Do You Market Yourself?

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  • HijoDMaite

    Was wondering how freelance designers on QBN market themselves to particular industries, companies or people. As a designer do you find you are mostly B2B or B2C and do you set a budget for marketing every year? For agency employees do you do any marketing for side projects? Besides word of mouth do you use Social Media, Email marketing, trade shows, re-targeting banners, do you market to your existing database?

    Or do you just wait for the phone to ring?

  • whinger0

    I mostly go off word of mouth. But I've been around long enough that several people in my industry know and trust me, so if there is work to be had, they'll offer it. About once a month I'll need to send out an email letting people know that I have time in my schedule to take on new projects. About once every 3—4 months I have a day off and panic thinking I'll never work again, and then over book myself and have to work evenings and weekends. I also feel guilty about saying no to good clients, so I will work weekends for them if I have said no too many times.

    When I first left the agency I was with, I sent out PDFs, but that was the extent of the marketing I've done. I am probably atypical as I work within a relatively small niche. I think things would be very different were I to do general design.

  • pango0

    Very poorly. Well freelance is only 20% of my work. I just go to a lot of parties and meet people. And tell people I pay 15% referral. Works for me so far.

  • colab0

    It had been word of mouth... I'd fall out of one job and into the next. It was easy after being at it for 20ish years. Now I've recently moved to NYC and I have no idea where to start.

  • organicgrid0

    Word of mouth and networking events. Besides my one page website and a downloadable PDF folio, I have an accordion 6 panel brochure and your typical business card which I rarely hand out.

  • Miguex0

    that's what freelancing is. you never stop working, even when you are not getting paid you have to be marketing yourself.

    Most of it is word of mouth, but I also approach people I want to work with, in person and via web.

    In my opinion, the most important thing to get work is the "meaningful conversation + business card" combo. Is where most of my work comes from at least.

    Facebook is completely pointless now a days, but I still do it.
    Instagram works pretty well for now.