How to get clients as a graphic designer
Are you a designer that needs clients? I know this is my #1 asked question, and although there are tons of different answers to this, I’m going to give you a mix of quick action steps to take, and some mid-long term steps you can take.
quick steps you can take:
Reach out to past clients and see if they need any new services
Do you have clients that you’ve loved working with in the past? Reach out to them and see if they’re in need of any new services. Chances are, they do and they haven’t had a chance to reach out to you. Or, maybe they know someone who does! In this case, offering a referral gift is a great option to gain a new client as well.
Reach out to past inquiries to see if they want to work together now
This is actually a strategy that I’ve used quite a bit and it almost always works for me. We all have times where potential clients reach out and then they either don’t respond, say that they’d like to work with you in the future, or aren’t able to prioritize that project at that time. What better way to reconnect than to follow up with them. I’d also recommend including a call link inside your email from a platform like Calendly or Acuity so they can easily take action if they’d like to work together.
Join Facebook groups
Facebook groups is 80% of how I got my client work as a freelancer, and even as a business owner I still use them to gain clients. If I need any kind of service in my business that I don’t already know in my network, I always go to Facebook groups to hire people. This is an incredible tool. If you don’t know what to search, I would start by searching keywords in Facebook Groups for people in your ideal client market. Such as other entrepreneurs, small business owners, and maybe other creative or design groups if you’re looking to take on some overflow for another designer.
Here are some of my favorite groups:
-freelancing females (BONUS: they also have a job board HERE)
Ask your network and people you know
This is different from asking past clients because your network and people you know are people who you haven’t worked with yet. However, you never know if uncle John knows someone who needs a logo design or a Facebook ad designed. It’s worth a shot! Or maybe another creative friend has too much work on their plate and they need to refer some work to you. Reach out to your network because they already know you.
mid level steps you can take:
Create an Etsy listing for your service
This option may take a little bit longer considering you’d have to create mockups, a product listing, a price, and a storefront in Etsy if you don’t already have one. But, it also gives you visibility on a marketplace that you didn’t have before which can really benefit you in the long term.
Go to a networking event
This is one of my favorite ways to meet people, and gain new clients. All of the local networking events I went to in 2021 results in a new client. Even if it wasn’t right away, there were people who loved meeting me and wanted to work with me in the near future. If you need tips on how to network locally, check out our blog post here:
Join a platform such as Fiverr or Upwork
Okay okay, is this the BEST option? Probably not, but it’s still AN option in a pinch. There’s also a lot of creators who make a good amount of $$$ from these platforms by strategizing. This takes a bit of time to set up things like your profile, service listings, and I think there also may be an approval timeframe to make sure you’re a legit person. Worth a shot!
long-term steps you can take:
Take time to build your following & brand
There’s no better time than when it’s quiet and slow in your business to work on things internally.
Here are some other ideas:
do a self-brand audit
create content and use hashtags (like an e-book, Instagram posts, a webinar, etc)
nurture your audience
create something valuable for your audience
send an email campaign to your email list
run a sale
When in doubt, trust your gut and don’t give up because things are quiet or because you’re not booking right away. If you need some help and or are looking for a coach to help uplevel your brand to attract new clients visually or strategically, DM Holly.
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