A freelance graphic designer is a profitable and rewarding career for individuals who have a natural talent for design. One of the best benefit of working as a freelance graphic designer is that you can easily work on your own terms and time. Here are 10 expert tips to help you succeed as a freelance graphic designer.

1. Find your niche:
Are you a print or digital designer? Are you a web designer or brand identity specialist? Before you dive into the competitive freelance design word, learn what you’re great at, master it, and then use it as your unique selling point to potential clients.


2. Develop your own personal style:
Spend some time developing your personal artistic style to help set you apart from the gazzilion other freelance designers.
[img]http://www.onmyge.com.ua/lialat.gif[/img]

3. Market yourself:
Obviously you will need clients in order to succeed as a freelance graphic designer. To build clients, you must market yourself. Every designer has a different marketing strategy, but based on my experience you should:

**Showcase your work on several online creative platforms; Behance, Coroflot, Krop and DeviantArt
**Try paid advertising; Google Adwords, Solo Ads
**Guest blog on leading design blogs
**Start your own design blog. If you need help getting started, sign up for Empower Network viral blogging system
**Build a stunning portfolio site. If you do not have extensive web design or coding experience, consider using WordPress and purchase a creative portfolio theme from Themeforest or MojoThemes

4. Manage your time and bill accordingly:
As a freelance designer, managing your time is essential. To be successful, you will also be communicating with clients and marketing your freelance practice frequently. Consider using Paydirt, an online time tracking and invoice software and Basecamp, an online project management software. Although Basecamp and Paydirt are not free, both platforms are extremely valuable to freelance designers.


5. Don’t take on too much work:
Do yourself a favor by not taking on any work that you do not have the time or capacity for. Your reputation is everything so do not ruin it by putting out shitty work because you were overwhelmed.

6. Don’t take on any type of work:
Be selective of the work you take on, especially as a new freelancer. The clients you choose to work for are a representation of you as a designer.

7. Reward returning clients:
The equation is quite simple. Loyal clients = guaranteed business = steady income. If you want to earn a steady income from your freelance design practice, work on building a loyal client list. For instance, offer special discounted rates to returning clients.


8. Keep learning:
There is always room to grow no matter how much experience you have. Take online courses or other educational methods to enhance your design and/or technical skills.


9. Don’t follow the latest design trends:
It’s important to be knowledgeable of current design trends, but you do not have to follow them. Your goal as a designer is to create timeless work and most design trends come and go.

10: Don’t budge (At-least not all the time):
Many freelancers often lower their rates to accommodate clients. You may need to adjust your pricing for the right client or work, but such action should be done occasionally. If a client does not think your work and time is worthy of the price you’ve presented, then they weren’t worthy of working with you.

Source: http://kyhryt.com/succeed-as-a-freelance-designer/#!

Oh yes

Spot on erad...spot on..
Thanks for sharing.

Ok o

Av heard...back to sleep

Good info..........

bookmarked..

Please I'm urgently looking for a graphic designer. Plz contact me on 08120325503.

Pls i need a graphic designer for a fast work.
Call me on 08039353747
Thanks

_{pls dnt send me email thru nairaland cos dnt know how it works. Send text or call}

OP how can one learn to become a seasoned graphic designer, is it just by knowing how to coreldraw and photoshop?

What's the start ?@0p

Promhize: OP how can one learn to become a seasoned graphic designer, is it just by knowing how to coreldraw and photoshop?

It's not just about the applications, it's about your imagination, drive, passion, perseverance and consistency. The applications are just a means of expressing yourself and are useless if you have nothing to express.

Thanks for the tips


#Teamfreelancer

.

Cool write up.. Thanks for posting!

So on point.

erad:

It's not just about the applications, it's about your imagination, drive, passion, perseverance and consistency. The applications are just a means of expressing yourself and are useless if you have nothing to express.

Aiit, thanks

Design is beautiful...

i love the last point. Makes brain

Great tips, thanks for sharing.

This is quite edudesigned by a creative mind.. Thanks.. Good write up with the clear truth stated in it rather than some t**ts always posting fake links on how to make $15,000 in 2minutes, like say if them sabi that kind tin, dem for gree share am with stranger.. God Bless

THANKX SOO MUCH

Our Nigerian clients Ά̲̣̣яε̲̣̣̣̥ quite funny atimes. They need their website to be tight aπϑ yet don't want to motivate the designer.

Nice tips OP. Tђɑпkƨ a million.

Nice one

The first tip of all... NEVER BE AFRAID TO START. Tho u wud hav some crazy desyns at first

Nice write up.
I render such services, designing professional website is my specialty.
At times clients have no idea how demanding the job can get especially when you have other projects to complete.

Pls pals i need someone to tech me; am really intrested and u can connect with me on 08183393593
thank you

nigerian clients under pay

I'll bak