How To Get Freelance Clients Graphic Design – Learning how to land graphic design clients can be overwhelming. A simple Google search will reveal thousands of ideas – some untested, some outdated.
But after working with thousands of freelancers here on our blog and in our free FB community, I’ve learned exactly what really works when it comes to landing graphic design clients.
How To Get Freelance Clients Graphic Design
So today we’re pulling back the curtain on what it takes to find graphic design clients – whether you’re a brand new freelance designer or you’ve been trying to find design clients for years.
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All of these tactics have been recently tested and proven, either by me or by real graphic design freelancers in our community.
Give them a try and see if they can help you make relatively quick work of getting design clients for your own design business.
Whether you’re looking for local graphic design clients or need remote graphic design jobs, one of the quickest and easiest things you can do to get graphic design clients to hire you is to sign up on quality freelance job sites.
We’ve compiled a massive list of freelance job sites if you want to dive in, but here are just a few of our favorite sites for landing graphic design clients:
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When it comes to getting graphic design clients, time is money. The mission behind SolidGigs is to save your valuable time by searching through thousands of freelance job listings and bringing you the best results every day.
And SolidGigs doesn’t take a percentage of your profit (like sites like Fiverr). Instead, freelancers only pay a flat monthly fee.
You can get graphic design clients from SolidGigs with a FREE 7-day trial and starting at just $21 per month after that. Learn more here.
Our next favorite easy-to-start site to get graphic design clients is Flexjobs. They always have some great freelance design jobs in all sorts of different categories.
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You can try Flexjobs for free here and start using it to get graphic clients pretty quickly if you’re diligent.
We could have chosen any number of freelance marketplaces like Upwork to feature here, but we chose Upwork because they are the largest and most useful marketplace for finding graphic design clients (in our opinion).
It takes a bit more time to create an account before you start finding graphic design clients, but the effort can be well worth it. Some freelancers (like this guy) make a full-time living from Upwork.
Note: Have you tried our FAV freelancing tool, Moxie (formerly Hectic)? $16/month gives you everything you need to thrive as a freelancer. Contracts, proposals, client management, time tracking and TONS more. Visit WithMoxie.com »
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Of course, freelancers I’ve talked to have found success getting clients on Craigslist, hacking Angellist for clients, or racking up clients on Fiverr.
The key is to find which freelancing sites work for you and then learn how to get graphic design clients to pay attention to you on those sites.
Another tactic to focus on when learning how to land graphic design clients is to go where design clients are already spending their time.
Do a handful of graphic design clients in your town all attend a local Chamber of Commerce meeting once a month? Or maybe there’s a co-working space that hosts local mixers where lots of potential design clients grab a drink and network?
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Wherever you live, chances are there are design clients congregating and networking within 50 miles of you. Attending just a few of these can help you start your graphic design business off on the right foot.
If you’re more of an interesting person online, then find which Facebook groups have the types of design clients you’re looking for. Make natural connections with potential design clients on Linkedin. Or contribute guest articles to publications your future customers read.
In both cases, the goal is just to get in front of any new design clients you can make on a regular basis.
While some people claim that cold sensitization is dead, I say it is alive and well. In fact, I still get TONS of new customers every year by sending cold emails.
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It’s pretty obvious. In the months I send cold emails, I get clients. In the months I lose weight, I don’t get as many clients (see chart below).
The art of cold emailing to get customers isn’t hard to learn. It’s not hard to master either.
Sure, it can be scary, but we’ve compiled a complete guide to writing cold emails that convert that will walk you through the entire process.
The only thing better than stumbling upon a gold mine of potential new graphic design clients is learning how to get graphic design clients to come to you.
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I have a few close friends who do this very well. Ian Paget, for example, runs a stellar logo design business where 100% of his new design clients come to him. Ian doesn’t have to look for too many customers anymore.
Because Ian has literally spent years building an online presence that rewards him with new design clients on a regular basis. His website and podcast rank very well when someone searches for ‘Logo Designer UK’ for example.
Pro Tip: While strategies like this may take a lot longer, they can really pay off. Try pairing a long-term strategy like SEO (Search Engine Optimization — what Ian does) with a short-term gain like the tips mentioned in steps 1 and 2.
My final pro tip for anyone serious about learning how to land graphic design clients is to optimize your portfolio for client conversions.
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Your portfolio is NOT a place to show your work. So stop wasting so much time making it perfect and beautiful.
So focus on your calls to action (encouraging design clients to contact/hire you), avoid exit ramps (links that drive visitors away from your portfolio) like the plague, and for god’s sake just get your portfolio .of online design and live before you burn out completely.
I know it can be hard to hear. You might be looking for some quick extra passive income, or you might need the cash like yesterday. Maybe you hate your job and can’t wait to leave.
I am sorry. I really am. But learning how to get graphic design clients and keep them around is neither an effortless nor an overnight process.
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But if you’re willing to work hard to find freelance design jobs, learn from your mistakes, and keep going, I can promise you success in landing clients.
Try these 5 tactics and hit me up in our FB group to let me know how it goes. I would love to hear from you!
Over 10,000 of us chat daily in our free Facebook group and we’d love to see you there. Join us!
Preston Lee is the founder where he and his team have been helping freelancers thrive for over a decade. His advice has been featured by Entrepreneur, Inc, Forbes, Adobe and more.
Free Graphic Design Contract (includes Free Template)
At , we strive to publish only the best, most trustworthy and reliable content for freelancers. You can learn more by reviewing our editorial policy. Freelancing gives graphic designers immense freedom and flexibility to be their own boss and build their brand. However, the unpredictability of freelancing can also be a challenge. Although over 90% of graphic designers are freelancers, many need help with the inconsistencies in acquiring new clients. Once one project ends, they scramble to fill their schedule with the next one. This hunt for clients leaves little time for meaningful creative work.
So how can freelance graphic designers bring in a steady stream of new clients without getting overwhelmed? The key is implementing scalable and automated marketing strategies. Instead of starting from scratch every time, savvy freelancers implement systems to attract new ideal clients on a regular basis.
Implementing these systems makes customer acquisition more passive over time. With a constant stream of new projects, freelance graphic designers can focus on making their best creative work.
Starting a graphic design business as a beginner can be daunting, but finding clients is an essential first step. Instead of cold calling or networking, a great way to get your first clients is to apply to graphic design jobs posted on job boards. There are many job boards, so focus on a few reputable ones that cater to graphic designers.
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Creating profiles on these job boards that list your skills and portfolio pieces is essential. Then apply to any attractive graphic design gigs you’re qualified for. It’s an effective way for new freelancers to gain experience and build their client list.
In addition to showcasing your portfolio on popular creative websites like Dribbble and Behance, creating your own professional freelance website can be invaluable in presenting yourself as an expert in your field. Your website serves as a hub to drive leads, allowing you to control the narrative and highlight your best work.
Creating compelling case studies on your website can attract customers by demonstrating your ability to solve real-world problems. Research shows that 65% of B2B companies believe that case studies are more effective for content marketing than other formats such as blog posts, videos and infographics. The reason is that case studies demonstrate with concrete examples that you can achieve results for clients.
A great example of
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