If you’re a graphic designer, you’ve probably already realized that the best way to grow your business is by getting more clients. But how do you get more clients? Simple: by making it as easy as possible for people to buy from you.
The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to make buying from your business easier. If you’re not doing any of these yet or if your current methods aren’t working then keep reading! We’ll cover 12 tips on getting more clients in this article, so let’s get started!
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Utilize social media to showcase your portfolio. |
| 2. Leverage content marketing for brand visibility. |
| 3. Network and attend industry events for connections. |
| 4. Offer referral incentives to current clients. |
| 5. Create a professional and user-friendly website. |
| 6. Collaborate with other creative professionals. |
| 7. Provide exceptional customer service. |
| 8. Use testimonials to build credibility. |
| 9. Develop a strong personal brand identity. |
| 10. Offer free workshops or tutorials to showcase expertise. |
| 11. Regularly update your portfolio with new projects. |
| 12. Research and target your ideal client niche effectively. |
1. Understand What Your Unique Selling Point Is
Now that you’ve got a business plan, it’s time to put it into action. The first step is understanding what your unique selling point is. What do you do differently from other graphic design companies? What makes you different from the rest of the crowd? If your answer is “I’m good at what I do,” that’s not a good answer because all designers are supposed to be good at their craft.
So how can you set yourself apart from other designers and ensure that clients will choose you over them? Here are some questions to help:
- Who is your target audience or ideal client?
- What platforms do they use (social media, email newsletters, etc.) and how can they find out about your services or products through those channels?
- How does your unique selling point differentiate you from competitors who offer similar services or products like yours and why would someone choose yours instead!
Building a successful freelance graphic design business is not just about skills; it’s also about dispelling myths. Learn about the Top 15 Misconceptions About Working for a Design Agency to navigate your career effectively.
2. Build A Diverse, High-Quality Portfolio
Your portfolio is the first thing a potential client will see, and what they see will shape their expectations of you as a designer. Your portfolio should therefore reflect your skills and experience, demonstrating that you have the right abilities to handle the job at hand.
Your portfolio should also be diverse in its content so that it can showcase your range of capabilities. For example, if you’re applying for a design job with an eCommerce company, include some examples of website designs or marketing campaigns that utilize online sales techniques (including services like PayPal).
This can help demonstrate why they should hire someone who has experience designing websites and marketing campaigns and not just someone who has done typography work or made flyers before!
Finally, make sure that every piece in your portfolio is high quality and relevant to your target audience: lazy photoshopping or low-quality printouts won’t do well here!
3. Target Local Businesses
The first thing you should do is target local businesses. Unless you live in the middle of nowhere, there will be plenty of small businesses around that need graphic design work done. These are great clients to find because they are more likely to be familiar with your work, they can usually pay you on time and they will often refer friends or family members to you when they need a new website or logo.
It doesn’t matter what type of business it is it could be a restaurant, an auto mechanic, or even an insurance company as long as it’s local and needs graphics designed for them. Smaller companies tend to have more flexibility than larger ones when it comes to how much time and money they’re willing to dedicate to their marketing efforts (like getting new logos).
Want your freelance graphic design clients to succeed? Dive into the insights provided by the Ultimate Guide to Freelance Graphic Design Clients Success and discover how to create lasting partnerships.
4. Participate In Relevant Forums
Participation in relevant forums is one of the best ways to get your name out there while also connecting with prospective clients. If you’re a graphic designer, you need to be active in forums related to design and any other industry-specific forum where designers are likely to hang out.
Don’t just post your work, but also respond to other people’s posts—even if they don’t directly relate to what you do or offer (like this article). This will help build trust and rapport as well as increase your visibility on social media platforms like Reddit and ProductHunt.
5. Utilize Your Existing Contacts
Family, friends, colleagues, and former clients. Utilize your existing contacts to get your name out there. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, or even a referral or testimonial. If you’re at a networking event with a potential client in your area of expertise, see if they have any friends or associates who might need design work done.
Offer them something in return: You can offer free advice on their new website design, or even create an informational presentation on why they should hire you as their graphic designer instead of the competition (if there is any).
Create a list of relevant contacts: Do some research on social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook and look up people who are interested in what you do (graphic designers), especially those who live near where you live/work.
