Getting Your First Client

As a freelance graphic designer, having a plan of action and creating your portfolio is only the first step — finding people to actually pay for your services is where most of the work begins.

Although you might have offered your services for free and received great response, that doesn’t necessarily translate into higher quality clients. In fact, it’s recommended that you use a different name for such purposes so you don’t devalue your services. Fortunately graphic designers are always in demand, so you will surely find success if you know how to market your services well. For now, the number one priority should be getting your first client.

SOME NOTES BEFOREHAND

First, understand that it can take some time to get your first client. As such, you should have enough resources to sustain your current lifestyle until you get things off the ground. 6 months of expenses is a good buffer, allowing you to lessen the risks of freelancing and increase your chances of success. Also, make sure you have a call to action on your portfolio site — you don’t want to lose your first client just because they can’t reach you.

It might be tempting to try out freelance marketplaces such as Upwork to get your first client. While there is an abundance of projects on such websites, a lot of people there are just looking to find graphic designers for cheap. At the same time, you are competing with others who can afford to offer low prices. Finding decent clients there won’t be easy, and you probably don’t want to waste time and effort in such an endeavor.

START WITH THE BASICS

Instead, start by marketing your services using your portfolio site. Marketing takes a lot of practice, but it doesn’t have to be complex. You don’t need to be an expert in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or create targeted ads. In fact, stay clear from paid advertising for now — ideally you don’t want to spend money before you make money.

Focus on a specific target market and find out where they go for design solutions. From there, come up with ways to make your services known to them. It’s much easier to get your first client by targeting people whom you can confidently fulfill their needs. For example, you might want to target small business owners and entrepreneurs on subreddits like r/entrepreneur. Since they are usually cost-conscious, offering affordable packages will make your services that much more attractive to them.

You can also approach friends and family to get your first client. They should be more receptive to what you have to offer, but that doesn’t mean you hard sell your services to them at every opportunity — just letting them know that you are open for business is good enough. Even if they don’t need your services, they might know someone who does.

Whether it’s a specific target market or friends and family, you need a way to get the word out there about your services, which is where social media comes in. Facebook and Twitter are great for friends and family, while platforms such as LinkedIn cater more towards businesses and professionals.

BUILDING TRUST

Getting your first client isn’t just about promoting your services — you should also focus on establishing yourself as a professional. It can be difficult to build a trustworthy reputation as a freelance graphic designer online since there’s minimal face-to-face contact. You essentially have to convince a stranger that your services are not a scam and worth paying for.

As such, try to put yourself and your business out there as much as possible while highlighting your strengths as a graphic designer along the way. A great approach is to offer helpful advice wherever you can and engage actively in discussions related to graphic design. People buy from people they know and trust. If you are passionate about what you do, your enthusiasm will win them over. Also, master speaking and writing clearly. Professional communication will make it easier to earn the trust and respect of others.

GETTING YOUR FIRST CLIENT

Now that people know and trust you, they should start reaching out to you with opportunities. You are close to getting your first client, but don’t celebrate just yet.

Before accepting a project, take time to learn more about the prospective client so you can better tailor your services to their needs. Do your best to go the extra mile when communicating with them. Instead of an email, consider a video chat so both parties have a chance to talk face to face. By building trust and credibility, you make it easier to close the deal. You might be tempted to accept the first offer you receive, but be careful not to run into bad clients who are looking to exploit your services.

DON’T GIVE UP

As mentioned earlier, getting your first client can take some time. Consequently, it’s easy to let negativity take over and procrastinate — but don’t give up. Be proactive and stick to a daily schedule. It might be as simple as updating your Twitter feed, but the act of doing such routine tasks will help you stay on track.

WHAT’S NEXT?

Even after getting your first client, don’t just do your job and get it over and done with. Remember, business is all about client satisfaction and relationships. If you can build long-lasting relationships from the start, it will pave the way to more referrals and projects in the future. Perhaps send them a thank-you note during the holidays so you stay on their radar should another business opportunity arise.

IN CONCLUSION

Getting your first client is certainly an important milestone. From there, it’s a matter of building on what worked previously to get even more clients. Succeeding as a freelance graphic designer is a long journey, but you have already crossed the first — and probably hardest — hurdle.