Tips for Free Freelance Designer Promotion

By jimdiggitydog

There are so many ways to promote yourself as a freelance designer.

Advertising, both online and in analog, is great - but it can get expensive. A simple newspaper ad can run you $1200. That’s a lot of logo work.

Link exchanges, are - at best a crap shoot. You never really know how effective they are or how targeted they get.

Traditional media (TV, radio, billboards, direct mail) can be really, really effective - but again, you’ve got to lay out big bucks to make a splash.

But there are plenty of free things you can do to promote yourself and your business. They all take a little footwork, but they’re effective - and every little bit helps out. Check out some of these:

1. Free Work
When I started out as a freelancer, I would give work away. There are so many charities staging events who are looking for cheap or free design work - and you can often trade out some advertising or logo placement in return for your time. And the best part? These places remember you and could become a valued client a little down the line. If nothing else, they WILL recommend you. Do a good job, treat them as a paying client, and the promotional return can be huge.

2. Contact Everyone You Know
Tell your family, friends and colleagues. Let them know you’re out there and precisely what you’re up to. I can’t tell you how many jobs I’ve landed because a friend or family member was in a casual conversation with someone and that someone just happened to mention that they needed a design job or website done. You cannot over-estimate the value of networking - even if it’s amongst people you know. Every little bit helps!

3. Blog
I know I keep saying this - but you need a blog. Let people know what you’re up to. Rant and rave and talk about good (and bad) design. Search engines love blogs (WordPress is GREAT) and they’re free and easy. Don’t use it just as an engine for getting key words out there - make it real and fun and interesting, and people will come back. You can link it back to your portfolio (or use it as a portfolio) and you’ll build a great search engine rank before you know it.

4. Cold Calls
This one takes some chutzpah, but it can pay off big. Call ad agencies and screen printers, television stations, promotional product manufacturers, industrial establishments - nearly anyone in the business section of the phone book. Don’t call up and say “Hi, I’d like to talk to your manager and see if you have any design work for me to do, please.” Call in, ask to speak to someone in charge of marketing and promotion and simply introduce yourself, ask if it would be appropriate if you sent in a few business cards and a cover letter. Mention your site (I’m sure they’ll ask) and see if they’d like to meet in person to discuss the possibilities. There will be a bunch that shoot you down, but you might just wind up with a bunch of clients before you even get out of the “A’s.” So many businesses out there are afraid to approach a traditional agency for fear of cost - and they’ll be excited to hear that there is an alternative.

5. Partnerships
Partner up with local businesses, agencies and other freelancers. You don’t have to go it alone all the time. There are plenty of freelance copywriters out there who will know of people who are looking for design work - and plenty of I.T. professionals that can build the perfect website, but it won’t look good. Get in touch with those people who are in the ancillary businesses to yours, and beautiful (and profitable) music can be made.

There are a lot more, and I’ll be rambling on about those, too. The big key to promoting yourself as a freelance designer is persistence. Keep going, keep putting yourself out there, and the ball will be rolling before you know it.