6. Use Social Media As A Way To Generate New Business Leads
Social media is an excellent way to build your brand and connect with potential clients. It’s also a great place to share expertise, which will make you stand out from other designers.
If you’re not already using social media as part of your marketing strategy, it’s time to get started! Here are some tips and tricks for making the most of this resource:
Think about how people will find your profile on social media. You might want to use keywords that potential clients are searching for when they are looking for graphic design services in their area (like “corporate branding” or “logo design”).
Make sure that these keywords are included in your bio so that people can find you when they search those terms on Google or Bing Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).
Create content regularly. This will help keep people interested in what you’re doing and give them something new to look forward to every day. One good way is by posting industry news articles every week so readers can stay informed without having any interest whatsoever in reading about politics or sports statistics.
Create engaging posts with images whenever possible, especially ones that highlight how great your work looks!
As a freelance graphic designer, standing out is crucial. Clients seeking the perfect designer will benefit from these 10 Tips for Finding the Perfect Freelance Graphic Designer to ensure a successful collaboration.
7. Get Featured Or Published Online Or In Print
There are a ton of places you can get published online, such as blogs and magazines. For example:
A blog is a website that publishes information in the form of articles or posts. Blogs often feature images and videos, as well as text. There are a lot of different types of blogs out there—some focus on personal issues like fashion, cooking, or home improvement; others cover politics or technology topics.
To get featured on a blog you want to create something cool like an infographic (an image with statistics) about why people should hire you for design work!
Magazines are print publications that cover topics ranging from pop culture to technology to sports they’re usually targeted towards specific audiences based on age groups or interest areas (e.g., Teen Vogue). If you want to get published in one of these magazines then submit some samples of your work so they know what kind of style works best for their magazine audience!
8. Attend Networking Events And Conferences
Attend networking events and conferences. You’ll meet other people in your industry, exchange ideas, make connections and learn new things. Networking is a great way to find out what’s going on in the world of design as well as get amazing leads for your business.
Talk to everyone you meet at these events! Ask them if they know anyone who could use your services or if they would like to be referred to someone who does. They will usually be happy to share their contact information with you so don’t hesitate when it comes time for introductions or small talk!
Prepare a short pitch about why people should work with you – this will help if someone asks about what kind of work you do or why they should hire an independent designer as opposed to a large agency (you can even offer them some samples).
Give out business cards so that if someone has any questions later on down the road, they’ll have somewhere easy-to-find where all important info (including phone number) is listed out clearly without having to search around online trying to track down emails, etc…
9. Join Professional Associations And Organizations
Joining professional associations and organizations can help you expand your network, learn from others in the field, and build your reputation.
Join a local graphic design group; These groups usually have monthly meetings where members meet up to discuss business topics and share ideas. This is a great way to gain insight into what other designers are doing with their businesses as well as learn new techniques that might be useful for you.
Get involved in community service; If you have time on your hands, consider volunteering at a non-profit organization or charity that helps people who could benefit from your services (such as the American Cancer Society). You’ll get some good press out of it too!
10. Start Freelancing For Clients Around The World Through Upwork Or Fiverr Or Freelancer.Com
Upwork and Freelancer.com are two websites that can be great resources for finding a variety of clients and projects. They’re both platforms where you can bid on projects from clients all over the world, so if you live in an area with a low population, this will give you more chances to find clients than if you were trying to do it locally.
Upwork is the better option here because its pool of freelancers is much larger than Freelancer’s and since there are so many more people working for Upwork on any given project, there will be far more opportunities for your business in general.
11. Get Testimonials From Past Clients And Display Them On Your Website
Testimonials are an important part of your marketing strategy. They’re a great way to show prospective clients that you are good at what you do, and they help boost confidence in your abilities by familiarizing prospects with the work that you’ve done and their experience with it.
If a client has more than one project under his or her belt, consider allowing him or her to write a testimonial for all those projects in one place. You want these testimonials on your website because it’s where potential customers will go when they’re looking for designers, which means that visitors will see them first thing when they land on your site from search results (or from links shared by others).
Crafting print ads that truly sell products requires a strategic approach. Learn the art behind it with insights from How to Design Print Ads That Sell Products and elevate your graphic design prowess.
