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I am a Graphic Designer, How can I market myself?

by darapmonsta
29 replies
Hi,
I am a Graphic Designer and I have recently quit my 9 - 5 day job and now I am not interested in joining any new firm. I want to go completely freelance. But I find it really difficult to get good projects online.

My skills are so much better than other wanna be Graphic Designers, but I just find it really hard to promote my skills and get customers. I worked on SEOClerks making logos for $10 but it just didn't work because I know those Logo Design Concepts cost more than $200+(I designed for one offline, so I know that).

How do I promote/market my Graphic Design skill. I am not only a Graphic Designer but I also do front end development like creating HTML websites, etc.

Thanks
#designer #graphic #market
  • Profile picture of the author CynthiaNataline
    You will have a great opportunity in frelancer.com or elance.com or odesk.com. Open an account there, put your details, portfolios and everything. See which one works best for you. If you can, you can look for works in all of those sites. It would be great for branding yourself too if you want to work as an individual later, without counting on those sites. You can build websites, then why don't you build yours one. Good luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author Motivatingminutes
      Originally Posted by cynzdareveur View Post

      You will have a great opportunity in frelancer.com or elance.com or odesk.com. Open an account there, put your details, portfolios and everything. See which one works best for you. If you can, you can look for works in all of those sites. It would be great for branding yourself too if you want to work as an individual later, without counting on those sites. You can build websites, then why don't you build yours one. Good luck!
      I will advice this too
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  • Profile picture of the author mrgoe
    Make sure you have a big portfolio online to show to possible clients, then just advertise yourself on social networks or other traffic generating places..
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  • Profile picture of the author ishuvonet
    You can find a lot of good jobs/contracts in freelance networks like elance or freelancer.Best would be If you can set up a website from where you can sell such service.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aristocratic
    If you don't have an online portfolio, you can sell your services here in the services section and build one up. Then branch out to freelance sites like odesk and elance. Get your foot in the door and build your business up. I use elance for design requests as much as WF and sometimes am willing to pay more on elance, but when I submit a request, there is usually about 15 proposals or more within the first few hours. What helps me pick one designer over another besides their proposal reply (make sure it actually addresses the design request and is not shouting) is their portfolio.

    Or you could take your portfolio and market offline for larger profits.
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    • Profile picture of the author darapmonsta
      Originally Posted by cynzdareveur View Post

      You will have a great opportunity in frelancer.com or elance.com or odesk.com. Open an account there, put your details, portfolios and everything. See which one works best for you. If you can, you can look for works in all of those sites. It would be great for branding yourself too if you want to work as an individual later, without counting on those sites. You can build websites, then why don't you build yours one. Good luck!
      I have account on all the sites above and also I don't get any projects from there.

      Originally Posted by mrgoe View Post

      Make sure you have a big portfolio online to show to possible clients, then just advertise yourself on social networks or other traffic generating places..
      I have a Good enough portfolio. How can I advertise myself?

      Originally Posted by ishuvonet View Post

      You can find a lot of good jobs/contracts in freelance networks like elance or freelancer.Best would be If you can set up a website from where you can sell such service.
      Originally Posted by Aristocratic View Post

      If you don't have an online portfolio, you can sell your services here in the services section and build one up. Then branch out to freelance sites like odesk and elance. Get your foot in the door and build your business up. I use elance for design requests as much as WF and sometimes am willing to pay more on elance, but when I submit a request, there is usually about 15 proposals or more within the first few hours. What helps me pick one designer over another besides their proposal reply (make sure it actually addresses the design request and is not shouting) is their portfolio.

      Or you could take your portfolio and market offline for larger profits.
      I do have a portfolio, with good enough projects on it. I can also create a website for my portfolio, right now its hosted on Blogspot. But the thing is how do I get customers from that?
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      • Profile picture of the author David Beroff
        Originally Posted by darapmonsta View Post

        I have account on all the sites above and also I don't get any projects from there.
        How many jobs do you bid on each day? The only way to improve your bidding skills is to keep bidding every single day.
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        • Profile picture of the author edlewis
          Some graphic designers have success using the Envato network.

          I've hired a few people off sites like GraphicRiver just by seeing the work they posted there and contacting them thru the site's contact form. Heck, the lat guy I hired off GraphicRiver was a young college aged kid from the Phillipines...I contacted him out of the blue and paid him $500. That was a nice gig for him...and I found him and contacted him thru GraphicRiver.

          You can post a profile and link to your portfolio or website.

          They also have MicroLancer, a new freelance site.

          Freelancing is a hustle. Lots of graphic designers fail because they just aren't used to having to market themselves. Unlike when you have a 9 to 5 gig, work very rarely drops in your lap, you have to go out and grind and hustle for it.

          However, in this day and age you don't have to go out and pound the pavement...you can use social media and forums like this one.

