- 1. Find your niche
- 2. Understand your audience’s need
- 3. Create an awesome website
- 4. Design a good old-fashioned freelance business card
- 5. Network with your audience online
- 6. Network with your audience in person
- 7. Promote your design services on freelance platforms
- 8. Ask for referrals
- 9. Make a blog (and keep it updated)
- 10. Target long-tail keywords.
- 11. Showcase your success with case studies.
- 12. Create a lead magnet that solves your audience’s problems.
- What are your favorite strategies for landing new clients?
Whether you’re a brand new graphic designer or an established veteran, you can never have too many clients. But figuring out how to promote a graphic design business isn’t always easy.
After all, your speciality is in design—not marketing.
So in this post, I want to offer you 12 easy, actionable, and powerful strategies that graphic designers can use to win new clients.
- Utilize social media platforms to promote your freelance business, and engage with potential clients by sharing your work, responding to comments, and networking with other professionals in your industry.
- Attend events and conferences relevant to your industry to meet new people, learn about new trends, and showcase your work to potential clients.
- Build a portfolio website to showcase your work, demonstrate your skills, and provide an easy way for potential clients to learn more about your services and get in touch with you.
1. Find your niche
Before you dive too deeply into all the other promotional strategies below, the first thing you want to do is niche down. Decide what graphic design services are you going to specialize in.
Are you looking to focus on designing logos? Infographics? Brochures? Websites?
You may offer a variety of different services, but as you strategize for how to promote a graphic design business, it will pay to think of each niche separately. Your audience’s needs will vary greatly based on what they are looking for, so your promotional efforts will have to as well.
This brings us to the next strategy…
2. Understand your audience’s need
Planning for how to market a graphic design business will only work if you can grasp the greatest needs of your ideal client. Try to state these concretely in writing. They will inform your overall freelance marketing strategies, so the more seriously you take this step the more successful you’ll be in promoting your graphic design business.
Only you can really get in the head of your clients, but here are some examples to help you get started:
- If you offer logo design, many of your clients are likely new business owners who may be on a tight budget.
- If you design social media graphics, clients will probably be looking for a speedy turnaround to keep up with the fast-paced nature of social networking.
- If you design print graphics, like brochures or banners, your clients will want to feel confident that your work will resize well when printed.
The better you can peg your audience down, the deeper understanding of how to promote your graphic design business you will obtain.
3. Create an awesome website
Once you’ve strategized how your niche informs your audience’s needs, it’s time to start actually promoting your graphic design services.
A portfolio is an absolute must. In the visual arts, clients want to be confident in the style of work you deliver before they’ll be willing to hire. And a website is the most obvious way to showcase your portfolio.
There are lots of ways to build a portfolio website. Finding the right one for you depends on your needs and level of confidence in web design:
- A self-hosted WordPress website offers you complete control over every aspect of your site. However, it also requires some technical knowledge or a commitment to learning as you go.
- Website builders like Wix and Weebly offer simple drag-and-drop interfaces that allow you to create beautiful portfolio websites without ever touching a line of code. However, these sites will never be 100% customizable, and they can often be more difficult to optimize for SEO.
- Portfolio collection websites like Dribble and Coroflot require the least amount of work from you, and they put you directly in front of clients who are looking for graphic design services. However, while they do let you easily share a portfolio, you aren’t really building a website to call your own. So your customization and marketing options will be severely limited.
4. Design a good old-fashioned freelance business card
A fancy website is one thing, but don’t shun the old school methods. Some of the best clients you’ll ever land may be first greeted with a handshake rather than an email.
So if you’re serious about learning how to advertise graphic design services, get yourself some professionally printed, high-quality freelance business cards. And let the design be a testament to your style. The design should be just as much of a sales pitch as the info printed on the card.
While these will be handy to have at face-to-face networking events, keep a supply on you whenever you go out. You can’t predict who knows who. And if you keep your business cards on hand, a simple chat in the checkout line could quickly turn into a business prospect.
5. Network with your audience online
You can’t sit around and wait for your clients to come to you. Until you’ve built up some word of mouth business, you’re going to have to go out there and figure out how to promote a graphic design business wherever your clients can be found.