12. Build A Blog On Your Website Where You Can Display Your Expertise For Free
Blogging is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Blogging is also a great way to build your brand and reputation. It allows you to showcase your work, which will help you get more clients in the long run.
You should start by writing about topics related to graphic design, such as:
- How To Choose The Right Design Software For Your Business
- 7 Ways To Improve Your Graphic Design Skills As A Freelancer
The world of freelance web design holds valuable lessons for graphic designers too. Explore the theory and tips in The Art of Freelance Web Design: Theory and Tips to expand your creative horizons across various mediums.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have read through this article, what can you take away from it? It’s intended to be a guide for people who are looking to expand their business and make more money. The key is to find the right clients who will pay well for your services and give them the best quality of work that you can provide. If you follow these steps, then I guarantee that your business will expand very quickly!
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources to further enhance your understanding of attracting and handling graphic design clients:
12 Tips for Handling Your Graphic Design Clients: Explore these tips to effectively manage client relationships, communication, and expectations as a graphic designer.
Promote Business and Attract Graphic Design Clients: Discover strategies for promoting your design business and attracting potential clients through effective marketing techniques.
How to Get Graphic Design Clients: Proven Strategies: This resource offers proven strategies for acquiring new graphic design clients and growing your freelance business.
People Also Ask
What Is A Graphic Designer?
A graphic designer uses creative skills to develop the visual elements of print and web-based projects. They specialize in all things related to design, including layout, typography, color theory, packaging, and more. For example, you might hire a graphic designer to create logos or brochures for your company.
What Is A Web Designer?
Web designers create websites from scratch or maintain existing ones. They use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to design sites that load fast on any browser (including mobile devices) while being accessible to all users regardless of disability or limitations on technology capabilities. Web design also includes optimizing your website so it ranks high in search engines like Google.
What Is The Job Description Of A Graphic Designer?
The job description varies depending on which industry they work in (e.g., advertising or publishing). However, there are some common responsibilities for all types of graphic designers from those who work on corporate branding projects for corporations like Apple Inc., Google Inc., Coca Cola Co., Ford Motor Company, etc.,
Through those who create book covers at publishing houses like Penguin Random House LLC or HarperCollins Publishers LLC; from those who do page layout at newspapers like The New York Times Company LLC to those who design websites for small businesses around town such as yours!
These include creating concepts based on client needs (which includes research about future trends), creating rough drafts using pencil sketches/drafts as well as working with clients to provide guidance/feedback throughout the development process until the final product is delivered satisfactorily accordingly.
How Do I Get More Clients?
It’s all about making sure you’re meeting the needs of your ideal client. You need to make sure that you are being seen by the right people, and that they are seeing you in a way that makes it clear what type of work you offer.
This means researching and finding out who your ideal client is, then putting yourself where they go to meet them. If your ideal client is an agency looking for freelance designers, then put yourself where agencies go: job boards, social media sites like Behance or Dribbble where agencies look for talent, conferences about design (like SXSW Interactive), etc…
How Do I Get More Work?
First off: do great work! Make sure it’s top-notch; this will help keep clients coming back for more because they know that if they bring something to you it won’t suck (because if it does there’s no way someone else would hire them again). The second tip would be networking!
Get out there by attending local events related to graphic design such as meetups or conferences like SVA’s Digital Design Conference & Expo which happens every year at the end of April/beginning of May here in New York City.
This event draws over 500 professionals from around the world who come here just so they can network with each other while learning valuable new skills during workshops offered throughout each day as well as at night through lectures & panels hosted during breaks between sessions throughout each day.”.
How Do I Build A Portfolio?
You don’t need a fancy website or social media account to start building your portfolio. Start by creating some designs for yourself, like business cards and personal websites. When you’re happy with them, share them on social media and ask friends and family if they’d be interested in purchasing one of your designs.
If people buy them, great. You’ve got the beginnings of a portfolio and money to put towards buying more materials for designing work.
Once you’ve got enough material to make it worth someone’s while, invest in some more professional design software (GIMP is great if you’re on a budget) and start sending out samples of your work via email or printouts/CDs/USB drives, etc., depending on what technology is available where you live at present time.”
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.