help! Graphic Designers needs clients and is having little success.

Hi Patrick, Just my two cents here... a sticker for your car might be a good idea especially since you're in a small town. However, I would highly recommend building relationships with people by first identifying your ideal clients and then stopping by to introduce yourself (or finding some other appropriate way to meet them). This can take time, but it's cheap and very effective. In a small community in particular, it's probably the best way to go so you can kick-start some good word of mouth referrals.

You might also want to create a special promotion that you can offer as you go around networking.

You're not alone in your challenges getting clients during your first year. We've all been there. Be patient and consistent with your efforts. Good luck to you!

Hay Patrick, I think you need to try some web design. it will widen your design horizons and enable you to get to millions of remote clients. Plus web developers and web programmers have little creativity, so you'll have an upper hand when it comes to web visuals. Good luck!

Hi Patrick -

I too live and work as a designer in a small town (less than 20,000), and I sympathize with your dilemma. It can take time to build up a client base anywhere, and small towns pose their own challenges. I have had a design practice here since 1980 (yes, I started it during a very bad recession!), and I can tell you that it is very doable.

Debby is right to suggest that you consider relationships. Feedback loops in small communities are very short; using them will get your name out there pretty efficiently (for better or for worse).

To generate small-town word of mouth, you have to make yourself available. Putting a sticker on your car isn't going to be nearly as effective as joining your local chamber and other community groups, showing up for committee work, doing pro bono stuff for the Y or other non-profits, and generally showing an active interest in supporting the other businesses and organizations in your town. What goes around comes around - make sure you always do what you say you'll do. Look at these efforts as opportunities to showcase your self and your work.

(About pro bono work: be very strategic/selective about what you take on. Whenever you agree to a pro bono project, make sure you let them know what the work would be worth if they were paying for it, instead of receiving it as a donation. Also make sure they get a statement at the end so they can use it for a soft match if they need one for a grant proposal.)

You will also want to make a habit of combing the local media for leads about businesses and organizations who could use your services. The business section of newspapers, business organization web sites and similar media can help you learn about firms that are opening, moving, adding new product lines, or doing other things that need supporting marketing tools.

If you follow these guidelines, I would not be surprised if by this time next year you have to quit your day job!

Best of luck,

Laurel

Start doing these

I was at a Business Integrity Group today and one of the local non profits shared that when it does come time to spend money on a service they need they always look to those who have been supportive of them first... even before their personal contacts and friends. I agree on the community involvement. Any Service club like Kiwanis or non profits like boys n girls club or mother baby center often have auctions or walks or fundraisers. And you could maybe donate a gift certificate as a prize: Shows your work, shows your support, and is a very inexpensive way to get your name out there. And one last thing... there are many networking groups in our town. You could gather a focus group of people who would be like your power partners and meet once or twice a month. Those people who get to know you become your sales force or advocates. Sometimes takes about two years to develop a group that brings you referrals. Your well on your way. Best to you. Oh and the chamber was a good idea too.

Patrick,

Before you do anything else, you need to explain to your customers (and yourself) why they should hire you, and not any one of the other zillion graphic designers they can contact and hire online.

Are you better, stronger, nicer, faster? Maybe you are just closer and you can work the "local" angle.

Whatever your unique angle is though, you need to know it and be able to articulate it (either in person or on paper) in a compelling way.

Yes, connections are critical, but the best way to make them is to grab people's interest by showing them that you can solve their problems. Nothing makes a businessperson's ears prick up more than someone who can say, "My work will help you earn more money and here is why."

Good luck Carol, Direct Response Copywriter and Entrepreneur

Patrick,

Carol is right on. Too many "graphics specialists" make things look good but don't make a marketing piece that will sell. Promise to improve performance by 20% or money back. Help people make money. (instead of a graphics artist... become a marketing specialist and team up with a copywriter like Carol) :)

You want to be proactive. I love "P" Words! Proactive is one of my favorites.

Ok... to the serious stuff. Marketing your services.

Why not go where people are already asking for services and put yourself to them?

check this out: http://99designs.com/

or how about this: http://www.odesk.com/w/

I know you are aware of: http://www.guru.com/

Last I will throw out: http://www.elance.com

The first one (99designs) is gaining popularity quickly.

You could start articles as well.

As I cruise through the ads in the local paper I will on occasion contact someone who's ad is BAD with a solution in hand.

