Best way to gain new clients - graphic design company

[Duranty]

Hello,

I was hoping someone here could help me with a fundamental problem with my business.

I recently established my own graphic design company and have begun to generate a few clients, mostly off old clients coming back to me or referrals from them. Whilst this generates me work, it’s not as steady as I’d perhaps want it to be and have been giving some thought on how to market it better (social media, old school, internet etc.) but thought that maybe somebody here could perhaps suggest another method I could use to gain clients.

As I’m just starting out, I don’t have an office space with high footfall, instead working from home (which serves as my company’s “HQ” as well) and the city which I live in has only a little more than 90,000 people living in it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

Joe

 

[Deleted member 335660]

Well I spent 20 years as a salesman selling office equipment, computers etc so had few repeat customers. Basically you have to go out and find them.

Networking through business groups like Institute of Directors, Chamber of Commerce etc.

Social Media, in your case LinkedIn, is best as these are business people.

I would create some flyer or small brochure showing case studies that can be handed to people or left in relevant places. If you are visiting a customer on a business estate then drop one in next door etc.

 

[fisicx]

Suppose you needed someone to build you an app. How would you find the right developer?

You might look on freelancer sites, do a google search, ask people you know who have had apps built, look on linkedin and similar. You might see an advert or a post somewhere that leads you to the right person.

That's how people find a graphic designer. There is no single way to get leads. You have to be seen in multiple places because not everyone looks in the same place. You need to be better at marketing than you are at graphic design. There are thousands of graphic designers but only a few of them are good at marketing. Those are the ones that make all the money. If marketing isn't your strong point pay someone who is.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Question 1 - is there any common denominator in your existing clients - a 'market' that you can build on?

Question 2 - who is your ideal 100% fit client?

Question 3 - why might they want to deal with you rather than any other designer?

 

[Adam Le Grand]

Do you specialise in Digital or Print design?

What kind of work are you after? Big marketing campaigns? Little and often work like logo creation? Periodicals? Website creation?

Going alone in graphic design can be incredibly tough. Being completely blunt, graphic designers are two a penny these days. There are also so many incredible designers out there from the likes of India and Dubai that will do the work for half the price and in half the time.

I have worked in the print and digital industry for nearly 15 years now and have seen graphic designer come, go and the odd few remain and stand the test of time.

The ones that stand the test of time do so for a few simple reasons.

1) They get known for being incredible in a specific field of design. Jack of all trades never last.
2) They are great at explaining and justifying the time and rates. In an era where anyone can jump on free design software you must be able to identify and clearly portray why someone should pay £20, 30, 50 per hour for your work.
3) Never EVER bite of more than you can chew. It is incredibly rare that you'll win a design job that comes with the required timelines - everyone wants everything yesterday. Know your limits and plan your days. Don't think, "oh, I'll take on that extra job for some more money". You will soon get a bad reputation if you start missing deadlines.
4) This may sound really stupid but, make sure you own branding it super strong. You would not believe the amount of design agencies and creative individuals that we've had contact us over the years to offer their services and they've had terrible websites and awful branding. The first thing I am doing if any designer approaches me is looking at their own branding and their site. If it's not awesome and innovative then there is no chance. If you can not look after your own branding then there is no way I am leaving you in charge of mine or my clients.

You need to have all of those things up to scratch before you even consider going large on trying to win clients.

My biggest tip. It's a bit of a two part tip is;
1) Create an absolutely on point portfolio. Even if some of the work is just fictitious concepts.
Showcase your process and style.
2) Want an easy way to win work? Don't be afraid to approach other design agencies. If you can impress them with your work then there is every chance they'll come to you with overflow work. Some of the most successful designers I know basically just mop up work from other agencies. Become the go to guy that is reliable, trusted and innovative. Bigger agencies will love you.

Me personally. I feel you'll get drowned out on social media and online. Don't get me wrong, you'll 100% need to be on social media platforms and have a strong website but do not rely on them. You'll can't beat picking up the phone and just chatting to a few people.

 

[motionvideosuk]

JUST DO GREAT WORK!!!

I started out designing in 1996 (just drawing and doodling prior to that), before moving into motion design and animation in 2007. Then I finally bit the bullet and started my own business in a rural village outside of Manchester back in 2015.

I might be lucky to have never relied on cold calling, marketing, Google ads, social media or selling myself (not effectively anyway) - those things just aren’t an introverts cup of tea.

My website does alright. I started making my own sites when the internet was invented so I have a tiny bit of link juice that helps with the occasional new enquiry.

Other than that, I simply get by by doing great work. I like to think that it sells itself and that along the way I’ve become someone that agencies and brands can trust to deliver work to a very high standard, on time, and on budget, every time.

I am slightly naive to the fact that I simply can’t survive by just waiting for the phone to ring forever. I do want to market myself better, get new business and help people to find me. But that in itself is another job role entirely and working by myself means I simply haven’t got the time because I’m too busy KEEPING MY CLIENTS HAPPY so that they’ll share, talk about and do my marketing for me.

For me that’s the best kind of marketing.

Eventually I’ll get round to doing some proper marketing, or even better, paying someone else to do it.

We’re probably in the same boat.

Right now, I fell like nobody knows my business better than me, so it can only be me that has to do it, am I right? There’s nobody on Fiverr that can create content to the standard we expect, we need to pay some big-wig city centre marketing agency with umpteen employees mouths to feed if we want it doing right, right?

I’m looking forward to seeing your comments as this is a bit of a conundrum for me also.

Hope this helps or even motivates you in some way.

 

[TEGVirtual]

Have you tried Facebook groups and LinkedIn? Depending on your ideal client/who you're trying to reach, these can be quite effective platforms for gaining clients in your industry.

 

[JamaC]

Some good points already made. So to follow on

"Create a portfolio that is on point" Personally, any time I have looked for a graphic designer, their portfolio tells me all I need to know, and to be honest most are trash. Make sure you showcase your best work and show a decent amount.

- Why would they choose you? Common question but extremely relevant, especially when you are in such a crowded space as graphic design. Don't get me wrong, everyone can eat, but those who get the bulk of customers are those who stand out.

How do you stand out?

In order to stand out, I would suggest offering some sort of deals/offers. Highlight that it's for a limited time to create FOMO. Offer packages at a discount rate or offer something for free. Give a little and you will receive more.


Lastly, the best platforms I would suggest (as mentioned above) are Facebook groups and LinkedIn. Whoever your ideal client is you will find them there.

 

[Beautinow]

ASTONISHING PORTFOLIO!

I share some of the ideas mentioned above, creating an incredible portfolio could be a game-changer, I have seen success stories of web design and development agencies, which through inbound marketing have obtained clients for years, without running ads.

I would not leave out the idea of creating a YouTube channel, making videos of the highest possible quality both visually and in terms of content, and distributing this content in pills on your Instagram account (reels), and Tiktok, you can think that your target audience is not there, but you can get a surprise.

But it is true, social media can burn you, it is not the only way to get leads!

Building a portfolio that differentiates you in the market is key to inbound marketing actions, and your business.

 

[HouseReno]

social media, connect with any many people as possible, have people sharing, get as much experience as possible

 

[stender]

100% need a decent portfolio before anything else. There's a good group on facebook called designers league. Join that as well.