Being a freelance graphic designer demands from you a lot of commitment and self discipline. You decide about all moves of your company and you are responsible for self promotion. You need to create a suitable marketing strategy to have world heard about you.
Today’s post is written to give you some ideas for self promotion of your graphic design business – some widely used, some new and unusual. However, if you know other ideas – don’t hesitate to share them here.

1. Create Twitter Account
   

   It’s obvious that by tweeting and posting useful links you can attract a lot of new visitors and potential clients for your business. Why wait?

2. Write Blog: Offer Free Tips & Articles On Your Website (Returning Customers)
   

   Writing a blog takes a lot of time and energy but you have to threat it as a step into your design career. Remember that the end justifies the means.

3. Offer Free Consultation To Your Potential Clients
   

   By offering a free consultation you increase your sales figures by average 30% so why not spend 15 minutes of your time to gain new customers?

4. Call Your WoW Player A Name Of Your Website

   If you participate in any social multiplayer games like for e.g. World of Warcraft,  Second Life you should take advantage of it and promote your business there.

5. Advertise In Google Local

   As Jacob from Just Creative Design aptly noticed, Google Local helps your advertisements show up in Google searches that are made in close proximity to your business office. This may help you get more traffic, leads and local clients.

6. Facebook Fan & Group Page
   

   Nowadays almost everybody has facebook – so do your potential clients. Create your business-friendly profile and then create fan & group page for your business.
   The difference between fan and group page is that the first is more official and should be used to communicate with your followers and the latter is created with the intend of bringing together all people interested in common subject.

7. Set Up An Account On Flickr And Other Photo Sharing Websites.

   If you have something interesting to show, show it on the most popular photo sharing website Flickr. It will help you increase traffic to your website and gain potential customers

8. Project Yourself As Much As Possible
   

   You can set up an account on YouTube or embed the videos directly to your blog posts. Whatever way you choose, it will create special bond between you and your receivers. That’s why also do not forget about inserting your picture on your blog. Everybody wants to know who they deal with.

9. Gravatar

   Gravatar is an image that follows you from site to site appearing beside your name when you do things like comment or post on a blog. Go to gravatar.com and set up your free account with your business logo gravatar.

10. Conduct Interviews

    Once your level of expertise and knowledge is recognized in your industry then you may think about contacting well known e-magazines or other respected graphic designers and conduct an interview with you.
    Think about something fresh, with original point of view. None likes paraphrases of the same thing over and over again.

11. Create Original Business Card

    Some people prefer avoiding white backgrounds of business cards for main reason: clients tend to use it as a scrap of paper to write something else when no other paper is within reach. The big advantage of white backgronds in business cards is its clean form. However, you should focus your design talents on creating business card which stands out of the crowd. Business card is the first impression of your business – you don’t want your company to be seen as not creative, right?

12. Invest In Freebies

    If your business is up and running you can invest in promotional products like calendars, pens, lighters.  It’s a perfect way of recommendation marketing, as the person who used your services not always remember the details of your business. By exposing your calendar in his/her office your company will be always visible.

13. Print Your Logo And Website Address On T-shirt And Wear It In The Gym

    There is just another good reason to start going to the gym more often – to promote yourself. Print your logo and website address on your t-shirt, jumper etc. and wear it in the gym – your potential clients are everywhere. Also, if you prefer outdoor places, go for a walk to the park wearing your promotional clothes. Take extra care and design something which people will notice because it’s neat and original – not because it’s corny.

    

14. Sponsor Client’s Event.

    Surely in the early stages of running your business you won’t be able to afford to sponsor significant events. However, try to find out which of your clients are especially influential and offer sponsoring his company’s event. It will help you to get your name out  to the client’s contacts

15. Advertise at your university

    If you are still an aspiring studying graphic designer, you may find university a great place to advertise your services. You may not find the customers there immediately, but you can generate greater traffic to your website

16. Press

    Find interesting info about your company’s info and send it to local and internet press. If you are young entrepreneur and achieve something you are proud of, write motivating article about how you got there etc.

