In this article we discuss How Graphic Designers Can Use Social Media to Build Their Personal Brand.
There are over 118,000 graphic designers employed in the U.S. right now. Add freelancers to this number, and it grows exponentially. We share this number to show that there’s a lot of competition out there.
So, standing out is critical for a successful graphic design career. Building a personal brand not only helps you stand out but also boosts your marketing efforts and keeps you on potential clients’ radars. Use social media to do it, and your personal brand becomes incredibly impactful.
Build your personal brand on social media with the practices below.
Table of Contents
Learn Your Ideal Audience
The first step you should take is to define and learn about your target audience. Who are you trying to reach on social media with your personal brand, and why? Understanding your audience is the only way to create content that resonates with them and helps you achieve your branding goals.
Write down details about your ideal audience. What’s their demographic information? Why would they need a graphic designer? How would they come across your brand? What social media channels do they frequent? What are their favorite types of content?
Learn your target audience to ensure your personal brand, actions, and content on social media attract them.
Understand How Your Personal Brand Intertwines with Your Professional Brand
Your story is your personal brand. It represents who you are, your core values, mission, and vision for life. But on the other hand, your professional brand is tied to your business, skillset, and what you offer customers.
As a graphic designer, your personal brand intertwines with your professional brand. Your audience needs to see what you do as a graphic designer and connect with the person behind the business. This is the most effective way to build brand awareness and establish your identity.
You should also consider designing separate pages on each social media platform to market your personal and professional brands.
Design a page for both
Sometimes, including both personal and business-related content on the same page can result in a cluttered look and feel that isn’t appealing to your target audience. It will require a little more effort, but consider designing a separate page for each on every social media platform.
Your personal brand page can showcase content that’s more intimate and expressive of who you are personally. For example, you could share “day in the life” videos. Or you could post images that inspire you or represent your vision and values.
Your page for your professional brand should be all things “business” and your graphic design talent. For example, you could use it as a sort of portfolio. Share work centered on in-demand skills or content businesses are on the hunt for, such as personalized, data-driven marketing content.
Separating your personal and professional brands on social media will allow you to spotlight both sides of yourself.
Use Multiple Social Media Channels
Everyone in your target audience won’t be on a single social media platform. Instead, people spread their social media presence across multiple platforms and have an average of almost nine social media accounts.
You may not be able to be on nine social media platforms. However, it’s a good idea to use multiple social platforms. Doing so ensures you connect with as much of your target audience as you can on the platforms they frequent most.
How to choose the most effective ones
Choosing the most effective social media channels comes down to a few things.
- Which platforms your target audience frequents
- How many platforms you can create high-quality content for
- How many platforms you can publish consistently on
If you can only create high-quality content and publish consistently on your target audience’s top platform, start there. If you can do it for the top three platforms, do that.
Build Authenticity
A solid personal brand requires authenticity. People can tell when you aren’t being genuine, and they won’t bother with your brand if it’s that way. Creating real relationships with the people in your audience and building a memorable brand requires genuineness.
Communicate honestly on social media. Be transparent about your business and who you are. Share personal stories that stir up an emotional connection and reaction in people. However, you can build authenticity and show the world the real you; do it.
Show Your Uniqueness
You can further your efforts to build authenticity by showing your uniqueness. There may be thousands of graphic designers out there, but none of them are you. Make your originality the crux of your personal brand and social media strategy.
Sharing your work in creative ways is an excellent place to start. For example, design your logo and make it your profile picture. Create time-lapse videos that show how a piece comes together from start to finish. Make slideshows of the work you’re most proud of. Display user-generated content from current and past clients.
Don’t forget to show your unique personality too.
Create a Professional Network
Creating your personal brand is only half the battle. The other half is promoting it. Marketing your personal brand on social media is integral to you becoming a known name in the industry. A solid professional network can be one of the best tools to get your name out there.
Use social media to build your professional network. Join graphic design-related groups to meet other graphic designers. Participate in groups that have the clients you’re targeting. Interact with and follow experts in the industry.
Also, consider hosting virtual and in-person events with the people you connect with on social media. For example, you could host a virtual happy hour for budding graphic design professionals. Or you could put together a workshop that potential clients would love.
Create a professional network and lean on the people in it to help you grow your personal brand.
Look For Opportunities
Aside from creating a professional network, you should also look for work opportunities on social media. The work you do is a massive part of your brand. The more quality work you do, the more praise you’ll receive, and the stronger your brand gets.
So, look for opportunities to do some graphic design work every week. Keep going after quality leads. Ask people in your social media groups to refer you to anyone looking for your expertise. Also, think about doing pro bono work to fill your portfolio faster.
How have you used social media to build your personal brand? Leave a note in the comments about your experience using social media to grow your personal brand and establish yourself in your industry.
Join The Logo Community
We hope this article about How Graphic Designers Can Use Social Media to Build Their Personal Brand has been helpful. If you would like more personal tips, advice, insights, and access to our community threads and other goodies, join me in our community. You can comment directly on posts and have a discussion.
*TIP – We use and recommend DesignCuts for all your fonts, mockups and design bundles.
