On this episode of Design Domination, we delve into the strategies for attracting clients as a freelance graphic designer. Discover an array of valuable tips that will set you apart from other designers, capture the attention of potential clients, establish your authority, and secure new clients—without resorting to pushy or unethical sales tactics.
One of the most frequently asked questions by freelance graphic designers is, “How can I acquire clients?”
This can be challenging as you are responsible for all aspects of your business. When you’re immersed in your design work, it’s easy to overlook the task of acquiring clients, leading to unpredictable feast-or-famine cycles.
One effective method of acquiring clients is through outreach—reaching out to them individually.
While individual outreach is beneficial, I want to help you attract freelance design clients proactively. My aim is to guide you in reaching a broader audience and connecting with multiple potential clients simultaneously, all without feeling like you’re engaging in aggressive or unethical sales tactics.
The following tips will elevate your presence among your target audience, enabling you to expand your marketing efforts beyond individual businesses and maximize your impact.
Understand Your Target Market
Before embarking on client acquisition, it is crucial to identify your target audience. It’s important to recognize that your audience does not encompass everyone. While you might argue otherwise, it’s a misconception that I too once believed.
While it may seem logical that if you can design for one business, you can design for any business, there’s an essential caveat to consider.
You may not effectively communicate or understand the specific needs of your audience if you fail to speak their language. Your messaging becomes diluted as a result.
Personally, I struggled for years with choosing the right words in my copy. I faced dilemmas like “organizations” versus “nonprofits,” “donations” versus “businesses,” or “sales.” Each target audience had its own unique terminology.
It was an exhausting process! Eventually, I realized the importance of selecting one language and sticking with it, which brought me much-needed clarity.
So, consider who your ideal client is. Try to narrow down your target audience based on factors such as the type of business, industry, or specific work you specialize in and wish to attract more of. This exercise will not only enhance your marketing efforts but also help you determine where your ideal clients can be found online. After all, if you’re unsure of who your target audience is, how can you effectively locate them?
LinkedIn Profile
Another effective method of acquiring clients is through your LinkedIn profile, which serves as your online resume.
To make the most of this platform, ensure that your profile is regularly updated with your current job positions, skills, contact information, and examples of your design work.
Boost your credibility by requesting recommendations from past clients and coworkers. These testimonials add weight and trustworthiness to your profile.
Expand your network by connecting with former coworkers, colleagues, past clients, and potential clients who are relevant to your field of work and the industry in which you aspire to establish a presence. Building connections with individuals in your target industry can lead to valuable opportunities.
Showcase Your Work
Displaying your work is indeed an effective strategy for attracting clients.
Ensure that your website and LinkedIn profile prominently feature your portfolio. Additionally, consider utilizing popular portfolio sites such as Dribbble, Behance, Coroflot, Sortfolio, Hire an Illustrator, and others.
However, it’s important to remember that simply showcasing your work does not guarantee clients will find you. To maximize your reach, actively share your work through regular channels such as monthly emails or social media posts. This consistent sharing helps increase visibility and engagement with potential clients.
Create Content
I understand that you may anticipate some resistance to the next suggestion of creating content. However, I urge you to consider its merits.
Content creation serves multiple purposes and can be done as infrequently as once a month.
Why Designers Should Create Content
Content creation plays a pivotal role in showcasing your expertise as a designer. Potential clients often lack awareness of your knowledge and capabilities. By providing informative content, you not only educate them but also demonstrate your expertise on the subject matter through your writing.
Moreover, content creation helps potential clients identify the problems they might be facing. For example, by writing a blog post about the limitations of the Acrobat accessibility checker, you can address the misconception among clients who believe passing the checker ensures document accessibility. This content serves as an eye-opener, making them aware of the problem they didn’t realize existed. Simultaneously, it provides an opportunity to present yourself as a solution provider by offering your expertise in document accessibility.
When creating content, ensure its relevance to the services you offer. If your specialization lies in logo design or print materials and you have no interest in website-related work, refrain from writing articles about SEO. It’s crucial that your content aligns with the services you provide and the type of work you want to attract.
Ultimately, well-crafted content leads potential clients to you, enlightens them about their challenges, and offers a seamless transition to showcasing how you can help them overcome those challenges.
Your content possesses the power to captivate potential clients and inspire them to take action. By addressing their problems, presenting your solutions, showcasing your expertise, and sharing relevant case studies, you can effectively incorporate a call to action at the end, encouraging them to reach out to you for your services or sign up for your email list to receive a complimentary guide.
