I hope you enjoy these tips on self promotion in the design field.
- Do something different – Dream up some caper that isn’t on this list and put it into action with characteristic flair.
- Talk to (real) people – Don’t just talk to designers, talk to everyone and anyone.
- Stay in touch – Exchanging favors is what makes the world go round.
- Target your audience – It’s no good getting a database of random design firms and sending them all an email.
- Initiate your own projects – Don’t just complain about being unable to do the type of work you want to be doing – do something about it.
- Collaborate – Creative people spark when they’re brought together.
- Don’t be a stalker – Meeting people in the flesh is undeniably worthwhile, but sometimes you just have to accept that people are busy.
- Put your name on the work – Think about it: what’s one of the first things people look for once they’ve clocked a masterpiece? The signature.
- Go postal (snail mail) – If you can’t get there yourself, why not send a little something to keep your work fresh in people’s minds
- Learn to submit – Publishers sometimes invite open submissions for their titles, so submitting work to these books and magazines is a great way of getting your work into people’s hands.
- Win hearts and minds – Always be prepared to stand up for what you believe in, but make sure you’re the kind of person people enjoy hanging out with.
- Be in the competition – Granted, you might put in a lot of effort and get nothing in return, but that’s the nature of competitions.
- Think like a brand – If your promotional efforts are going to pay off, they have to be leading to a consistent point – that is, your brand.
- Blog for self motivation – If you have a lively blog with interesting content, it can be a real winner in more ways than one.
- Be enthusiastic – Being genuinely excited about a project will not only get you remembered by the client and fellow creatives, but also helps inspire everyone else involved to give it their all.