Think of who your audience is and then scour the web for these places that they frequent online:
- Facebook groups
- Discussion forums
- Blogs
- Industry news sites
For example, let’s imagine that you want to be the go-to graphic designer for plumbers. When a new plumbing business needs a logo, a mailer, a brochure, or anything visual—you want them to turn to you.
To network online, you want to find places like the Plumbing Zone Forums, where professional plumbers are talking about their trade. Even though you might not know a thing about plumbing, groups like these often include discussions about marketing their business.
Your goal is to find as many conversations where you can offer an expert opinion or lend a hand. Do this in a genuinely helpful way, not as some sort of thinly-veiled sales pitch. The goal is to make friends, establish your design expertise, and grow your network.
If you do that well, leads will naturally begin to trickle in.
Many forums allow you a profile or other place to link to your website. Some will even have promotional days where users are allowed to market themselves.
Just be sure to get to know the rules of each group you join so that you can maximize your marketing efforts without invoking the wrath of the ban hammer. Implementing the best practices of how to market a graphic design business is about forming relationships, not spamming people and hurting your reputation.
6. Network with your audience in person
Next up in our list of how to advertise graphic design services requires you to get out of your own bubble a little.
Too many freelancers overlook the power of in-person networking. Just because you’re a keyboard warrior doesn’t mean you can’t get out there and rub elbows with real prospects from time to time.
You designed those fancy business cards for a reason. Now let’s put them to good use. The goal here is simply to attend networking events where potential design clients might be present.
Not sure how to find events? Here are three easy ways:
- Browse Meetup.com’s Career & Business section. Here, you’ll find all manner of nearby meetings for entrepreneurs, startups, small business owners, and more.
- Check the websites and bulletin boards of local spots. Libraries, co-working spaces, and community organizations will often advertise or even host professional networking events.
- Host your own networking event. If you can’t find anything that suits your needs, then get the ball rolling yourself. Keep it simple. You’re planning a night of networking, not a weekend-long conference. Find a bar or cafe that’s willing to host a small group. Then advertise in local outlets and bring professionals together to talk about their endeavors.
7. Promote your design services on freelance platforms
Wondering how to promote a graphic design business in a place where it’s guaranteed that your clients are looking for you? Online freelancing marketplaces are the perfect place to start.
Think of it like this. When a small, independent farmer is looking for somewhere to sell their produce, they’ll often rent a stand at a local farmer’s market. They know they’ll get foot traffic from people looking for fresh, local vegetables.
As a graphic designer, there is no end to the number of online marketplaces where potential clients are searching for your skills. I already mentioned Dribble and Coroflot above (which basically function as a portfolio and marketplace combined). So here are a few other popular options to consider:
- Fiverr allows you to publish your own “gigs” for buyers to purchase. A gig is basically a very specific micro-service. For example, you might offer to provide a simple logo design for $15. Many freelancers have launched very successful careers on Fiverr. But it is so popular that sellers who are new to the scene often struggle to break in.
- Upwork is another popular freelance marketplace. It works differently from Fiverr in that freelancers are generally applying to jobs posted by clients. Your work atmosphere will be much more like an employer-employee relationship than on Fiverr.
- Legiit is a newer freelance marketplace on the scene. Full disclosure: this is my own platform that I launched in 2018. After building a very successful freelance career myself selling SEO services, I decided to try to make up for what I found lacking in the industry. I built Legiit with a focus on community-driven freelancing. Our freelancers and their clients have direct input into the platform’s features, and they get to interact with each other regularly on our very active Facebook group.
- SolidGigs is a gig-finding service that does the dirty work for you. Searching for clients is exhausting (and time-consuming), so they scour the internet for only the top freelance jobs and send you a weekly email. All you have to do is apply and if you land just one job, it pays for itself.
Looking for more online marketplaces to land graphic design clients? Check out Millo’s list of 16 awesome freelance job sites.
8. Ask for referrals
One survey found that 91% of customers would offer a referral if they were asked to. And marketers know that referred customers are much more valuable than a typical sale. They are cheaper to acquire, easier to retain, and have higher lifetime values.
