Guerilla Marketing Techniques for Your Graphic Design Site

By Kelly Richardson
kelly.richardson@graphicdesignschoolreview.com
Graphic Design School Review Columnist

If you're a freelance graphic designer looking to increase your income, you must make your graphic design site visible to the businesses and organizations that need your services. Here are some hard-hitting guerilla marketing techniques that will improve your exposure to a demanding market.

The rules of the Internet dictate that those sites that aren't properly advertised will die a horrible and painful death. Don't let this happen to you. Be proactive in your marketing campaign and you'll reap the benefits. And while there's no set way to successfully market a Web site, there is a set of tried and true methods that will bring results if you know how to execute them.

Market Your Graphic Design Site
Here are some excellent ways you can market your graphic design Web site and bring in several top clients for very little money.

• Pay-per-Click (PPC). Certainly not a new technique, but still one of the best. For a few dollars per day, you can have your graphic design site listed with the major search engines and increase the number of leads you receive.
• Industry Ezines. A well-designed, well-placed ad in various graphic design ezines will do wonders for your take-in rate. Do a keyword search to determine the top-rated ezines for the industries that interest you.
• Direct Mail. Direct mail is perhaps the oldest form of advertising known to man, and one of the most effective. Create some ad slicks and send them to your list of potential clients for added exposure.

Little Extras that Get You Noticed
Another important aspect of your marketing plan is to offer freebies on your site that potential clients can't get anywhere else. Growing your graphic design business entails creating a value proposition that your clients will instantly recognize.

• Free Info. Everyone loves to get free information from a Web site. Write some articles on various graphic design techniques and usage ideas and then offer them free to visitors who come to your site.
• Coupons. Offering discounts on your graphic design services is another great way to increase your leads. For example, offer a certain percentage off a Web page design or direct mail piece and watch the leads come pouring in.

These aren't the only ways to market your graphic design Web site. With a little ingenuity and clear-cut goals, you'll soon have more work than you can handle.

About the Author
Kelly Richardson covers the local education and technology scenes in major cities across the country. His articles appear in educational journals, periodicals, and e-zines.