5 Free & Effective Ways to Market Creative Services
by Kelsey Arrington on Sep 08, 2022 If you’re looking for ways to reach potential customers, catch the eye of employers, or network with other professionals; marketing is vital. Not sure where to begin? No worries! This post reviews ways to reach your target audience without spending a penny.
Key Takeaways
- Don’t underestimate the power of email marketing platforms or free tools such as Google listings.
- Podcasts or blogs can be used to communicate with one’s own followers and attract more.
- Online magazines and other design-focused publications can help you promote your creative work and get noticed by potential clients and employers.
Use email marketing to communicate with clients.
Whether you’re creating a marketing strategy or just looking for creative ways to engage with your existing customers, keep email marketing campaigns in mind. Email marketing platforms such as Mailchimp offer professionals free tools to promote their products or services and share valuable information with their audience.
Think about it for a moment. Email marketing actually has a plethora of uses. It can be a way for an artist, designer, or developer to:
- Show off their brand or company’s personality
- Engage with loyal customers
- Attract potential clients through sign-ups
- Introduce customer loyalty programs
- Convert potential customers into paying customers
- Promote social media channels or push traffic to their website
Start a blog or a podcast to share valuable information.
Do you want to expand your business and create more marketing opportunities in the process? Consider starting a blog or a podcast in your spare time! If you’re not certain where to begin, look at other blogs run by creative professionals to get an idea of the type of content you could explore. For those who want to use the power of their voice to present information via a podcast, get inspired by subscribing to industry experts and other art, design, or web development practitioners with podcasts of their own.
Starting a blog or podcast can help a creative professional:
- Join the ranks of industry leaders discussing relevant topics
- Expand their reach beyond current customers
- Connect with their target audience on a personal level
- Promote a new service or one’s own website
- Interview colleagues with likeminded creative interests
- Create quality content to share industry information
Create a Google business profile to expand your reach.
Working on search engine optimization? One way to appear higher in search engine results is to create a Google business profile. When it comes to free tools, this one may be the most beneficial for getting your business to show up in Google search results and attracting more customers.
With a Google business profile professionals can:
- Communicate relevant business information such as the business name, hours of operation for brick and mortar places, booking instructions, and service offerings
- Show products on your Google listing – which can be especially helpful for creative individuals who sell prints or merchandise in addition to offering design services
- Aggregate business reviews to give potential customers an overview of how your product or service has been received in the past
Network with other professionals in your area to connect with like-minded people.
There are plenty of ways to market your product or service. One way to do so is to network and develop relationships with other professionals in your local area. This can be done by frequenting a small business that throws events, social networking, attending meetups with like-minded individuals, or attending other industry-relevant activities that don’t require an admission fee.
Artists, designers, and developers can find free and low-cost local networking opportunities on the following platforms:
- Eventbrite
- Meetup
- Event pages on social media platforms such as Facebook
Just remember to bring your marketing materials to all in-person events – you never know who you’ll meet! Your next client or creative collaboration could be awaiting you.
Submit to an online magazine, art and design blog, or social media accounts geared towards promoting creative folks.
One way to reach your targeted audience and get eyes on your work is to submit to magazines, blogs, and other publications. Not only is this a way to attract potential clients who are interested in your line of work, but it can also be one of many free ways to market one’s talents, connect with industry experts, and even attract employers.
Wondering where to submit your work? If you’re an artist, designer, or creative professional, the following blogs may appeal to you: