Claim Freedom:
How To Pivot And Maximize Your Title To Get Paid

Bimma Williams | February 5th, 2023

It's Claim Freedom Monday Y'all!

Here's some wisdom to help you land your first client.

Last week, it was announced that I was included in the 2024 CCNYC Creative Class presented by Stream on Max, along with several other incredible Black Creatives, including my friends Michell Clark, The Notorious Kia, Charles Kuykendoll, and Kahlil Greene.
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Prior to this announcement, I made a significant pivot in my business, which I shared with you in an email back in December. For those catching up, I've shifted my core services to conducting interviews for hire and supporting creatives in marketing themselves and their services. At the moment, I'm uncertain about the future of Claima Stories, as it's been challenging to secure funding due to the ongoing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) issues. Many of my peers are experiencing similar challenges, as discussed by Issa Rae recently.
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After making this pivot, I needed to find a way to create awareness among my ideal clients about these changes and promote the services they can expect from me. I realized that my inclusion in this year's CCNYC Creative Class was not just an honor but also the marketing opportunity I had been seeking.
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Here are the three things I did:

Updated My Title

My title is the first opportunity for me to attract potential clients who already know what they need. So, it’s important that it instantly captures their attention to lead them to want to learn more about my services.

For instance, if they’re a media company looking for a freelance interviewer to become the face of a new content franchise, they're way more likely to take a second look at me when they see "Freelance Interviewer" in my title.

Similarly, if they're creatives looking for help with better marketing themselves to attract paying clients, they're way more likely to reach out to me because I have "Marketing Consultant" in my title.

Now that I’ve made these two updates, I need to put them into action.
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Leveraged The Announcement To Promote My Updated Title

Once I learned that I was nominated for the 2024 CCNYC Creative Class, there was an application process that requested more information about me. What stood out to me as a marketing opportunity was the field requesting my title.

This title is what was going to be used in their announcement posts and shared with their community of over 150,000 Black creatives, the exact audience that I serve and am uniquely positioned to help.

Another reason this was a great opportunity is because The Creative Collective is an authority in the Black and Brown Creative community. Their endorsement validates my work in the eyes of creatives who aren’t yet familiar with my story.

After being announced on the CCNYC Instagram page, anyone interested in my title will likely click my handle to learn more.

Changed My Title On Instagram

To remain consistent with the information shared in the Creative Class announcement, I updated my Instagram Bio with my title: Freelance Creative and Marketing Consultant. These are the two services I want to get paid for in 2024.

Under my name, "Freelance Interviewer" and "Marketing Consultant" are the very first things you see in my bio. I did this because these are the most important things I want to convey to potential clients. Since people have a lot to do and very short attention spans, I wanted it to be very clear what I do.

I should also note that my profile image is the same as the one used in the announcement. When building trust with potential clients, consistency across all channels that you’re active on is extremely important.

So, how’s it all working out so far? Well, It’s still early, but I can share that business opportunities are already coming in related to these specific updates. Some of those opportunities are coming from celebrities who hit me in my DMs.

See you next week,

Bimma Williams

Co-creator / Host of The Claima Stories Podcast & Freelance Host​