17. Advertise On Your Car

    
    You don’t need to do the same thing with your car as guys from Dumb and Dumber or Innocent (UK Smoothies Producer) have done, however neat and clean logo print on the side of your car will do its job.

18. Talk To Your Friends And Family About Your Business

    They may know someone who needs your services – it’s not shamefull at all to ask your relatives and close friends if they can spead the world of your glorious and outstanding design business. It is friends and family who normally help you to get your first job when you have just started your company.

19. Networking

    Nowadays, networking is one of they keys to succeed. The ability to make friends, know important people can lead your business to high income numbers. Always keep your business cards with you and give them to as many people as you can. You never know if some of them will need your services.

20. Hold A Contest

    Hodling a contest on the websites is always a good way to attract much more traffic. Offer a contest with a prizes (e.g. year of free hosting, discount on printing services etc) which can be sponsored by the companies you work with.
    This will generate a word of mouth and popularise your brand among many new vistitors.

21. Directory Listings

    It’s always a good way to advertise yourself in graphic design directories, as these sites are normally high positioned in google ranks, therefore there is a higher chance to find your company’s details there. Below there are few addresses to UK and international directories of designer. Add your service details to them.

    • Directory of UK Graphic Designers
    • Graphic Design Company Services
    • Graphic Design Organizations | Design Directory
    • Design Directory. Design Agency International

22. Try eMarketing

    Generally speaking, eMarketing is simply the marketing of products or services over the Internet. Internet marketing also refers to the placement of media along different stages of the customer engagement cycle through search engine optimization (SEO), banner adse-mail marketing, and Web 2.0 strategies like social networking etc. Nowadays, advertising over the internet gains more and more advocates, which notice that this form is more cost-effective and targets right potential customers.

23. Professional Groups

    Sign up with professional groups. Services like LinkedIn provide great opportunities to meet experienced people in your field. Attent all important meetings for professionals and take advantage of introducing your business to others.

24. Work With Local And Online Printing Companies

    Cooperating with local printing companies is pure mutual benefit. They can recomend your services and you can instead get some significant discounts on their services.

25. Holiday Promoting

    Christmas, New Year etc are always a good excuse to remind your clients and friends about services you offer. Send them nice touchy yet professional looking e-card/e-mail and show them that you appreciate contact with them.

26. Write A Book

    If you feel as a specialist in some field, put your your experience into the book/e-book. The chance is that you will be recommended and more and more people will see your website and services you provide.

27. Socialise

    The most succesful business people know that the essence of doing business lays in socialising and teamwork. If your clients like you the probability is that they come back, plus they will recommend you to their friends and co-workers.

28. Stay In Good Contact With Your Past Clients

    Developing long term relationship with your clients is another major key success. Business analysis shows that it’s 4 times harder to get new customer than to keep happy the current one. Don’t ignore it. Make sure that your past clients are aware of your business.

29. Offer Online Newsletter

    An e-mail newsletter is another great way to promote your business services. However, you should never send any that kind of e-mails to the people without previousely asking for permission to do that. You can offer special services or discounts with special vaucher to redeem.

30. Build A Great Portfolio

    A great portfolio will be shared and shown as an example of making one. Do your best to always choose only the best pieces of your work and of course to present it in clean, neat way. Try to avoid slide shows or any complex flash animations. Your artwork should be easy to see, preferably as list of thumbnails with detailed version after clicking on certain piece.

31. Be Different Or Be Forgotten

    This one is the most general and most important one – you have to show to your clients something which will differentiate you from your competition and make clients choose you instead of them. Is this the style you developed over the years, superior customer service or great vision and capturing skills – praise your business with it.

32. Be Scandalous

    As they say, it doesn’t matter if you speak good or bad about me – just spell my name right. In the early stages of running your business try to get the attention of the public by provoke some scandal. And, after you reach right publicity, focus on providing high quality services, therefore people will notice your company exists for a reason.

