The number one question most creatives ask me is "how do I get clients?".
To be honest, there is no one secret formula to acquiring client leads*, but what you must definitely do is be visible enough to be found in the first place.
*A client lead is a potential client that is in contact with you to acquire your services.
Let's break it down:
People tend to remember & recall the familiar
Familiarity happens with consistent repetition
Consistent repetition should be focused
Focus is specialization
Getting clients, then, is affected by multiple factors, the number one factor is you being out there, and by you, I don't just mean having your portfolio shown but your face as well.
Clients and hiring agencies alike do not hire based only on your quality of work, but they need to know you, trust you, and sense if you are a good fit for them to proceed with seeking your services.
As an extreme introvert, I thought that having good work without the need for people to know me as a person would get me those DMs and emails with the standard "Hi, I saw your work and want to ask you how much do you charge for a logo?" type of messages.
Don't get me wrong, I did get many of these messages that turned out to be amazing projects with amazing clients behind them, but when I stepped out of my cocoon of an office shell, I started to build a bigger reputation and subsequently bigger clients with bigger budgets!
It is still not easy for me to put myself out there, but showing my face and sharing what I know aside from my portfolio has made it for me in terms of generating a consistent influx of leads. What I do next is on me.
No matter how good you are, if you do not show up to that discussion on a Facebook group, or to that live with someone more experienced than you are, or share your opinion on that Instagram post, post an article with the community on LinkedIn, your chance of being seen is limited, and your chances of succeeding in a competitive business are slim.
⚫ You do not have to be the best at what you do, but the best seen ⚫
SHOW YOUR WORK
Create a solid portfolio with at least 3 well-presented projects.
SHOW YOUR FACE
Create a consistent social media presence. You do not have to be on all of them, choose the ones where your potential leads might be.
▶️ Show your work
▶️ Show your process
▶️ Be approachable
▶️ Provide your contact information
Recommended social platforms
Behance and/or Dribble, Portfolio website, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn
Remember, people tend to remember & recall the familiar.
Food for thought
Checking your social media accounts first thing in the morning or the last thing before you go to sleep, ask yourself:
Who are the people that you would most likely see a post, a comment, a story, or a video from?
Are they by default successful people in your mind?
Can you do what they do and commit to showing up and being visible daily?
Can you back up your presence and show your face with the quality of your work?