The creation and dissemination of content yield long-term benefits. Once you release it, search engines can discover and promote it. Additionally, people may engage with your content by liking, sharing, or commenting on it.
Another effective strategy is to craft guest posts for external websites, allowing you to reach an even wider audience of your ideal clients.
If you find yourself wondering, “What should I write about, man?”
To optimize your efficiency, set aside dedicated time to create a batch of written content and design accompanying social media posts.
Optimize Content
Prior to writing your content, consider leveraging tools like UberSuggest to optimize it for relevant keywords. This approach will enhance the discoverability of your content, making it easier for potential clients to find when they conduct relevant searches. By strategically incorporating these keywords into your content, you can increase the visibility and reach of your material, ultimately attracting a larger audience of potential clients.
Repurpose and Schedule Content
On this episode of Design Domination, we delve into the strategies for attracting clients as a freelance graphic designer. Discover an array of valuable tips that will set you apart from other designers, capture the attention of potential clients, establish your authority, and secure new clients—without resorting to pushy or unethical sales tactics.
One of the most frequently asked questions by freelance graphic designers is, “How can I acquire clients?”
This can be challenging as you are responsible for all aspects of your business. When you’re immersed in your design work, it’s easy to overlook the task of acquiring clients, leading to unpredictable feast-or-famine cycles.
One effective method of acquiring clients is through outreach—reaching out to them individually.
While individual outreach is beneficial, I want to help you attract freelance design clients proactively. My aim is to guide you in reaching a broader audience and connecting with multiple potential clients simultaneously, all without feeling like you’re engaging in aggressive or unethical sales tactics.
The following tips will elevate your presence among your target audience, enabling you to expand your marketing efforts beyond individual businesses and maximize your impact.
Understand Your Target Market
Before embarking on client acquisition, it is crucial to identify your target audience. It’s important to recognize that your audience does not encompass everyone. While you might argue otherwise, it’s a misconception that I too once believed.
While it may seem logical that if you can design for one business, you can design for any business, there’s an essential caveat to consider.
You may not effectively communicate or understand the specific needs of your audience if you fail to speak their language. Your messaging becomes diluted as a result.
Personally, I struggled for years with choosing the right words in my copy. I faced dilemmas like “organizations” versus “nonprofits,” “donations” versus “businesses,” or “sales.” Each target audience had its own unique terminology.
It was an exhausting process! Eventually, I realized the importance of selecting one language and sticking with it, which brought me much-needed clarity.
So, consider who your ideal client is. Try to narrow down your target audience based on factors such as the type of business, industry, or specific work you specialize in and wish to attract more of. This exercise will not only enhance your marketing efforts but also help you determine where your ideal clients can be found online. After all, if you’re unsure of who your target audience is, how can you effectively locate them?
LinkedIn Profile
Another effective method of acquiring clients is through your LinkedIn profile, which serves as your online resume.
To make the most of this platform, ensure that your profile is regularly updated with your current job positions, skills, contact information, and examples of your design work.
Boost your credibility by requesting recommendations from past clients and coworkers. These testimonials add weight and trustworthiness to your profile.
Expand your network by connecting with former coworkers, colleagues, past clients, and potential clients who are relevant to your field of work and the industry in which you aspire to establish a presence. Building connections with individuals in your target industry can lead to valuable opportunities.
Showcase Your Work
Displaying your work is indeed an effective strategy for attracting clients.
Ensure that your website and LinkedIn profile prominently feature your portfolio. Additionally, consider utilizing popular portfolio sites such as Dribbble, Behance, Coroflot, Sortfolio, Hire an Illustrator, and others.
However, it’s important to remember that simply showcasing your work does not guarantee clients will find you. To maximize your reach, actively share your work through regular channels such as monthly emails or social media posts. This consistent sharing helps increase visibility and engagement with potential clients.
Create Content
I understand that you may anticipate some resistance to the next suggestion of creating content. However, I urge you to consider its merits.
Content creation serves multiple purposes and can be done as infrequently as once a month.
Why Designers Should Create Content
Content creation plays a pivotal role in showcasing your expertise as a designer. Potential clients often lack awareness of your knowledge and capabilities. By providing informative content, you not only educate them but also demonstrate your expertise on the subject matter through your writing.
