What You Really Need To Know To Be A Great Freelance Designer

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1. Brand yourself. Nearly any firm or group falls apart without an established style. Without a notable personalized logo you will just fade into the background where literally thousands of freelance designers wander.

2. Make an effective online portfolio. It is virtually impossible to achieve success in graphic or online design without having an impressive web presence. Any potential clients or employers will wish to see your work and most of them will prefer to type in a URL and click on what they need to see.

3. Make an equally effective print portfolio, business cards, resume, et cetera. This is somewhat a combination of the previous two steps. Make sure you create an impressive solid portfolio that you could give to people that want to see your work "in person". Also make use of your branding and identity to create business cards, stationery, etc. Any time you could slap your personal brand on something, do it.

4. Be brave, daring, and professional. Don't be anxious to call people, offer services, email companies and more. Recently, I was printing a job for a client and at the printing shop, a person complimented me on the design of the piece. After engaging in friendly conversation, he asked me for various recommendations on the piece he was printing for his own business. Even though I was short on time, I was happy to help him and once I got ready to leave, I offered my future services and gave him a card. Have confidence that people will admire your skills.

5. Go the extra mile for your clients. Word of mouth is a very powerful tool you have. Nothing can help you or hurt you more than rumors and compliments spread by other people for whom you have done work before. About 90% of the freelance work I do comes from word-of-mouth marketing.

6. Get the smaller jobs first. Doing well at a small job for someone can help open doors for your customer to do bigger, better things. I entered a logo contest for a particular group and out of the 4 logos I entered, 2 tied for first place pick. They were so impressed, I offered to make their online page as well. Related offers can be made for an organization's stationery, business cards, etc. Find a niche and then take courage and offer much more.

7. Do not underestimate yourself. This goes together with Number 4. Remember to believe in yourself. No one will ever hire a designer that thinks he might not do as good a job as the next guy. Be sure to reflect your self-confidence in your pricing. If your work is great, charge good money for it.

8. Network. Graphic and web design are quickly changing. Every single day new methods and styles are developed and the designer found sleeping on the job is left in the dust. Join social networks like twitter, linkedin, facebook, digg, and more. Set up a weblog and continuously add meaningful comments on others' websites. Creating a reputation for yourself in the design world takes some time but may be accomplished using social networking websites.

9. Practice, practice, practice. Nothing will show you how to increase in confidence and ability more than practice. If work is a little bit slow, nail down some of those personal tasks you've been meaning to accomplish. Be part of a group at school or in the community where you'll be able to freshen your own skills. Engage in design forums, contests, and workshops. Nothing can take the place of real life application and experience.

10. Pay attention. I like to carry a little note pad around with me. Each time I see an advertisement, picture, building, person, etc. that influences my artistic thinking.

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