If you can take something that exists (bad)... make it great and then get testimonials, that is cooking.

ok,,, that is my chocolate nickel's worth. I hope it was of some help. You have a tough game... but if you are in the marketing business, then you should be ahead of the curve.

Mike

PS You might resort to finding the bad stuff, creating simple proposals and sending them out. Remember, there are people who need your help are offline... and unfamiliar with the options I mentioned before.

let me know how things turn out.

I just had a thought... as a graphic designer, I expect you are pretty capable with social media tools and the internet.

What you could do is a whole lot of reading about Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites to determine how people are using them successfully for business.

Small towns probably don't have a lot of "social media experts" to choose from. So this could be a way for you to gain entry into businesses. You educate them on social media, explain that compelling images are a critical part of the package, and then sell them your graphic design services.

This gives you multiple ways to access the same companies.

I hope that helps!

Hi Patrick,

Christian, Right on!

I have to tell you everyone has great stuff!

I hope you have your calendar out and started scheduling the activities. :)

And Jim's comment is something I have done for years as well... right on again but it reminded me of something in my arsenal.

AND if you want to head in the direction that Christian suggests... let me know if you need some back up. Can save you study time and money and help you cut to the chase.

How to make it wonderful? Here is a video I made for restaurant operators... but if you take the concept and twist it, I think with a phone, the virtual world, your talents... this can make magic. (It has for me for many... many years)

Video here; http://www.rejuvenateyourrestaurant.com/Guerrilla-Marketing-Squad.html

(watch the shorter version) the front end is set up.. the back end is what has made me magic

Mike

PS Many I have contact with in smaller towns need to be shown a little how/why its important as they live in a different world.. Can be done though!

Follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/michaelhartzell

Patrick,

I agree with the suggestions posted. One other way to find business in the meantime is to create an account on Elance.com. This is a freelance website where you can bid on projects any where in the world. Just another avenure for you to find business.

Best of luck.

Rebecca Ryckman, Owner, The Stiletto Group

Hey Patrick,

You're fortunate that your employer is open to your freelancing. It looks like you're taking the opportunity to build your business, so good on ya.

A couple of suggestions from one designer to another:

1. Build slow. Like Debbie said, it's the relationships. Take your time, create relationships without worrying too much about getting work from them. Keep up your Chamber meetings, just be a consistent "face of design" (insert jazz hands) in your community.

2. Here in Biznik, use your photo as your avatar. I mean, look how goofy my mug is - but people like associating a human face with a biz.

3. On your web site (which is nicely done), take out the "we" language and replace it with "I." Since you're not really a big firm (yet), people will relate to you better when they see you as one dude. It sounds counterintuitive, but sometimes the smaller you are the easier it is for people to see themselves working with you.

You've got some nice work posted on your site, so obviously you gots the mad skillz. It's just a matter of meeting people and forming a loyal fan base.

Hi Patrick, I can't say much about getting business in a small town that hasn't already been said other than that you are by no means limited to your small town. There are plenty of graphic and logo design galleries and showcases on the web. By submitting your work to some of them, you can gain a much bigger audience and the increased exposure will eventually bring in more business as well.

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Optimize your website to target your local market. Instead of optimizing for "Graphic Designer", optimize it for "Graphic Designer MyDinkyTownName". You may want to sell to everyone but chances are your client base is local business. Your website should target them. I can help you with this.

Make sure you are showing well in Google local. If you don't know how, see the article I posted: http://biznik.com/articles/get-listed-on-local-search-engines-for-free

Good luck. I live in a tiny town too - Rogue River Oregon, population 2000. Fortunately for me there are some larger cities nearby.

there are very few graphic designers who "get marketing."

this means they understand that the point of an ad is not to be elegant and win awards, but to SELL product or service....

and if you get jobs on places like elance, you can develop relationships that go much further in teh long haul.

I have done business with several elancers that developed into long term business relationships off elance.

Great comments and great suggestions. One thing I might add. You probably have already but if not, take the time to sit down and write out the given suggestions into a business plan? It doesn't have to be long, the main thing is that it is written.

Don't do what almost 90% of small businesses do and that is jump in without a written plan. I am not a guru on this but I bought some software and did a plan when I started and it was incredibly useful toward helping me set goals and establish benchmarks.

If you were to take the suggestions given above and put them into a plan with timelines and metrics to measure your results than you will probably increase your chances of implementing the suggestions others have shared with you.

If not you could find yourself in the same place a year from now as you are today. This may also help you monitor what works for you and what does not. Good luck!