Moreover, content creation helps potential clients identify the problems they might be facing. For example, by writing a blog post about the limitations of the Acrobat accessibility checker, you can address the misconception among clients who believe passing the checker ensures document accessibility. This content serves as an eye-opener, making them aware of the problem they didn’t realize existed. Simultaneously, it provides an opportunity to present yourself as a solution provider by offering your expertise in document accessibility.
When creating content, ensure its relevance to the services you offer. If your specialization lies in logo design or print materials and you have no interest in website-related work, refrain from writing articles about SEO. It’s crucial that your content aligns with the services you provide and the type of work you want to attract.
Ultimately, well-crafted content leads potential clients to you, enlightens them about their challenges, and offers a seamless transition to showcasing how you can help them overcome those challenges.
Your content possesses the power to captivate potential clients and inspire them to take action. By addressing their problems, presenting your solutions, showcasing your expertise, and sharing relevant case studies, you can effectively incorporate a call to action at the end, encouraging them to reach out to you for your services or sign up for your email list to receive a complimentary guide.
The creation and dissemination of content yield long-term benefits. Once you release it, search engines can discover and promote it. Additionally, people may engage with your content by liking, sharing, or commenting on it.
Another effective strategy is to craft guest posts for external websites, allowing you to reach an even wider audience of your ideal clients.
If you find yourself wondering, “What should I write about, man?”
To optimize your efficiency, set aside dedicated time to create a batch of written content and design accompanying social media posts.
Optimize Content
Prior to writing your content, consider leveraging tools like UberSuggest to optimize it for relevant keywords. This approach will enhance the discoverability of your content, making it easier for potential clients to find when they conduct relevant searches. By strategically incorporating these keywords into your content, you can increase the visibility and reach of your material, ultimately attracting a larger audience of potential clients.
Repurpose and Schedule Content
Maximize the value of your content by repurposing it across different platforms and mediums. For instance, you can extract the introductory paragraph of a blog post and incorporate it into an email, enticing recipients to click through and read the full post on your website.
Consider publishing your blog posts as LinkedIn articles to reach a broader professional audience.
To grab attention on social media, extract short snippets from videos and share them as engaging content pieces.
Simplify your content management process by utilizing social media scheduling tools. These platforms, such as SocialBee, Publer, and others, enable you to automate the posting of your content and rotate evergreen material. This way, you don’t have to manually handle each post every time. It’s also important to schedule your posts on days and times when your audience is most likely to be online, maximizing the reach and impact of your content.
Search Engine Optimization
Ensure that your page content is SEO-friendly by utilizing SEO analysis tools such as Yoast, SEOPress, or RankMath. These tools can help optimize your content for search engines and improve its visibility.
Implement an analytics tool like Stat Counter, Google Analytics, or a similar platform on your website. Even if you don’t actively monitor the stats at the moment, collecting this information over time will prove valuable in the future when you need insights into your website’s performance and visitor behavior.
Don’t overlook the importance of your site’s load time. A slow-loading website can negatively impact both your search engine rankings and user experience. Google rewards fast-loading sites with higher search engine rankings, and potential clients are more likely to stay engaged if your site loads quickly.
To assess your site’s load time, you can use tools like Pingdom and GTMetrix. If your site takes longer than 2 seconds to load, consider implementing a caching plugin such as WP Rocket and optimizing images using a compression plugin like Short Pixel. These optimizations can significantly improve your site’s speed and performance.
Engage in Industry Associations and Virtual Communities
Engage in communities where prospective customers gather
To connect with potential clients, it’s essential to actively engage with relevant communities where they congregate. Begin by identifying your target audience and then seek out industry-specific Facebook groups, LinkedIn groups, and online forums where they frequent. Some trade associations even have exclusive online forums for their members and associated vendors.
For instance, suppose you’re targeting natural health businesses. In that case, you can search for Facebook or LinkedIn groups centered around “marketing for natural health businesses” to determine if any relevant communities exist.
However, joining these groups alone won’t yield results. It’s crucial to actively participate to increase your visibility among the members. Like and comment on other people’s posts, and if allowed by the group’s promotional rules, share your valuable content such as blog posts or free guides.
Engaging in this manner serves several purposes:
- Exposure: Regular participation ensures that your name becomes familiar to others within the group.
- Establishing helpfulness: By offering assistance, answering questions, and providing valuable insights, you cultivate a reputation as a helpful resource.
