October was so slow. Why is nobody calling? Am I going to get new customers? This is so frustrating — I need to get more business!Â
Sound familiar? If you’re in that boat, today’s video article is for you.
7 Places Where Clients Find You
If you are struggling to find customers and stay busy right now, there is an answer. That’s what we’re going to talk about today. I’m going to show you guys where to find new customers and how to get more traffic.Â
To be honest, these aren’t areas that I’ve always been the best at. I have slacked in the past, but now that I am reaching another level with my business, I need to step up my game.
So, today I’m going to cover the 7 areas to drive traffic back to your business. Let’s get right into it!
1. Your Website
First up is your website. This might sound simple, but a lot of web designers and creatives don’t have a website. If you don’t have one, you need to build one.Â
There are good sides to websites, and there are bad sides. One of those bad sides is that it takes a lot of time and effort to create content people want to read and consume. It also takes some investment for your website to show up on Google searches.
You’re going to have to invest money in all different aspects of your website, including a web designer. If you’re an artist or creative who needs a website designer, go to Instagraphics Pro Network. It’s a great place to make connections.
One of the good things about a website is that if you position it correctly and make those investments, you can bring more traffic to your business. And you can turn that traffic into customers. Your own website also gives you more control than other platforms.
2. LinkedIn
That brings me to number 2, LinkedIn. This is the second most powerful platform for graphic designers, web designers, and motion designers.Â
LinkedIn is seriously underrated. Unfortunately, a lot of people are using it the wrong way. They’re spamming it, instead of implementing strategies. That’s why they eventually give up.
The truth is, all the business owners, decision-makers, and everybody you want to get to without gatekeepers is there. LinkedIn is huge. I get clients every single week that are contacting me. And I’m automatically funneling people from my LinkedIn to my Facebook group as well.
The key to LinkedIn is building real relationships. You need to have a genuine interest in a person and start real conversations, instead of just sending spam. LinkedIn groups is another helpful resource, where you can get involved in networking groups full of people in your industry.
You can take advantage of these resources by adding value to a group. Use your knowledge and portfolio to provide value and help other people.
3. Facebook
Facebook is another popular platform. Now, we know the downside of Facebook is that it’s so crowded. Everybody is on Facebook. It’s a noisy place, filled with distractions, and it’s a very difficult place to get a conversion.Â
If you want to use Facebook to find clients, my recommendation is to use Facebook Groups. Again, connect with people in your field and build authentic relationships. Try to add value.
If you see someone asking a question in your group, chime in with your knowledge or recommendation to help them out. That’s how you build those authentic relationships and really connect with new clients.
4. Instagram
Now, let’s talk about the ‘Gram. Instagram is also owned by Facebook. It’s a great tool, and an awesome place to showcase your work and grow your audience using hashtags.
One area I personally struggle with is using hashtags, reels, and all the other tools Instagram has to offer. This platform can feel really daunting. You need to invest a lot of time and effort, so I can see why a lot of people choose to stay away from it, but it is a very powerful tool.
There is no better platform out there, as far as I’m concerned, for a graphic designer to showcase the quality of their work. If you focus on showcasing your work and using the right hashtags, you’ll be able to bring in traffic through Instagram.
Make sure you put a link in your Instagram bio to your website or whatever site you want to funnel traffic to.
5. YouTube
This next one is very important, and the reason I’m here today. YouTube is a powerful search engine, just like Google. It is a powerful, powerful tool to help you reach a bigger audience with videos.Â
YouTube allows you to showcase your personality, build connections, share your emotions, and connect with people. It’s also a great way to add value. The trick is to dominate a certain keyword. Maybe that keyword is graphic design training, or the business of design; something along those lines.
If you’re a graphic designer and you want to showcase your work, you can take screen recordings of your work and upload them to YouTube. Then you’re going to be seen as an expert in your field. People love watching those visual elements to see what you’re doing.
6. Email
The next one is email. Personally, email isn’t my favorite platform. It’s not my strategy, but it does work. It’s highly effective for many businesses. A lot of the people on my team love using email to connect.Â
The downside to using email is that it’s time-consuming. The upside is that it’s cheap. You don’t have to pay unless you want to buy an email list, which I don’t recommend. I feel like you should create value in the marketplace and then drive traffic to sign up for your emails.
That way, it’s all warm traffic. You won’t have to send cold emails and spam people.
7. Google
Number 7 is another big one: Google and Google My Business.Â
I use Google every single day. It allows me to upload geotagged photos, fill in all my services, and use geographical keywords. Google My Business is a great tool to rank in your area and increase your visibility.
To make the most of this platform, make sure you have all the categories that you possibly can. Respond to all your reviews, and actively seek reviews.
These are all important elements of Google. If you can rank at the top of Google searches, you’re going to see a significant amount of traffic come to your website.
Bonus: Craigslist
Now for the bonus: number 8 is Craigslist. Believe it or not, Craigslist is still one of the most popular sites on the internet. There is a ton of traffic to be found there.Â
When I had my printing company, Craigslist is what helped me explode my business, along with word of mouth.
The downside is that these are low-quality leads. You aren’t going to find big corporations, but small, hungry businesses. People who need someone to help them and are desperate for an expert.
So, if you’re in the beginning stages of your business, Craigslist is a great place to get in front of people. You just have to remember that the quality isn’t as high.
Remember: Have An Irresistible Offer!
There you have it: 8 places to bring in more traffic. I hope this helped you out. You should be able to go out there and generate traffic, but keep this in mind: you’ve got to have a great offer.Â
Focus on creating an irresistible offer and make sure you’re doing something that’s authentic to you. Don’t just copy somebody else.
Thanks so much for tuning in, and as always, keep looking up.