As a web designer, you shouldn’t only have the eyes and the talent to build an aesthetically pleasing website, but also the intention to rev up your digital marketing efforts. Freelancing is a liberating career when you understand the dynamics of your industry. You don’t want to miss the opportunities you can get from digital marketing with its recent demand because when paired with web designing, the two industries are unstoppable.

Wherever you think your interests in entrepreneurship may lead you —  whether to offer additional marketing services or to simply boost your knowledge about it —  the following is your essential guide to get started.

Here are 4 ways web designers can use digital marketing to find more clients:

1. Understand digital marketing
2. Build your personal brand
3. Have a plan of action
4. Get on your networking game

1. Understand digital marketing

One of the mistakes most designers make in digital marketing is that they let their inner artist take over. The industry doesn’t just require a creative eye, but the employment of strategic marketing techniques as well. Digital marketing involves SEO. It is the technique of drawing attention to services and products in the form of social media, content, emails, and graphics. It takes a perfect balance between web designing and digital marketing strategy in order to succeed. You need to:

• Start writing SEO-friendly content to your website and blog
• Understand your traffic using Google Analytics
• Sign up for social media to establish brand identity
• Use a scheduler such as Hootsuite to post content
• Get creative with your email marketing efforts

There are many things to learn in digital marketing, but it’s no reason to get overwhelmed. You’ll continue to increase your proficiency as you scale up, hone your skills, and increase your knowledge. Never stop learning.

2. Build your personal brand

There are two types of freelancers: one who is actively pursuing clients or looking through a job listing for traditional employment; and one who is being pursued by clients and potential employers wanting to hire them. To be the latter one, you have to sell yourself properly by remembering these tips:

Create a portfolio/website

If you don’t have one yet, there are many sites and tools that can be very helpful in building your personal brand. The most conventional platform is WordPress which allows you to use SEO-friendly plugins like YOAST. Be careful in choosing your hosting service, as you’ll want to trust them to keep your portfolio site safe and speedy.

Start a blog

Bring traffic to your website by adding a blog that is rich with information. Not only will you serve as a helpful outlet to others, but it shows your potential clients your mastery in your craft. Additionally, search engines love fresh content they can index, which gives you a winning-advantage compared to the competition.

Have social media presence

Improve your brand identity and build awareness using social media platforms. You can establish a voice behind your work using powerful posts like videos, graphics, and images that capture your audience’s attention. With the help of social media, you can connect with potential clients that are seeking your expertise.

3. Have a plan of action

Create a website that actually works

Prove to your clients that you can achieve their goals by creating awe-inspiring designs backed by responsive websites.

Prepare a script to win new clients

It’s easy to gain your current clients’ trust, especially if you’ve already worked for them as a web designer. But just in case you come across new clients who are interested in digital marketing services, you’ll want to keep a generic cold email script explaining your services. Make sure you are straightforward and easy to understand. Remember, you only have a few seconds to captivate your reader, so make sure to stand out.  Want an idea? Here’s a sample of a good script:

“Hi ____,

This is ____, and I saw your job posting on ____. I will be more than happy to help you out with your needs.

I am a web designer and have my own blog that you can visit at ____.com, and I also manage my own social media sites such as ____,____, and ____, where I have already grown a number of audiences.

I believe I am a good fit for your needs because I have experience in web design and advanced digital marketing skills like you mentioned in your ad. I use platforms such as ____, ____, and ____.

I look forward to hearing back from you soon. Thanks!”

Construct an interesting proposal

Pitch a stunning proposal to your leads that is easy to understand and will catch their attention at the same time. Include the following to your proposal: overview, the scope of your services, timeframe, case study, budget, contract, and a little about yourself. This is only a sample list of what you might include in your proposal, but it’s totally up to you if you want to add more!

4. Get on your networking game

Getting started is one of the most challenging tasks dealt by freelancers. The question boils down to “how do you let people know about your business?” Networking can get you there. “Be real, be relevant, and build relationships. ” You can do these by reaching out to your personal network and asking if they know someone appropriate. You can also:

• Go to local networking events
• Join a Facebook Group appropriate to your niche
• Attend a fundraiser
• Participate in local events
• Spend time networking on social media

Internet usage has skyrocketed its numbers across the world. As a result, there is an increased demand for digital marketing professionals and companies. Simply put, there are more businesses that need individuals who have digital marketing skills. The more you know about the industry, the more advantage you have over your competition.

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Want more marketing tips? You might like these articles: 

• A guide to content marketing for web designers
• How to use email marketing to grow your design business
• 5 of the best ways to establish a successful content marketing strategy