- Demonstrating expertise: Consistently sharing your knowledge positions you as an authority in your field.
- Generating content ideas: By observing the inquiries and discussions within the group, you gain valuable insights into the topics and concerns of potential clients.
As an example, in my client-oriented business focusing on accessibility and nonprofit work, I pay attention to questions about alt-text or overlays. By addressing these queries or offering my perspective, I establish myself as a knowledgeable professional.
The objective is to make potential clients recognize and remember your name. When they require services in your niche, you will be top of mind, particularly if you engage regularly. If the group moderators or admins appreciate your contributions, they might even acknowledge you as an expert within the group.
Over time, you might discover that certain groups are not a good fit for your goals. That’s perfectly fine. In such cases, you can leave those groups and redirect your efforts towards more suitable communities.
Establishing a Group for Prospective Clients
Another viable option is to consider establishing a dedicated Facebook or LinkedIn group, depending on the platform that aligns better with your target audience. Begin by identifying a topic that your potential clients are likely to be interested in and the keywords they would use when searching for relevant groups to join.
It’s important to note that managing your own Facebook or LinkedIn group requires additional effort. You’ll need to carefully approve user requests, as some may be fake accounts (especially on Facebook) or even competitors seeking access. Additionally, you’ll have to monitor and moderate posts and comments within the group.
Alternatively, maintaining an email list can be a simpler approach.
Having your own group might not be suitable for everyone, as it involves ongoing responsibilities. However, it can enable you to cultivate a community of your own, granting you the ability to promote your services at your discretion and on your terms.
Participate in Industry Events
Another effective strategy for acquiring clients is to actively participate in industry events. These events can take various forms, such as in-person conferences, online webinars, or local MeetUps.
Attending in-person events provides a great advantage as it facilitates direct personal connections with other attendees. This presents an opportunity to establish meaningful relationships.
During these events, you can engage in networking activities, connecting with fellow professionals and industry experts. Following the event, it is advisable to connect with them on LinkedIn to further nurture those relationships.
Additionally, attending industry events allows you to gain insights into the prevailing queries and concerns within your field. By actively listening to the discussions and participating in Q&A sessions, you can better understand the needs and interests of potential clients.
To maximize your impact, it’s essential to carry business cards with you. This enables you to exchange contact information seamlessly, reinforcing your professional presence and ensuring a lasting impression.
Establishing Your Expertise as a Designer
Enhancing Your Client Acquisition through Establishing a Distinct Design Expertise
One effective strategy to streamline client acquisition is to cultivate a reputation as the go-to expert in your field. Let’s explore an illustrative example: over the course of six years, I have dedicated my efforts to specializing in accessibility.
This deliberate focus has resulted in significant recognition within relevant online communities. Whenever accessibility-related discussions arise in Facebook groups, I am frequently tagged and sought after for insights. Moreover, I actively contribute to online events and podcasts, sharing my expertise on accessibility. As a result, I receive referrals from individuals who remember me specifically for my expertise in this area.
Certifications
Certifications play a crucial role in building trust with potential clients while also showcasing your expertise in a particular domain. Once you have obtained a certification, it is essential to prominently display its logo on your website. This serves as a visual representation of your professional accomplishment and reinforces your credibility. Additionally, it is highly recommended to inform your audience about your certification through email newsletters and social media platforms. By sharing this achievement, you not only demonstrate your commitment to continuous growth and improvement but also instill confidence in prospective clients regarding your specialized knowledge and skills.
Presentations and Public Speaking Engagements
An effective method to engage with the individuals you aspire to collaborate with is by becoming a member of relevant trade associations, as previously mentioned, and proactively offering to deliver presentations or webinars on topics that would captivate and benefit your target audience.
Moreover, it is crucial to choose a subject matter that showcases your expertise in a particular area. It’s not just about delivering a speech for the sake of it; instead, focus on delivering a talk that aligns with your professional goals and has the potential to attract prospective clients or opportunities.
For instance, if your specialization lies in logo design and branding for restaurants, consider crafting a presentation specifically tailored to the restaurant industry, such as “Avoiding 5 Common Branding Mistakes in the Restaurant Business.” Although the core content of your talk may be applicable across various industries, make sure to customize it to cater to the specific needs and interests of your audience.
The topic you choose should be intriguing, offering tangible benefits to attendees, encouraging them to register for your session, and ultimately leading them back to you for assistance if the need arises.