That’s a roundabout way of saying: Ask your happy clients for a referral!
You’ve literally got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Even if only 1 in 10 of your customers actually refers a new client, you’ve just boosted your sales by 10% simply by sending a few messages.
If you’re looking for easy strategies for how to promote a graphic design business, seeking referrals is perhaps the quickest way to snowball a little bit of success into a blizzard of new clients.
9. Make a blog (and keep it updated)
A blog is the perfect addition to your website to both attract new clients and show off your expertise.
And if you’re scared of the written word, don’t worry. You don’t have to be a graduate-level grammarian to publish a successful blog. Most readers are looking for a conversational, informal tone.
All you have to do is regularly write posts about industry news, projects you’re working on, and your ponderings on the world of graphic design. Think about the type of stuff your ideal client is searching for or interested in.
And whatever you do, don’t let your blog go stale. Try to update it at least once a month with a new post.
Not sure how to promote a graphic design business with a blog? The next few strategies offer some tips on finding the perfect posts to attract new clients.
10. Target long-tail keywords.
My success in business started in the world of SEO, so let me offer you a key digital strategy for effective blogging. Instead of writing posts on general topics like “logo design” or “graphic artist”, you want to target what we call long-tail keywords.
Long-tail keywords are search terms that demonstrate a more specific intent from the searcher. Hence, they are usually longer phrases. As a result of their narrow focus, they are also less competitive and easier to rank for in Google.
Here are a few examples of long-tail keywords that potential graphic design clients could be searching for:
- How to create a catchy business logo
- Are infographics effective for marketing?
- What to look for in a graphic designer
- How to hire a visual artist
- Best file format for brochures
- Direct mail design templates
That is just the tip of the iceberg.
Put yourself in the shoes of your ideal client. What are they searching on Google at the moment they need someone like you? Create blog content that answers those queries.
If you provide genuinely helpful content, your readers will see you as an expert in the field. Many will come, use your info, and leave. But plenty of others will decide that the task is out of their league and hire you to do it instead.
11. Showcase your success with case studies.
If you already have a lineup of happy clients, your blog is the perfect place to publish in-depth case studies.
While your portfolio highlights the end result that clients can look forward to, a case study tells the story of how you helped a client solve a problem through your graphic design skills. There are a lot of ways that you can structure a good case study, but here is a very simple template that should work for just about anything:
- Part 1: The Challenge. This is where you go into detail about the client, the problem they were trying to overcome, and the obstacles that were standing in the way of their success. For example, maybe a client was struggling to get engagement on their social media posts.
- Part 2: The Solution. This makes up the bulk of your case study. Here, you demonstrate how you helped the client strategize a plan of action. And, more importantly, you showcase the design work you completed to foster their success. For example, you may have analyzed their current social media posts and noticed they were using irrelevant stock images. So you created a series of crisp, original graphics for their next campaign.
- Part 3: The Results. This is where you show how your efforts in part 2 helped the client overcome the challenges laid out in part 1. For example, maybe after running a social media campaign with your new images, the client saw a 300% increase in engagements.
12. Create a lead magnet that solves your audience’s problems.
If you aren’t familiar with the term, a lead magnet is anything that attracts a potential customer to you. Typically, they come in the form of free information, such as an ebook or downloadable checklist.
Lead magnets are the perfect way to capture potential clients into your sales funnel. Again, think of the sort of problem that your audience is having and then create content that will solve the problem.
Here are a few examples:
- A collection of downloadable templates for direct mail advertisements.
- A set of royalty-free, industry-specific social media images (think “10 posts for dentists to use in social media marketing”)
- An ebook like “The Complete Guide to Choosing the Right Colors for Your Brand“
- A video course on how to create an infographic
Once you’ve created your lead magnet, you can publish it on your website and require users to join your email list to acquire it. From there, you’ve got them in your funnel and can easily market to them directly in a series of automated follow-up emails.