          That reminds me, you could post a Warrior For Hire ad here to try and jumpstart things...or look in the Wanted section of the forum.

          Links - Warriors For Hire

          Wanted - Members Looking To Hire You


          With that said, the best way to start making money off your talents is to leverage yourself and your work.

          This is easy.

          Instead of looking for CLIENTS who tell you what to do...and then ask for a revision...and another revision...and then don't pay on time....or don't listen to you because their brother tells them something based on advice he heard from a friend-of-a-friend....(sigh)

          Instead of that...you start creating products.

          There are lots of graphics packs and graphics products out there. This way as a designer you do the work ONCE...and get paid over and over every time you make a sale.

          A few people around here have done it quite successfully. Max Rylski is the first name that comes to mind.

          Most designers miss out on this because they don't like the selling and marketing side of things...in their minds they are an "artiste", not a business person.
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          • Profile picture of the author David Beroff
            Originally Posted by edlewis View Post

            This WSO appears closed:

            Product 6cm83x is currently unavailable.
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            • Profile picture of the author edlewis
              Originally Posted by David Beroff View Post

              This WSO appears closed:
              David,

              I just closed it yesterday or the day before as I prepare to move it over to Kindle and iBooks.

              However, if you are interested send me a PM and you can still grab it...it's only $4.95.
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              • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
                Since it sounds like you've done the passive promotions (like setting up a portfolio and registering with freelance sites), it's time to get active.

                Pick a market, like the above mentioned SEO or web design companies, or maybe the offline/online crowd consulting with main street businesses for an online presence. Start networking. Maybe set up on LinkedIn and start answering questions related to your skills and services.

                Make sure the people who can hire you over and over again know who you are and that they can depend on you to deliver high quality, on time and on budget. Do it right, and they'll think of you first.

                [Edit: You've already had two offers to connect. If you haven't sent those PMs yet, get to it...]

                Another way to establish yourself among the movers and shakers in a local community is doing charity work. I used to know an artist that offered a wall mural to the local PBS auction. They plugged her constantly. When I lost track of her, this was her main method of filling her calendar along with word of mouth recommendations.

                If you wait around for people to find you on the various freelance boards, you might get kind of hungry...
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  • Profile picture of the author Jonathan Emanuels
    Lynda.com has an awesome course for people that want to become a succesful freelance designer.
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    My personal blog for fun an tips.
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  • Profile picture of the author Adie
    Originally Posted by darapmonsta View Post

    Hi,
    I am a Graphic Designer and I have recently quit my 9 - 5 day job and now I am not interested in joining any new firm. I want to go completely freelance. But I find it really difficult to get good projects online.

    My skills are so much better than other wanna be Graphic Designers, but I just find it really hard to promote my skills and get customers. I worked on SEOClerks making logos for $10 but it just didn't work because I know those Logo Design Concepts cost more than $200+(I designed for one offline, so I know that).

    How do I promote/market my Graphic Design skill. I am not only a Graphic Designer but I also do front end development like creating HTML websites, etc.

    Thanks
    Take a look at these related threads:

    http://www.warriorforum.com/website-...eb-design.html

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...arketable.html

    http://www.warriorforum.com/website-...ners-make.html
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    Moderator's Note: You're only allowed to put your own products or sites in your signature.

    Signature edited.
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  • Profile picture of the author Cassano 10
    Search in craiglist for online design jobs
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  • Profile picture of the author Devin X
    Banned
    Originally Posted by darapmonsta View Post

    Hi,
    I am a Graphic Designer and I have recently quit my 9 - 5 day job and now I am not interested in joining any new firm. I want to go completely freelance. But I find it really difficult to get good projects online.

    My skills are so much better than other wanna be Graphic Designers, but I just find it really hard to promote my skills and get customers. I worked on SEOClerks making logos for $10 but it just didn't work because I know those Logo Design Concepts cost more than $200+(I designed for one offline, so I know that).

    How do I promote/market my Graphic Design skill. I am not only a Graphic Designer but I also do front end development like creating HTML websites, etc.

    Thanks
    Got a link to your portfolio? I'd be interested to see how good you are. I have some excellent ideas for you, but I gotta see what you have first.
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  • Profile picture of the author DeborahDera
    Have you build yourself a website yet? If not, I'd start there so that you can control your online portfolio. If you don't want to design from scratch, there are some great WordPress templates that make nice portfolio presentations for graphic artists.

    Just because you don't want to go to a new firm doesn't mean you can't work for other companies. Why not consider local printing companies, SEO agencies, etc? A lot of them offer to "redesign" branding packages, etc., and a lot - especially the SEO groups - tend to outsource graphic work.

    Originally Posted by darapmonsta View Post

    Hi,
    I am a Graphic Designer and I have recently quit my 9 - 5 day job and now I am not interested in joining any new firm. I want to go completely freelance. But I find it really difficult to get good projects online.