Podcasts
Another effective strategy, if you’re comfortable with it, is to participate in podcasts that cater to your target audience. However, keep in mind that this approach may require more effort, especially when you are not yet widely recognized in your field of expertise, as there is a higher barrier to entry in this realm.
Podcast hosts typically vet their guests and prefer to learn more about them, often requiring a preliminary meeting or discussion before extending an invitation to appear on their show.
Once you have had the opportunity to be a guest on a podcast or two, it significantly enhances your credibility with potential clients due to the elevated level of difficulty in securing such opportunities.
Moreover, podcast appearances enable you to reach a larger audience and quickly establish your presence. The time invested in preparing for the talk, delivering it, and engaging with any questions raised is rewarded by the enduring nature of the episode. It remains available indefinitely, allowing you to promote it whenever you desire and continue reaping its benefits.
After completing a speaking engagement or podcast appearance, it’s a good practice to request permission to display the podcast’s logo on your website, accompanied by a hyperlink to their website. This serves as a trust-building and authoritative element for potential clients who may not have been aware of your involvement in the speaking gig or podcast otherwise.
Engage in Collaborative Work with Designers and Developers
One effective approach to attracting clients as a freelance designer is to establish collaborations with fellow professionals who provide similar or complementary services and possess an audience that aligns with your own or one you aspire to reach.
For instance, if you specialize in logo design, you might consider partnering with web designers who often require logo designs for their clientele. By working together, you can mutually benefit from referrals and cross-promotion, expanding your client base and enhancing your visibility within the industry.
Requesting Referrals and Testimonials
When it comes to expanding your network and building a positive reputation, referrals and testimonials play a crucial role. Both colleagues and clients can provide valuable recommendations and testimonials that greatly benefit your business.
When it comes to clients, their investment of time and money in working with you makes their referrals and testimonials even more valuable. Word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied clients can effectively promote your services at no additional cost. It is important to proactively seek referrals from clients whom you have enjoyed working with and who have expressed satisfaction with your services.
While seeking referrals, it is worth noting that the quality of clients referred to you often reflects the quality of the clients making the referral. It is advisable to prioritize referrals from clients who have been a pleasure to work with, as they are more likely to introduce you to other like-minded individuals or organizations. By doing so, you can enhance the likelihood of attracting clients who align with your preferred working style and business objectives.
Making a Memorable Impression
Thank You’s
In today’s digital age, taking a more traditional approach to expressing gratitude can leave a lasting impression, especially since many designers overlook this practice. When you have successfully completed a significant project with a client you genuinely enjoyed working with, consider sending them a thoughtful thank you gift or card.
If you opt for a card, I recommend personalizing it by handwriting your message and selecting envelopes that align with your brand colors. You can find suitable envelopes at The Paper Mill Store, for example.
By investing in this small but meaningful gesture, your card will stand out among the mail your client receives, increasing the likelihood of it being opened in the first place. Moreover, it will serve as a pleasant reminder of your collaboration. Clients truly appreciate such thoughtful gestures, and it creates a lasting impression that sets you apart from other designers.
Proposals
Rather than simply sending off a proposal and leaving it solely for the client to review and interpret, consider taking a more engaging approach to capture their attention and ensure a clear understanding of your proposal. By creating a short video where you personally walk them through the proposal or presenting it in person, you can significantly increase its impact.
Presenting your proposal through a video allows you to add a personal touch and demonstrate your expertise while providing visual context. By sharing your screen and guiding the client step-by-step, you can effectively highlight the key points, address any questions or concerns, and showcase the value of your proposal.
This approach has proven successful for many professionals, including my friend John Falke, who presents his proposals live to clients. His high acceptance rate can be attributed to the direct interaction and clear communication facilitated by presenting the proposal in person.
The positive results of incorporating video presentations or live proposal sessions are evident in the experience of others. For instance, a potential client who was impressed by my own proposal video referred me to their coworker, ultimately resulting in a substantial five-figure project.
By adopting this proactive and engaging approach, you increase the likelihood of clients understanding and appreciating the value of your proposals, ultimately leading to greater acceptance rates and more successful projects.
Ask the Right Questions
You can also leave a lasting impression on potential clients by posing insightful queries, delving into areas often overlooked by other designers.
Instead of simply inquiring about their preferred design aesthetics, direct your questions towards their objectives and strategic vision.