Branded To Death Creative Conference and My Freelancing 101 Workshop
Branded To Death Creative Conference was a hit! It was a graphic design event I wish had been available as a college student ten years ago. The Charleston-based event assisted in connecting graphic designers in the Lowcountry. I met other local designers and artists that made me proud to be a part of the Charleston creative community.
I was honored to be asked by Griffin to give a small workshop at the event. Rather than talk about myself and my business, I wanted to offer some educational information I’ve learned. A good stepping stone into the industry is learning how to use social media for marketing yourself and building your brand. This is an excellent way to set yourself up for success so that when a potential client comes across your Instagram account or your website, they see VALUE. When you are a mystery to a potential client, they don’t see it as worth the investment if they don’t see results.
I couldn’t cover A-Z about Freelancing in twenty minutes, so I condensed the information into how to use social media to establish yourself in the freelance business. I wanted to provide information on how to take steps into the freelance industry with some low-risk tips on how to use social media while still having full-time obligations. For example, you can grow your audience on social media while you are a college student, moonlighting after your full-time job, and looking into switching careers. The approach to this class was to look at it as if you are starting from scratch and are looking to increase your number of projects and clients.
While we had in-depth discussions as a group in the workshop, here are the top tips for beginning social media outreach.
Build your portfolio for the clients you want to work with
Before you even speak with a client, they are going to take a look at your portfolio. Therefore, a portfolio that tells a story and explains creative decisions is essential.
Be Active: Prove you exist
Posting daily or weekly is an excellent way to show potential clients that you are actively working and learning. In addition, repeated imagery of your brand builds strong recognition over time.
Create valuable content that proves you are a good business investment
Creating value and success stories with current projects will help build credibility and trust so potential clients will take their business seriously.
Show your face: Create that human connection.
Sharing photos or videos of yourself strengthens brand recognition and humanizes your brand. People like to see your authentic side.
NETWORK with other designers, clients, and businesses
Networking with other peers is the easiest it has ever been. With social media, you can network with designers and companies in your pillars of specialty from anywhere in the world. I encourage you to make friends with other local designers who are also in the same industry as you. There is room for all of us to help one another out.
Want some help in developing your brand strategy & design? Let’s chat!