I need some help

I am a beginner. I like to design logos and posters… But recently I decided to start freelancing and succeed and make it my job. I started participating in contest sites and won some. but that’s not effective at all. You spend 5 hours to make a logo and then the contest holder just eliminate it due to abundance of designs. I see that even the top designers of these sites have a lot of project out of the contests. Can you please give me an advise or anything to make me go to my next level. How to market to myself… I don’t know where to begin. I have to mention that in my third world country we don’t have the culture of designing by a freelancer, Just the big agencies. I hope you got what I mean. Thanks!

This is such a common question here, that I saved my response so I can paste it in.

You find clients through a strategic mix of marketing communication potentially including but not limited to: formal networking events, informal networking, trade organizations, trade shows, public relations, a web presence, a social media presence, traditional advertising (potentially including but not limited to direct mail, broadcast, and out of home), online advertising, SEO, cold calling, third party websites, and referrals. Oh, and you have to do great work and have a great reputation.

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Steve gave some excellent advice, and it’s the standard, tried-and-true way of marketing oneself. A realistic strategy on how to go about doing these things is probably what you need to think about.

You mention being from Algeria in your profile. Maybe you see your location as being away from the mainstream of most work as being a disadvantage. On the other hand, what does a designer from Algeria have to offer that designers in other countries might not have? For one thing, you have a native understanding of North African culture, which gives you an advantage when looking for freelance work from, say, Europeans with interests of various kinds in Algeria.

I’m not necessarily saying that pursing this is a good idea. What I’m really saying is that what you might be seeing as disadvantageous could have hidden benefits. For example, you mentioned there not being a culture of design freelancing where you live. I suppose that could be a disadvantage, but it also means you have very little competition in what has been proven to be a viable line of work elsewhere.

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Thanks so much. But what should I do as a first step now. I created a twitter account and I will make more like instagram and post my designs for the contest on them hoping for potential clients to see them. Is that righ? what would you do?

Figure out who you want to reach and then figure out what channels will get your message in front of their eyes. If you’re sure the people you want to reach are looking for designers on Twitter and Instagram, then go for it.

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You totally got me and understood my situation. What I want to know is: Is it possible to reach what I want even if I am far away. Because I see designers from Asia who are the top of designers in some sites like 99designs… And would you do if you were in my place, I have a plan of making social media accounts and start showing my work and try to study marketing. What do you think?

Thank you so much. I am going to learn more about marketing is that a good step?

I don’t very often quote myself, but I’ll make an exception since I’m not sure what I wrote really sunk in.

You need to determine what you have to offer, then figure out who those potential clients are that need what it is that you have. Then you need to figure out how best to get your message in front of those people who will benefit from buying what you have to sell.

In other words, nobody here knows your exact situation, what your skills might be, what you have to offer or who those potential clients of yours might be. Only you can figure out that kind of thing, which brings me back to my comment about you coming up with a strategy.

Just signing up for Twitter or Instagram isn’t a strategy. The strategy is in how to use them, or any other technique, to first reach and then convince potential buyers to hire you.

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Thank you so much. I will work more on that.

That would be a good step as you can take that knowledge and apply it to your client’s projects, too.

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In today’s world only if you do good work and if you are having good knowledge that will not be enough. Most important thing is to do marketing of your work so that your work should get notify by others and you will get more noticed by the companies.

Thank you, But what would you do If you were in my shoes?