Getting your name out there is the key toward finding new clients and growing your follower base. But, the first obstacle you are going to encounter on this path is figuring out how. So, where do you start? Will you need to spend some money?
Know this; there are no quick tips or already set paths on how to get your name out there, but this does not mean that it cannot be done. This is why we are creating this post, because we want to share some of the easiest and, above all, free ways to promote yourself as a graphic designer and launch your career.
Start Off With Focus
To make yourself known as a graphic designer, you need to be aware of two important things: “what type of work do you want to be known for?” and “who do you want to work for?” Knowing the “what” and the “who” will make this whole process easier. Imagine if you are trying to target every person possible in your area, for every possible type of design. You won’t even know where to start, and your potential clients wouldn’t even be aware of your existence.
Let’s imagine this, purely for exemplary purposes: you have the desire to design book covers for self-published authors. This desire alone will provide you with a great place to start, because you can now look into where you can find these types of clients, and perhaps more importantly, how you can appeal to them.
So, now you can define the exact work you want to be known for, and even if you are not 100% sure, having focus will get you further than continuing down the path of uncertainty. The best thing here is that you can always shift your focus as you continue to grow as a designer, but you will grow much faster if you have focus.
Get Your Name Out There and Attract Clients
So, now that you know what to focus on, you need to move on to the next step. Start working, no matter if it is for paying clients, self-made projects or pro-bono work. You need to create the work you want to be known for and release it out into the world.
You can start by building a website that will serve as your portfolio and open up a page on several social media websites. The best go-to platforms for graphic designers are Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube, but there are other social media platforms you can also use because of their unique advantages.
For instance, character designers and illustrators have a big follower base on Tumblr; on Pinterest, crafters can generate huge traffic; and, if you want to show something behind the scenes, then Snapchat is the place to go; if you want to blog, but you do not have the time to build one, then Medium is your go-to place. But, all in all, the thing you need to strive for is building your own website.
Have in mind that the graphic design industry requires a lot of patience and a mindset that always wants more. If it helps, you can take a look at other graphic designers and see how they are promoting themselves. See what social accounts they use, because the more you observe, the more you will learn what you can experiment with, and figure out what will work best for you.
So, What Is The Easiest Way To Promote Yourself?
Let’s be honest here. There is no easy way to promote yourself as a graphic designer, and this will be hard work. The best way to do some self-promotion is to get into a cyclical process of creating and sharing your work.
There is no need for investing in Facebook ads, or searching through websites to get work. You need to create your work and put it out there. This is the best way to make your name stand out and the easiest way to promote that thing you do so well.
So, this was our take on how you can successfully promote yourself as a graphic designer. Yes, there are countless other ways to promote your career and many platforms to do it on, but we believe that you need to show your work, share it and promote yourself that way.
The author is highly qualified and writes blog posts weekly.