    My skills are so much better than other wanna be Graphic Designers, but I just find it really hard to promote my skills and get customers. I worked on SEOClerks making logos for $10 but it just didn't work because I know those Logo Design Concepts cost more than $200+(I designed for one offline, so I know that).

    How do I promote/market my Graphic Design skill. I am not only a Graphic Designer but I also do front end development like creating HTML websites, etc.

    Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author Joe Lumbergh
    I strongly suggest you sign up at freelancer sites like freelancer.com. check google freelancer. definetly something for you.
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  • Profile picture of the author ratracegrad
    Do you have a portfolio of your work that you can share? Do you do ebook covers for Kindle books? I am looking for someone to do a graphic cover for a new Kindle book on kettlebells.
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  • Profile picture of the author TheSalesBooster
    You have to start branding yourself and building a real business if you want this to succeed in this competitive niche.

    Create a website with your portfolio, pricing, contact info, etc. Build up authority and show people what you can do. Start getting your name out there and utilize the free marketing potential from places like here and other sites where people need web design services done.

    Once your website and branding is in place, open up a design service thread here on the forums. The amount of traffic your business will be exposed to for such little investment is amazing. Start building up your customer base and collect emails of past customers so you can reach out to them every week or two.

    If you do everything right, this should be enough to pay the bills and make you some nice profit. Then you can start thinking about the next step... reinvesting those profits to grow your business to compete with the big dogs.

    It's a competitive niche, but 90% of the freelancers out there don't even do half of what I mentioned. They sit on freelancer sites and fight a losing battle against cheaper overseas alternatives. So get out there, start building a brand, and let the customers come to you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mary Davis
    Here is my two-pronged approach:

    1. Keep a foot firmly planted in two worlds -- one your online clients, and the other cultivating offline/brick & mortar clients.

    2. Email graphic design firms and see if they need supplemental help from a freelancer like you who has solid graphic design skills. You help them with their overflow work (while using their client base to build your portfolio and referral network.)

    3. A recommendation from other satisfied Warriors is sure to send other forum users beating a path to your door. Take on a few gigs in the Warrior for Hire section - even if you have to charge lower than normal rates. Once you get a good reputation and a following, you can gradually increase your rates til you get to where you have equilibrium in pay rate & work volume.

    Lastly, remember that your online reputation is everything, so follow through on your commitments and earn rave reviews to always keep your client pipeline filled!

    Best of luck to you!
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  • Profile picture of the author ralchevd
    Odeks, Elance, Freelancer and other freelancing networks are not reliable in my opinion. Be more unique and try to build connections and relationships. If you are good at what you do, you will get recommended, and the word of mouth will fill your day with freelancing tasks.

    Of course it takes time, but it is sweet as it could be
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  • Profile picture of the author indomen
    The participation to social communities is the first step to show your skills to the design world. When I started publishing my works to DeviantArt, I had the opportunity to follow great designers, surf through hundreds of incredible artworks, be inspired and network with people from all over the world who, like me, love graphic design. If you are studying by yourself, maybe in your room, and the web is the main contact with the design community, you need the others criticism to improve. When you decide to publish a work, you can’t control the reaction of those who see this work, and compliments and criticism are two indispensable faces of the same coin.
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  • Profile picture of the author executed
    Getting attractive clients is not an easy task. You can showcase your projects in different social media sites like Tumblr, Instagram or flickr. You can share your images to these sites and at the same time creates new feeds to highlight your present and upcoming tasks. You can opt for mailing service through which you share your skills, projects and your sample artwork. These would be an added benefit if you have your own website but make sure that your site is up to date with your current projects. You can share your website to these social media sites. Staying creative and updated is what that many clients search for.
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  • Profile picture of the author AlexGeorge
    I would suggest signing up to all the big freelancing sites like oDesk, elance, Freelancer and Guru. You can bid on projects in your area, and there is no shortage of graphic design jobs. You'll want to have a good portfolio, as there are loads of designers out there so you want to make sure you stand out. You can attract clients through forums and social media.
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  • Profile picture of the author Beatinest
    Call me crazy but I wouldn't trust a designer who is hosting on blogspot. You need a @yoursite.com email for me to think you take yourself and your services seriously. Basically, its a small investment to present yourself in a more professional way.

    Once you have a "real" site up you can get tons of business from forums like this one and others. Think of who your target clients are and join the forums where they hang out. Spread out over every forum you can think of and put your portfolio in your sig. Post every day. Not spamming but actually contributing. People will notice what you are offering in your sig.

    Do that in addition to the freelance sites and social media and you should be ok as long as you deliver quality and RELIABLE service.

    I've been making a good living freelancing for almost 7 years. Using the methods above I have had to hire people to help me with my workload.
    .
    Don't forget local offline advertising and sales calls if you are trying to grow quickly.
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