Think about it: what’s one of the first things people look for once they’ve clocked a masterpiece? The signature. Be discreet with it but try to do it whenever possible. by tying your name and work together, people will begin to get a better picture of what you do and therefore when they should call you for help.
If you can’t get there yourself, why not send a little something to keep your work fresh in people’s minds? First, think about who you’re trying to reach and what they might enjoy receiving, as the expense of producing and sending an item will be wasted if it’s inappropriate or feels like junk mail. With that proviso, people love getting stuff in the post. Plus sending out physical mailers is a good excuse to ring the person. maybe set up that face to face.
You can’t just expect others to notice your inherent brilliance. No amount of social networking can replicate the power of human contact. Meet people face to face wherever possible and explain what makes you different. It’s impossible to convey your passion through the written world alone, so get yourself along to your favourite studios, press some flesh and put your face about.
If your promotional efforts are going to pay off, they have to be leading to a consistent point – that is your brand. Colour schemes, typography, logo and tone are a few examples that can be used to bring consistency to how people perceive you. You have to know what you’re selling. Once you have that clear in your head, it will be much easier to devise clever promotional campaigns.
all this sitting around indoors while pondering our digital presence can easily bring on a bout of solipsism. There is a simple way to fix this: go out and find some like-minded people to talk to. Never hesitate to attend exhibition launches, award shows or festivals. In the days before Facebook, events like those served as networking hubs and that role still persists. They are overrun with creative types, many of whom you could work with or for.
If you have a lively blog with interesting content, it can be a real winner in more ways than one. Let people see the projects you’ve been working on and the different ways you’re working is a great idea. Use the show and tell process as a catalyst for new work and experimentation. This, hopefully will create a virtuous circle as people keep coming back for more.
Granted, you might put in a lot of effort and get nothing in return, but that’s the nature of competitions. You never know who might see the work and which drunk creative director you can talk into looking over your portfolio as he staggers around the after-show party! Plus there is a school of thought that believes there’s something to be had from taking part. If that’s too much of a stretch, you can always rant about the unfairness on your blog.
Sign up to design blogs and comment on other people’s work. There are lots of design forums out there and plenty of ways to get involved with the design community. Not only with this keep you up to date with what’s going on, it will help to create awareness of your opinion. The more your name and web link is out there, the more likely people are to see it and visit it.
Give your time, skills and work free for charitable causes. As well as the obvious benefits for the cause this is especially useful for meeting new and influential people. These types of projects often enable you to have more creative freedom and won’t harm your reputation or conscience. Do a good job here and not only will it warm your cockles, it might bring you some attention of the financially liquid parties in need of some design advice. It’s a classic win-win situation.
Despite appearance to the contrary, blogging is not about telling everyone what you had for breakfast. It should inspire interaction, just as any other piece of work should. Boring people is worse than having no effect at all. Inspiration is fine but don’t make a rod for your own back by showing everyone how many better designers there are than you out there. Be funny, charming, entertaining and informative at all times.