How To Succeed As A Graphic Designer

A freelance graphic designer is a profitable and rewarding career for individuals who have a natural talent for design. One of the best benefit of working as a freelance graphic designer is that you can easily work on your own terms and time. Here are 10 expert tips to help you succeed as a freelance graphic designer.

1. Find your niche:
Are you a print or digital designer? Are you a web designer or brand identity specialist? Before you dive into the competitive freelance design word, learn what you’re great at, master it, and then use it as your unique selling point to potential clients.

2. Develop your own personal style:
Spend some time developing your personal artistic style to help set you apart from the gazzilion other freelance designers.

3. Market yourself:
Obviously you will need clients in order to succeed as a freelance graphic designer. To build clients, you must market yourself. Every designer has a different marketing strategy, but based on my experience you should:

Showcase your work on several online creative platforms; Behance, Coroflot, Krop and DeviantArt

Try paid advertising; Google Adwords, Solo Ads

Guest blog on leading design blogs

Start your own design blog. If you need help getting started, sign up for Empower Network viral blogging system

Build a stunning portfolio site. If you do not have extensive web design or coding experience, consider using WordPress and purchase a creative portfolio theme from Themeforest or MojoThemes

4. Manage your time and bill accordingly:
As a freelance designer, managing your time is essential. To be successful, you will also be communicating with clients and marketing your freelance practice frequently. Consider using Paydirt, an online time tracking and invoice software and Basecamp, an online project management software. Although Basecamp and Paydirt are not free, both platforms are extremely valuable to freelance designers.

5. Don’t take on too much work:
Do yourself a favor by not taking on any work that you do not have the time or capacity for. Your reputation is everything so do not ruin it by putting out shitty work because you were overwhelmed.

6. Don’t take on any type of work:
Be selective of the work you take on, especially as a new freelancer. The clients you choose to work for are a representation of you as a designer.

7. Reward returning clients:
The equation is quite simple.
Loyal clients = guaranteed business = steady income.
If you want to earn a steady income from your freelance design practice, work on building a loyal client list. For instance, offer special discounted rates to returning clients.

8. Keep learning:
There is always room to grow no matter how much experience you have. Take online courses or other educational methods to enhance your design and/or technical skills.

9. Don’t follow the latest design trends:
It’s important to be knowledgeable of current design trends, but you do not have to follow them. Your goal as a designer is to create timeless work and most design trends come and go.

10: Don’t budge (At-least not all the time):
Many freelancers often lower their rates to accommodate clients. You may need to adjust your pricing for the right client or work, but such action should be done occasionally. If a client does not think your work and time is worthy of the price you’ve presented, then they weren’t worthy of working with you.

Contact details:
Facebook: Ita Ukemeabasi
Twitter: @ukemeabasi_ita

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