33. Insert Buttons Inviting Your Visitors Or Clients To The Facebook Fan Pages

    Of course despite creating the group and fan pages on facebook, you have to help your clients and visitors to find them. Insert the buttons in the visible part of your website and your fans will come. Make sure you provide useful resources and links on fan page decicated to your business. Also, link your website to the facebook notes – it will automaticaly add the posts from your blog to the facebook fan page.

34. Get Your Articles Published in Popular Magazines/eMagazines

    There is nothing more rewarding than be published in some popular magazine/e-magazine and be seen by wider publicity. People see you as an expert in some field and you get more traffic. As simple as that.

35. Use Google AdWords

    This paid method allows your company to be listed in sponsored results in Google searches. Good for the established businesses. If you plan to do it, always previousely read which ads work and which don’t - you will avoid wasting money.

36. Participate In Alcohol And Fizzy Drinks Competitions

    Have you ever heard about a friend who’s picture and short biography was printed on Pepsi can? Or the Redd’s label designed by your close friend won and his name was featured on limited edition bottles? If not, well..  you can really participate in these ’special kind’ of contests and get your name out there. Just don’t post yourself as a missing person to be featured on a milk box – not only you will really upset the police but you will make yourself a lot of troubles.

37. Competitions And Awards

    Enter yourself in different design competitions. A award-winning graphic desiners or design studios are always seen as prestigeous and worth paying.

38. Offer Particular Invoice

    Invoice is something your client, even a really busy one, MUST see. Take advantage of this and design your invoice to get an extra attention from your client. He will remember you better and the most probably use your services for the future.

39. Ask For Help

    Be active in blogosphere and any social networking places. Start discussion about your services, ask people for opinion about your website, service or style you have. Or maybe you have some particular question for which you know the answer but you want to see the things from the different angle and let people to offer you help. People like being helpful – it creates sympathy.

40. Improve Your SEO

    It takes long time and lots of effort to create strong and popular brand. Your business website needs to be optimised with the search engines. Otherwise your business will be lost in the pile.

41. Submit Tutorials And Your Artwork

    Submit useful tutorials to popular websites. If you are a logo designer, you may submit your logos to the logo directories like e.g. popular LogoPond.com. You will be quoted and linked in many other websites and more and more people will have a chance to hear about your services. As a graphic desiner, you may consider PsdTuts+, Smashing Magazine, FreelanceSwitch, TheDesignInspiration, CreativePool etc.

42. Befriend With Other More Experienced Graphic Designers

    Become friends with other well known designers and experts in your field. Facebook and other social networking sites made it even easier to keep in touch with people who know and share useful sources of information. Learn from them and pass it on.

43. Signature In Emails

    Although signature in e-mails is considered to be rearly noticed, don’t ignore this function and put short description of your company’s services and the address like for e.g.

    Darc Vanilla Design Ltd
    www.darcva.com

    .freelance logo & graphic design company
    .corporate identity design

44. Comment On Other Blogs

45. Exchange Links

46. Print Your Logo On Plastic Bags

    This is a perfect moving advertising, people take plastic bags with themselves everywhere; for shopping, to take some bigger materials which can’t be put in normal bag. The possibilities of spotting your logo and website printed on the bag are unlimited. (Ps. Of course go eco friendly)

47. Use Design Float, MooDesign etc

    If you write a blog, submit your qualitative articles to the sites like DesignFloat, DesignMoo, Digg etc. You will have better chance to be retweeted by other designers and people interested in design.

48. Provide RSS Subscription /E-mail Subscription

    Make sure to provide RSS Feed subscription for your articles and comments on your website. To learn more about RSS visit whatisrss.com website.

49. Testimonials

    Always ask your customers to provide a testimonial about service and products you offered them. Nothing works so strong to attract new customers than reading other customer’s opinions. Take for example Amazon customers recommendations or Ebay comments. See?

50. Be First

    Always try to provide fresh information on your website. Logo awards announced recently? Write about it. Be first and you will attract traffic to your website. Never delay with anything, remember, time is money, and you can’t afford to wait.

If you know or tried any other effective self-promotional ideas, don’t hestitate to share them here. Thanks!