beginning of my journey as a video production company owner in Montreal, I was faced with many challenges.  Not only as a creative but equally as a business owner. From pricing my services to being scared that people won't want to work with me. Along the line, I learned several, things the most important being the importance of communicating your value. Here are a few tips on how to market your value and attract the best clients.

1)     Know your ideal client. 

To convince others of your value as a creative, defining, and understanding who your ideal client is important because it allows you to align yourself with clients who have projects you will feel comfortable and happy to work on. 

Finding a niche helps you target a specific target of people that need what you offer. You, therefore, need to know your client so well that you can pinpoint their perceived problems and desired solutions as they see them. And when marketing your skill, make sure you sell yourself by highlighting your strength as the best solution to their problem.

2)    Outline the result you have to offer

Knowing the problems your client is experiencing and, the solution they want is vital. But everyone might already be doing that so, you need to stand out. When communicating your value, you should answer these questions;

?          Why do my clients want these solutions? – Raise their brand awareness through marketing ads

?          What will solving these problems help them do? - My marketing videos generate more leads?

?          What will they be able to experience as a result of working with me? Increase in their brand credibility, a more loyal and engaging community, more sales.

Let your clients know what it is you are good at. Are you the best at graphic designing, inserting professional motion into your work? Does your team excel in video marketing to raise awareness, creating engagement, and driving sales or traffic to your client's website? Do you design high-quality and highly converting video advertisements? Whatever you are best at is your value and should be showcased to your potential clients to help you gain a competitive advantage. Center your messaging around that.

3)    Share testimonials

People are ready to pay for solutions that are proven to work. So, do not be scared to share your previous projects with satisfied clients and highlight why they chose you. Doing this helps build trust in potential clients who want to experience the same results. 

In addition, you can ask for referrals from your former clients. An effective way to sell yourself is by letting satisfied clients vouch for you. Strive to establish great collaborative relationships with your first clients. Leaving them happy with your work gives you room to ask them to share a few words about their experience, which is a great way to grow your business.

4)    Document and share your process

Letting your client in on the creation process of your work is a great way of showing them worth your work is worth. Most often, people assume doing creative work is less stressful than other traditional services. Doctors require a minimum of 7 years to train. Which is one of the reasons people are ready to pay for their services no matter how high. 

By documenting and sharing your creation process, you share knowledge on the technical nature of your work. It gives potential clients to appreciate your skill for its worth. Making use of social media to market your value allows you to spark conversations around your art and create a community of people who understand and are willing to pay for the value of your expertise.

At the end of the day, communicating your value as a creative is all about confidently sending out a message to your potential clients about who you are and how much you can help them achieve your goals. Whether you work as a freelance graphic designer, video editor, or run your own video production company, the four practical tips listed in this article will help you step out of your comfort zone and be the best ambassador of your own brand.