Don’t make them too salesy to start. If the user downloaded your checklist for designing website graphics, for example, use a few emails to check in on their progress. Ask them how they are doing. Check if they are struggling with any steps of the checklist. The goal is to naturally steer the client towards viewing you as a hirable asset.
What are your favorite strategies for landing new clients?
I wanted this post to offer you actionable strategies for how to promote a graphic design business.
They might not all be your cup of tea, and they might not all work for every service you offer. But I hope you can find a few helpful takeaways that you can apply immediately to start landing more clients.
Obviously, I couldn’t fit every strategy into one post. And I’m sure you have plenty of your own to share as well. So what did I miss? Let me know some of your favorite client-getting methods in the comments.
Keep the conversation going...
Over 10,000 of us are having daily conversations over in our free Facebook group and we'd love to see you there. Join us!
Hi
I’m just starting out as a freelancer graphic designer and wanted to knòw how u promote yourself ?
Regards
Donna
No doubt. It’s helpful…..
I wish it hep many other freelancer as well.
Appriciate your work, Brent.
my name is Alaa
I’m working as free lancer graphic designer for Printing (Flyers, Brochures, Posters …etc) and recently i start working in video animation
my target is to reach to companies in UAE, America, Australia, America, Europe with small or big business I start on fiver since 2015 and have
some clients with positive reviews but i stuck at how i should start to market myself and have more clients so how can you help me??
waiting your sooner reply
Hi guys I’m pretty new here and to all this, I’ve recently finished my intership and now trying to appy what I’ve learned to my own stuff. Have you got a success recipie for noobies?
What would you recommend for someone who is extremely shy, but really good at what they do?
Hello!
I am just recently starting off as a freelance graphic designer and would love to get some advice on how to get my name out there and get more clients!
Thanks for all your info Brent, I am a new Freelance Graphic Designer and I am curious about your suggestions for Instagram and Facebook advertising. I want to run campaigns on each but I feel like I should know more about it before dropping funds on it all. There are many people advertising teaching social media marketing asking $100s to learn their ways, which I don’t mind spending if it generates results. Basically, can you recommend a solid resource to learn (Facebook and Instagram) social media advertising techniques? Thanks,
Hi Erin, I’ve actually never experimented with ads before. I’ve gotten amazing results just by word of mouth and content marketing (writing for my blog and making videos). So unfortunately I can’t recommend any solid resources for this. The only name that comes to mind when it comes to crushing it on social media would be Gary Vaynerchuk. If you haven’t already, check out his content. I’m sure he’s touched on advertising on social media many times.
Thank you, I am a beginner on this field, finally found a valuable article for my search result, keep writing.
In today’s fast-paced environment, technology is growing day-by-day and we are advancing better than ever before. Visuals are a prime factor in business trends as many individuals want to be seen the true product(s) before they are purchasing it. Also a huge empowering one is crowd funding! Overall make sure you are motivational – speak from your heart and speak the truth! Find something that an individual values and stick to it, offer incentives whether it is monetary or not and just be a good employeer. I also found OscarPages very helpful when it comes down to the nit picky details and making smart decisions on some businesses! Thank you!
Hi,
I am currently trying to promote myself I am looking to stick with small businesses just now. I am not sure on pricing or what wording to use on flyers etc. I am attending a craft fair next week and need flyers to hand out to the crafters?
Hey, Thanks a lot for so many ideas. As mentioned, I have already developed a website for my free lancing business, made a facebook page, had a word mouth with all family, cousins and friends. But no clients traffic !!!
Please guide me through how can I turn the on going lookers into leads.
Thanks, Regards Zara!
Hi, Thanks for posting such a nice topic. I have recently started my Freelance Website and Android Apps development work. Would like to know the same question that how can increase the visitors on website and how to get online projects ? I have more then 15 years of experience in IT and i am updated with all the latest tools for the development. Please have a look my website and give me your honest feedbacks that how i can improve it. Thanks.
