6 Cost-Effective Marketing Tips for Your New Graphic Design Business

1. 06Cost-Effective Marketing Tips for Your New Graphic Design Business

2. Introduction • If you have a skill that you can put to use and create a business out of it, consider yourself lucky. Owning a business can be quite liberating. Nor do you have to clock yourself around a strict schedule, neither should you report to someone. In fact, business models that rely on the internet, like graphic design business, can be done right from the ease of your couch. • Nevertheless, if you are a graphic designer, you may know how to provide custom logo design services, but you might have no expertise in starting a business. There are various factors involved in building your venture from scratch that you might be unaware of. However, don’t let the negative space out you. Stay optimistic because, in this article, we will tell you how to start up your business without breaking a sweat.

3. 1.   List Down Your Skills • Yes, the first step might seems simple, but that is how you must start. Many startups focuses on small details that are supposed to give them direction. Sometimes it is more important to know what not to do to keep the ship sailing in the desired course. • Listing down your skills will do just that. You will be able to focus on your energy to provide the chosen skills with more quality. For instance, if you focus on providing custom logo design services and graphic artwork for social media posts, it might work well for you. However, if you start doing every other project like storyboarding or illustrations, etc., all at the same time, you may end up in a mess. Therefore, it is crucial to stick with a list of services and focus on increasing the frequency of getting projects in such categories

4. 2.   Set up a Pricing Model • Setting up the right price is very important to sustain your new graphic design business. Some startups dissolve within six months due to cut-price models that fails to back the expenses. Others suffer from creating a name in the market due to inflated prices for their services. The clients may like their pitch but end up denying the proposal due to budget constraints. • Therefore, it is crucial to find the right balance while you set up your pricing against provided services. This can be easily done by conducting an industry analysis. Looking at the norms may help you find out the average pricing of the industry, which you can either match or adjust according to your expertise level and time spent on specific tasks.

5. 3.   Get an Official Website • Your business website is the primary medium to attract and grow your business. A website makes your startup look more credible. No business can flourish without a website. Whether you are planning to work as a freelance designer or creating a graphic design agency, an optimized website should always be counted in. • A good website is highly responsive, speed optimized and provides a user-friendly experience. You can hire a website development agency to create an affordable website design for your graphic design business. Moreover, content is the most critical factor on the website. If the website and its content are SEO friendly, there is a higher chance of getting more visitors, leads, and conversions.

6. 4.   Identify Potential Clients to Pitch • Once you have decided on the services, their pricing packages and got a website made, you are ready to pitch clients. The key to find the right clients is to determine your target audience first. • Are you planning to provide your services to startups or big brands? • Or do you want to serve a niche? • You need to ask yourself thparticularese questions to obtain a direction. As you build your target audience, you will also gain clarity on how to pitch them. However, reaching these clients and convincing them for a pitch meeting is the real game. Start with your network; look for businesses around you. Talk to people who know someone who can become a potential client. Build from thereon; the sky should be your limit.

7. 5.   Freelancing Platforms • Freelancing platforms are like a virtual market for services. Thousands of buyers and sellers meet on such platforms and exchange value. These platforms include Fiverr, Upwork, PeoplePerHour (PPH), and Guru.com, to name a few. You can create a profile on these platforms under your business name or even your own and start selling your services. • Many freelance designers and graphic design agencies are getting benefits from these platforms. All you have to do is create a profile, find relevant projects, and bid on them with your proposals. You can also bring your existing clients to these platforms through invitation links so they can post honest feedbacks there. If you bring existing clients to these platforms, they waive off the commission fee from the client’s payment as well.

8. 6.   Socialize With Your Audience • Having a website and freelancing profile is excellent. However, you need frequent visitors that turn into clients to run your business. For achieving that, you need to practice graphic design marketing tactics. Create social media profiles and pages for your business and update them regularly. • The effective way to attract customers is by showing your expertise. And social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are the best platforms to do that. Formulate a content strategy for social media as well as for your website’s blog. • A potential customer always starts with searching out the services and reviews. Make sure your blog content is clear enough to educate them. That will not only earn you credibility, but also preference whether they want to hire a freelance designer or an agency.

9. Conclusion Anyone can start a business if they know where to start and how. The simple guidelines provided in this article will not only help you start up your business but also sustain it in the long run. As you progress, you can expand your team and further work on digital marketing strategies like email campaigns and content marketing. The digital world is expanding with every passing day, and the opportunities are multiplying with it. As a graphic designer, it is an opportune time to start your own graphic design business and get the most out of it.