In order to attract clients and gain contracts for professional briefs, it is vital that you have an online presence. A digital portfolio is a must.
Your design blog needs to provide potential clients with examples of your work. It should also act as a one-stop shop that allows them to gain an understanding of your skills and experience and to get in touch with you.
Additionally, you should consider using social media to promote your work; you should have a presence on DeviantArt and Flickr, and you should also be using Twitter and Facebook to promote your services.
Some great examples of design blogs can be found here. The more professional and well-designed your blog looks, the better chance you have of attracting clients. Remember: your online portfolio is for professional purposes - people don't want to have to scroll through endless animated .gifs and lolcat images in order to find your work!
Make sure you stick to the following guidelines when making your design blog:
- Choose an appropriately professional name for your blog
- Use a header to make your blog more visually interesting - but remember, keep it simple!
- Think carefully about your choice of layout, fonts and colours - you are trying to show off your design skills!
- Make sure that it easy to find your contact information and get in touch with you
- Link your blog to your other online profiles (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, etc) using Gadgets
Good luck!