Instagram works well with me as I first figured out who are my target clients are, and they hangout in Instagram 😉
Great tips here Brent! I took all of these into account and redesigned my portfolio this week. http://samaustindesign.com
Hi everyone! please have a look on my page and also like it.
https://www.facebook.com/quickgraphics
Thanks for the information. I just submitted my first facebook ad earlier today. We will see how it goes! On a more personal note I find that reaching out to your local commerce group or BNI group to work and rub elbows with other local businesses really helps! Attending events in the area and handing out my business card at networking events has brought me in 5k in the last 3 months. This is my first year open so word of mouth has been my best marketing tool. My work speaks for itself! Friend me on facebook!! https://www.facebook.com/cyndeeadkinsdesign
Below is an example of one of my ads for the ad campaign on facebook. I made 6 images for this one particular ad campaign for responsive web design.
Cyndee how did your Facebook Ads worked for you?
I got a few likes and page views. like a hand full. No jobs. I’m not doing it again. I get much more business from word of mouth.
Not all platforms will work for everyone 🙂 it’ll depend on who we are targeting. Aside from Word of Mouth, what else works best for you?
In my experience, when you get clients like that, they aren’t worth the time and will soon learn, you get what you pay for. Another reason for this is you are way over priced fro the area so I would check to make sure you aren’t way more expensive than your local competition. Good luck!
A nice article (www.prontowebsolution.com)
I am a logo designer and have a facebook page (IDBurlacu) and I want to thank you for the article. Thanks.
Thats’ very help full 🙂
We have tried Google AdWords and it worked here in Romania.
The main problem is prices, people expect too much on low prices.. how do you handle this problem? Could it be a regional problem?
Thanks for this, recently started as a freelance graphic artist.
Great article, where I have found to help promote my portfolio best are at pinterest.com, facebook.com, dossiae.com, and artsyshark.com.
Great Advice. www.pensil2pixel.com
We sometime show our portfolio in social network
Think Locally is great advice. An easy way to land a new client, search for a poorly designed website and provide suggested changes and a quote!
Hello..
Thank you very much for our information sharing..
It really helpful
Being involved in my own business I still find it quite tough. Projects last for months and than dry up.
Any status or feedback.
I got my site created, I’m just trying to reach people to become clients. I’ve posted my business cards all over the place, but haven’t gotten any calls. anyone have any other ideas for me to try??
Hi Brent,
Just recently started my freelancer service after 10 years spent in corporate company. Just couple of months back did this as a part time after that realized get into full time freelancer job. Currently I’m doing some small works only also I would like to request you to send me more mails about the business tips to move into the next level of my business.
I strongly believe your article and your tips will move into the next level of my business. Thanks!!
Hi Brent,
Really useful article, especially for beginners like myself.
Since I have just started out & trying to build my portfolio, do you think working on projects at places like Design crowd or 99design couldbe of some help initially? Or is it advisable to look for work elsewhere?
Thanks.
Hi Chandrika,
I’ve experimented with contest and job board sites like that in my early years of freelancing, and from my experience, I’ve found the time spent could’ve been used on more effective ways of growing my business.
You can definitely get some practice with the projects on these sites, but I think a smarter way to use your time would be to promote your own business and focus on finding actual client work.
If you’re looking to build a portfolio, try doing some small work pro-bono. You’ll get the experience of working with real clients, while building a portfolio.
Hope this helps. Best of luck with everything!
thanks a lot for very important information, it’s really help for me to get a useful tips, really i enjoyed your post, thanks a lot
Hey Brent,
Great post with some great tips. Having a clean website is really the way to go. Let you work speak volumes and try not to out shine it with an over shmansy site design.
Self promotion is currently my Everest. Why does it seem so hard to blow your own horn?
Tim
Social media is for advertising and good exposure for business.
I like to have giveaways of graphic tees from my own clothing line ever so often to reward existing Facebook fans and gain new one. The other thing that I’m thinking about doing is giving one lucky winner my graphic design services for free to do one promotional material i.e. flyer, brochure, or business card.
Great tips Brent. I’ll have to connect with you via Twitter.
Hi,
Thanks for the article and comments!
I am definitely for word of mouth, however this is something what others can do for us. From our part I think postcards can be a great idea and I am also working on them now. Moreover for any kind of clients – local or in other country website/portfolio is a must.
