Youve completed web design training, youve read every possible article there is on A List Apart, and there isnt a single Photoshop brush that you havent tried already. Youve excelled in graphic design, and youre ready to take on some new clientele, possibly your first ever.
We read and we learn that selling something is as easy as sending out an email to multiple companies at the same time, or were that freelancing sites like Upwork are best for finding clients. If we would like to make money as a web designer and have great reviews, we should apply for every single job, because working hard is what it is all about.
In my experience, it has been more than sending out emails or reading blog posts on how to become a sales expert. It has been hard work combined with dedication and ultimately, the craving for achieving my goals, as well as having fun while doing it. Lets dive into some starting points for designers who are looking to expand their horizons and grow a list of clients.
Related: How to Start a Freelance Design Business in 90 Days
Outline Your Work
Publishing a blog discussing your work is a great way to get your work out there to thousands of people all over the world. And the best part about this is, you arent even required to invest money, not at first, in order to publish your own blog. We have an article that walks you through the process of starting a blog.
If youre capable of producing high-quality content about your work, your clients will come to you, so building your first list of clients will be the least of your worries.
Case Studies
Case studies really break down the value of your work for clients. While your portfolio website is crucial for getting eyes on your work, case studies can convince them to convert into payingclients.
Learning to understand your own work process is very important, as is learning to write professional and proven case studies on how to do something in order to achieve a successful end result. Earlier this year, I was working with a client who wanted to build a larger following online. At first, I was skeptical, but as time went by, I realized it would make for a great case study as everything was turning out to be better than expected.
Case studies are a great way to tell the world how valuable your products or services are. They go beyond simple testimonials by showing real-life examples of how you were able to satisfy your customers needs and help them accomplish their goals. With great case studies, you will be able to highlight your successes in a way that will make your ideal potential customer become your customer. Kristi Hines
Write a case study about something youve worked on for the past couple of weeks. If it has brought you results and these principles can do the same for others, youll instantly be in demand, why wouldnt you?
Give Stuff Away, for Free
Everyone loves freebies, but keep in mind, this is a tough to-dofor one,since it has been recycled so many times, it can appear overdone, and for two, designers are still questioning whether giving away stuff for free can help bring clients in. But it depends on the kind of free stuff were talking about. I doubt that a new set of social media icons is going to attract a lot of attention apart from the casual blogger or webmaster whos trying to find something that suits his blog design. But giving away items that you think are valuable and could prove to be useful to many others can really promote your services in a big way by going viral on the world wide web.
A great example ofthis is the Gmail redesign concept that was published by Ruslan Aliev on the design website Behance. A couple of months after publishing, the inspiration that Ruslan was able to translate into a full-fledged design concept has netted him tens of thousands of views, likes, and comments all across social media, including Behance itself, not to mention, exposure on some of the biggest online design websites. He did the right thing by spending the time to build something unique and sharing it with the world or free. What is stopping you from doing the same?
Meet Your Peers
Having years of experience in design can mean that youve become quite good at certain things,which means that youre in the position of being able to give sound advice to others. So sharing this knowledge with others online through the use of forums and commenting on design blogs, can go a long way inestablishing your name and achieving credibility with potential clients.
As of right now, there are a fewstrong online communities that can help you meet and collaborate with other designers,get industry insights, and share opinions with like-minded people. Some of my favorite online communities such as this include:
- Dribbble: Expose your current project to thousands of potential clients. Read the story of Sebastiens journey [above] to understand the power of Dribbble.
- Behance: Build Your online portfolio of work that youve created, a humongous community where youre sure to find inspiration and a lot of work, too!
- Designer News: Similar to the online community Hacker News, Designer News offers a lovely environment for discussion, showcases and general chat of the current state of the industry.
- Twitter: Engage in conversation with thought leaders to show that youre proficient and can challenge someones ideas. Its important to show interest in people, rather than being a full-time spectator.
- Quora: Everything on Quora is a question except the answers. Look for challenging and intriguing questions that give you a chance to explore more areas of your work. Help people better understand their problems in order to gain a better insight intothem.
All of these above communities are free to use and offer free exposure. I would love to hear your favorite communities like these that help bring attention to your ideas, work, and way of thinking, so feel free to share in the comments below.
Dont Be Afraid to Share
Or lazy to share! Its true though, having a regular schedule of sharing your work with your followers is crucial. It would be a shame if you were able to capture a lot of peoples attention with a unique piece, only to retire after that and never go all the way to see where it takes you.
This goes for clients as well, not just random people on design websites. What is the harm in sending a client of yours a new concept youre working on? Nobody is saying you need to tell him that behind this concept lies a captivating urge to be hired for that particular piece.
Share! Share! Share!
Promote Your Idols
Oh, you tweeted my latest design thats very nice of you, thank you. Wait, you did what?! You shared my work with your ten thousand followers? Now that is something I need to take a look at!
The basic human psychology doesnt change. The more time you spend on praising, admiring, and promoting someone elses work or business, the quicker this person is going to return the favor in one way or another. When choosing whose work to share, if you concentrate on sharing high profile designers work with lots of followers so that if and when the favor is returned, your work could be shared with thousands of potential new clients at once! Plus, that one small action on the part of another designercan go a long way and add credibility in the mind of a potential client looking to hire you.
Make the Leap
This last point is your real starting point for getting out there and building a larger client base. It takes around five long-term clients to work with to have a nearly unlimited supply of work, and now that web technology is changing and design is becoming more important [think usability], its the perfect time to begin investing time and energy into something that might prove to be the best thing you ever did.