For designers who are just starting out, the idea of getting more graphic design clients can be daunting. After all, there’s so much competition out there, and you have no idea what will work to grab your first few clients and keep them coming back for more! The key is to use all the tools at your disposal to make your business stand out, from your business cards and social media presence to your portfolio website and beyond. Let’s take a look at some steps you can take today to help get more graphic design clients into your lap!
Update Your Portfolio
If you want more graphic design clients, it’s crucial that you keep your portfolio up-to-date. Use this opportunity to put all your work into one place and show off your most recent and relevant pieces. Before you make any big changes, go back through the site and make sure all the information is accurate and up-to-date. The last thing you want is for someone who searches for your site not to be able to contact or find you because of the inaccurate contact information or outdated information about the company in general.
Outline New Project Briefs
It’s time to get more graphic design clients! Here are a few ways to do so:
- Locate target prospects in your area.
- Make sure your message is concise and professional (even if it’s just one sentence).
- Share your work on social media, including your website URL.
- Customize each email or marketing piece, but keep the layout similar for consistency and brand recognition.
- Offer up an incentive for filling out an evaluation of their experience with you as a designer but make sure it’s small and has zero strings attached!
Content creation that is valuable
Reach out to Graphic Design Clients For clients who are in the same field, reach out and let them know you have created a new business, then offer your service as their competitor. Maybe they need what you can offer and would like the change.
If they don’t want anything to do with it then, at least you gave it a try! Other people will see that you reached out and followed up which is a great form of marketing for other potential leads. Contact Local Businesses Local businesses who’s websites might not be designed by someone in the Graphic Design field might be interested in your services since they’re looking for someone who can save them time on this project.
Your portfolio should be the best it can be
Every graphic designer’s goal is to land more clients, but in order for your portfolio to really speak for you, you have work hard at it. When people see your portfolio, they should know that you’re the professional designer for them and can do what needs to be done.
That’s why it’s imperative that you hone your design skills every day. Another way of getting more graphic design clients is creating a list of everything a graphic designer does for his or her clients. This will help you tailor your portfolio accordingly so people are able and willing to pay you what the market demands for these services.
At one point I was only taking on five projects at a time, because I wanted my work quality high while still giving myself enough free time outside of work hours.
Find out what others recommend
This list can help you with your graphic design clients:
- Find out what others recommend by asking friends and colleagues, reading blogs and books on the topic, and getting feedback on your portfolio.
- Add new techniques and skills to your skill set.
- Make a list of the clients that you would love to work for.
- Reach out to them by phone call or email right away, this approach is much more effective than waiting around for inspiration to strike
- Set aside time every day even if it’s just 10 minutes so that you can follow through on ideas as they come up; don’t wait until next week
Clarify your values
What if we could only do the work we cared about? What if it didn’t matter what type of work or clients because as long as we’re doing work that matters to us and contributes to our values, then it’s all worth it. But unfortunately, sometimes you need graphic design clients in order for your business to function. You may not be able to pick and choose which work you want but you can still choose the type of clients that come knocking on your door.
Make sure things are up-to-date
Is it true that you’re not getting enough Graphic Design clients? This can be a tough reality for graphic designers who work hard and strive to do their best work. Some changes you might want to make in your marketing strategy include emphasizing the value of your services (and what this will do for the customer) and how much time goes into creating quality graphics. It also doesn’t hurt to show off a few examples of successful projects that you have done.
Here are a few more marketing tips:
- Make sure your website is up-to-date
- Contribute regularly to design communities like Dribbble and Behance,
- Leverage social media whether through graphic tutorials or contests
Make use of social proof
If you’re looking for a way to get more graphic design clients and don’t know where to start, this post will teach you what’s worked for me in the past. There are many strategies and tips that are out there that will help guide you through, but these are the ones that have really helped me grow my design business. These are all things that I am still practicing and following today.
Don’t be afraid of social media seriously! Social media is one of your most powerful tools when it comes to getting new clients as well as engaging with old ones.
Stay on top of your social media
If you’re looking for graphic design clients, you should also be staying on top of your social media! Search engines use data from sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, so by maintaining your social media profiles, you are expanding the amount of search results available. As an added bonus, adding a link to your social media profile in your email signature or website will help increase traffic to those pages as well!
1. Maintain an active and well-designed website with updated information on it.
2. Have a good presence on all of the major social networking sites – Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Flickr and Youtube are five big ones.
Follow-up is powerful
Finding new Graphic Design clients is difficult but can be made easier by following up in a personal and tailored way. Here are some different ways you can go about following up:
Send your potential client a hand-written card thanking them for their time or congratulations on winning an award.
Create a customer appreciation gift, such as a logo pillow or embroidered pillowcase, and mail it to them.
Offer to speak at events about your Graphic design work or the industry, for no more than 20 minutes, then talk about how you can help with their business goals.
Stay Up To Date with Technology
In today’s design industry, you can never stop learning. From software updates to the evolution of design trends, staying up-to-date with new and relevant graphic design techniques is key in growing your skillset and getting more Graphic Design Clients. Here are some ways you can stay current:
Keep an eye on business newsletters. They’re a great way of following what’s going on in the design world and keeping up with industry news. You should also sign up for product launches because they often come with discount offers that can be really helpful if you’re trying to grow your clientele or save money while starting out.
Networking is never enough
Networking is a great way to find new graphic design clients, but as a solo practitioner, it is sometimes hard to see the impact of all your networking activities. Here are some other ideas on how you can get more graphic design clients and what you should be doing once you have them.
- Develop a website for yourself and make sure it includes samples of your best work, as well as your contact information so potential customers can easily get in touch with you.
- Link to your social media platforms and any profiles or communities where you share images, blog posts or updates.
- Create online graphics that incorporate the latest trends in Graphic Design so prospective customers know you’re up-to-date on what’s going on in the industry.
Go Above and Beyond Client’s Expectations
If you want your graphic design clients to come back for more and refer you, it’s important that you go the extra mile. Whether it’s communicating before their project is due and ensuring they’re on the same page with what they want, providing them with a quick turnaround time and getting in touch if there are any hiccups in your work or following up after the project is completed- provide great customer service throughout the entire process.
One thing that can help ensure you get more clients from word-of-mouth referrals is giving your customers an opportunity to review you. After all, why wouldn’t they tell their friends about someone who did such a good job?
How do you attract design clients?
Posting on design boards, building your portfolio, and creating a website are all ways of getting more graphic design clients. Take time to post your work online and make sure it’s featured in a prominent place on your website so it’s the first thing that potential clients will see when they visit. Also create an email account specifically for freelancers with their contact information.
Freelancers can also leverage personal networks by approaching other designers who are in similar industries and talk about how you can collaborate on projects or share contacts for potential clients. Posting on relevant industry blogs and responding to blog comments is another way of networking with prospective graphic design clients.
Conclusion
As you can see, these are some great ways for graphic designers to get more clients. In order to create a strong portfolio that you can take with you on interviews and out into the world, make sure your work is the best quality it can be. It’s also important that your LinkedIn page reflects your work accurately so those viewing it will understand exactly what they’ll get from hiring you.
Follow these simple steps, and soon enough you’ll find yourself well on your way to gaining more graphic design clients!