Regarding meetings – have you ever tried meetup.com to find business meetings in your area, where you can meet your fellows and of course potential clients? (don’t forget to take your business cards with you)
I’ve posted ads offering free website critique. I give a five point website inspection and offer my recommendations on improving a site. If you don’t get the job, you always have a lead you can follow up on later down the road.
David
I’m going to hop on the bandwagon here and agree with the whole “word of mouth” bit. I’ve been doing freelance minimally on the side for a few years now while working part-time in other creative gigs and the clients I received were all from going to the source. I would venture out into social situations to establish those meetings and connections at some awesome venues (I worked with promotions and marketing for bands/musicians). It was a ton of fun and I’ve made some great connections through it. Don’t get me wrong, a simple email is awesome but not compared to a good, ol’ fashioned, face-to-face meeting. That’s classy business right there. Thanks a lot for this article Brent. After living on the road the past 6 months backpacking, I’ve jumped back into my freelance with new energy and inspiration and it’s people like you that help keep me going. Take care and cheers.
Alexander Johnny
Brent, I’m interested to know to what extent you do self-generated work, for example writing, maintaining a shutterstock account for uploading illustration & photography, etc. Also, do you feel Elance is a viable source for work?
Greg,
Good question. I spend almost every minute I’m not working on client projects producing my own work. Just this past year I’ve put so much focus on creating content – most of which can be valuable to others. I highly recommend any freelancer to find some sort of project they can produce on the side.
See this post on the power of side projects for freelancers: http://www.graphicdesignblender.com/the-power-of-side-projects-for-creative-freelancers
As for sites like Elance and oDesk, I’d recommend not wasting your time. I’ve experimented with almost all of them, and the time it takes to fully setup an account and even landed a job, the pay is never worth it. I’d put your focus on finding new clients, building your online/offline presence and work on a project on the side that could lead to more work or bring in passive income.
I hope that helps.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment!
Network, Network, Network! Build relationships with other business owners and individuals and educate them on who your target audience is. People will not refer you if they don’t know or trust you.
Networking is big. I would recommend joining your local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau – then you have to attend their networking events, bring business cards, and be social. (Yes, myself and other freelancers I know do struggle with that.) I’ve gotten new clients this way.
Great to the point overview. I would especially say that word of mouth has been THE primary way for me to get work or meet new clients.I always try to leave every client with the best impression possible. Because when someone from that organisation moves on to another company, they’ll hire you over there now, while you’re still connected to their old company. So now you have TWO clients. And so on and so on.
This sums it up. I would especially say that word of mouth has been THE primary way for me to get work or meet new clients.I always try to leave every client with the best impression possible. Because when someone from that organisation moves on to another company, they’ll hire you over there now, while you’re still connected to their old company. So now you have TWO clients. And so on and so on.
I agere with Tue, some times it is a good choise to focus om the person, and not only the company, dont have to be buddys with then, but professionals together. I usally Stick to: under promise – over deliver.
Friends and Family! And neighborhood listserves! I just sent out a large email to all of my friends/neighbors/acquaintances in the hopes of acquiring more small business website jobs. I have already gotten responses from folks that talked about putting up a site, but never got around to it. Email was a nice reminder. In the twenty years of working as a freelancer, nothing beats word of mouth for work referral!
I think the more people you know the more business opportunities you will have. I prefer to be at my desk designing but I think it is important to get out and build relationships. My target is other businesses so I recently joined my local chamber of commerce in order to get involved and meet more people.
Business cards! A great way to make contact with people face to face and show them your smile. I sometimes have a target of giving out say 5 business cards in a day especially if work is slow and of course I try to find people who are in a position to give me work. Say hello to guy who you see getting coffee every morning, talk to new people. Even if there is no work you might send someone to your website and generate social media interaction.
I’m just starting out as a freelance designer. Since my portfolio is still growing, one of the ways I showcase my design skills is by having several creative business cards. Each card has a unique design that shows potential clients the possibilities. I think this is a good way to present my creative side and it doesn’t cost much since business cards are pretty inexpensive.
