Why freelancers need a brand strategy (Free Notion template!)
Oh Notion, oh Notion, how we love theeee. Notion is great for everything from cataloguing your skincare products to aesthetically planning your slow downward spiral. (She says from experience.)
Today I’m sharing the brand strategy template I use for my own businesses, created from almost a decade of experience as an agency brand strategist, copywriter, and serial entrepreneur.
Best part? It’s free for subscribers!
Why your brand strategy matters
Brand schmand, man, you may be thinking. Why do I need to navel gaze my business so much?
But branding isn’t just another industry buzzword. Well, let me correct that: GOOD branding isn’t just another buzzword.
When done right, your brand makes everything easy for you and your clients.
By knowing who you serve at an almost-creepy level, you can create content and offers that attract those people.
By knowing how you want to come across, you can create content faster and more authentically. Importantly, I don’t just mean knowing how you want your leads and clients to think of you. But really knowing how YOU want to communicate.
Developing your unique brand voice is one of the most fun things you can do in business. Maybe as a copywriter, I’m biased. But for me, I really didn’t enjoy creating content until I ditched the last of the stuffy professional speak I loathed and embraced my inner sarcastic, wanna-be standup comedian.
And you know what happened? When I started writing as myself — my real, nerdy self — my dream clients began finding me. Lil’ ol’ me! Finding me, asking for my rates, and hiring me. Boom—like that.
Now, I don’t promise Steve Jobs’ ghost will rise up and contact you from the great beyond to write Apple’s homepage as soon as you fill out this brand template. But… I mean, maybe? 🤷♀️ Give it a shot, eh?
The Notion brand strategy template elements
So whaddaya get in this template? So glad you asked:
Core values: They matter, trust. Your guiding principles will guide you more than you think.
Target audience crap: Find your people, yada yada. Hey, it’s important.
A full social media & content strategy: Yep, in just a few paragraphs, you identify what you’ll talk about to market yourself, where, and how often to post it. Content strategies don’t need to be complicated to work.
A place for all your brand assets: Store your logo(s), brand colours, fonts, common phrases or copy snippets, and more. Perfect for sharing with collaborators or your team, or just to stay organized on the go.
Download the free Notion brand strategy template
All you gotta do to get this hot, hot template is subscribe to my blog. Because ✨#marketing.✨
I’ll be adding new resources regularly, so best get in here now while it’s free.
How to use the Notion template
After subscribing, you’ll see a link to download the template. Hit “Duplicate” to copy it to your own Notion to be able to edit it. Not sure how? See below.
How to edit the template
The template will open in a new tab. At the top right, click “Duplicate.”
This copies the template to your own Notion workspace so you can edit it. Don’t have Notion yet? Sign up for a free account.
Once you’ve copied it to your workspace, you can edit it or change anything you like.
Click on any text area and start typing to answer the template’s questions. You can write as much or as little as you want. Just hit Enter/Return for a new paragraph if needed.
To add images to your brand assets or mood board areas, click on an existing card or click “New” on the upper right.
Make the title of the new page the word/text you want to appear underneath. Upload an image to the cover by hovering over the top of the card and click "Add Cover."
You can upload your own image or choose one from Unsplash, and change it anytime. You can also use the main content area below for notes or more image examples, if you want.
That’s pretty much it! Feel free to change it up to suit your needs, although please don’t share this template with others. Instead, send them over here to get their own free copy. C’mon, I want subscribers, yeah? ;)
Still stuck or have other Notion questions? Check out their FAQ, or send me a message and I’d be happy to help.