Ernest
Take a look at moo.com – they allow you to print as many different cards as you want in a run as long as the backside is the same on all of them. A very cost effective way to make a “portfolio” of business cards.
What kind of strategy is “Experiment with social media and ad space”? You’ve never personally used ad space – yet you suggest that other people should, and “see if it generates any leads”. What drivel. You might as well tell them to buy a billboard to “see if it generates any leads”. Well it was an experiment, right? Here I was hoping that there might be a useful marketing nugget in this article, but I guess that’s what I can expect with “social media”. Good luck.
Craig,
“I personally have never purchased ad space for *my business*.” I have however designed and managed ads for clients before. Ad space is a very reasonable option for promoting your business, which is why I briefly mentioned it. Maybe I should’ve clarified a bit more on that in the post for your sake.
Also to say, “you might as well tell them to buy a billboard” is nonsense. Seeing that setting up an ad for your Facebook page can cost as low as $5 a day, which is very reasonable to reach out to a potential market. Again, maybe something I could’ve gone more in-depth about.
Thanks for reading and taking the time to comment!
One very small – but important thing people tend to forget is always tag your work either with a little logo or just your company name on all of the things you make eg. brochures, websites, advertising in magazines, posters, cd covers, apps and so on.
Great article buy the way.
I have tried free classified websites. Some of them have very nominal charge for putting your ad on the top and all. I have also used Google adwords.
Both of the above have been quite effective. 🙂
thanks,
Maia.
Hi,
I’m most definitely new to this! I am trying to reach my audience in the most effective way with a clean site, and interesting approaches but I don’t know my target audience. I don’t think I have one. There’s anywhere from 20-30+ who have asked me to create things for them. On my site I am going to offer services like: posters, free-hand paintings, logos etc. But I am currently revamping it because I realized I can make it look more appealing. I am careful because I do not want to overwhelm myself with too many services either. One thing I know that has been hard is for me to stay updating on social media. I run out of things to say but I will keep your post in mind. Another thing is contracts, I just want to keep things simple no have a huge list of things for people or clients to run through on my site. That can get anyone bored quickly…do you have any advice to give me? Thanks!
Christy,
Good luck with the redesign! For your social media accounts, the easiest thing you can do is simply share what you find useful online. Whether it’s a web app or blog post.
As for the contracts, Millo has a useful bundle called “Contracts for Creatives” that goes over everything you’ll need to get started with freelance contracts. It also comes with some great contract templates: full in-depth, short, simple, plus more. Definitely check it out: http://bit.ly/Wm25qc
I hope that helps.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment! 🙂
Just two days ago I began working on a plan of promoting my activity as a designer, because I would really like to give up my full-time job and dive into freelancing, so this article fits like a glove on my current situation. Thank you very much!
Some of the things on my list are my social media accounts and my portfolio on behance (I don’t have my own website yet but it’s in the plan). Beside from the online activity, I am planning to do some research on networking events that are having place near my area. I think that this is an important thing to do, going out and talking to people about your work, wether they are also designers or potential clients. I am really excited to do that, because I get to know them face to face, and this can be the starting point of a future collaboration.
Hi Elena,
Congrats on your decision to go FREELANCE! It is a struggle sometimes, but also very rewarding working for yourself.
I have been in the busy for almost 13 years as a Freelancer designer and my most significant work generators have been word of mouth and an online portfolio.
If you need a portfolio website created I would love to work with you on that.
Good luck.
I am doing the same thing as Melissa, postcards for small local businesses. A lot of local businesses are facing the same issues emerging designers are with limited funds and/or resources. It is nice to be able to work with these local business owners and helping them get something they truly need while growing my portfolio.
I agree with word of mouth. It is the easiest and cheapest way to get business. You just have to remember, people will tell one person about a job well done but will tell ten people about a job done poorly!
Actually, it’s 9 people a person will tell about poor customer service. Not 10.
I’m working on a postcard currently that I will send out to local small businesses. Want to stick with the small business sector right now as I am only one person and don’t think I can handle a big contract.
That’s another great idea of reaching out to your local businesses! I hope it generates some leads for you. Thanks for sharing, Melissa! 🙂