What if you could make money by selling Facebook banners or by creating logos for small businesses? For graphic designers, creating digital and other types of media is a way to make a living. Whether you are interested in making some extra money to cover expenses or need to replace your current job, selling graphic design services can be profitable.
What Do Graphic Design Services Include?
Graphic design services can include a variety of offers such as web design, digital media, logos, signs, advertisements and print collateral. Corporations and businesses usually need a variety of design services like branding, editorial, ads, packaging and communication. For instance, a company may need help designing their website, putting together a magazine or creating a unique package for their products.
If you look at a popular job-posting website like Indeed, you will see more than 8,000 ads for graphic designers from entry level to senior level. However, you do not have to work for a large corporation to make money as a graphic designer. Many small businesses, solopreneurs and entrepreneurs are looking for design help.
Experience and Background
According to Maryville University, having a bachelor’s degree in digital media increases your chances of landing a higher-paying position with salaries between $81,000 and $112,000. Showing employers that you have the skills and necessary background to do graphic design is important. As technology expands, more companies are looking for experienced designers who can handle different software programs.
It is important to keep in mind that most graphic design services today focus on digital media. This means that paper and print are in the minority. The people who hire designers expect them to know how to use technology on a high level.
Should You Specialize?
Creative professionals who offer graphic design services often specialize in a particular niche. From social media images to business cards, graphic designers can choose specific areas that they want to pursue. For example, you may want to focus on creating social media images or helping businesses with their branding.
Not everyone chooses to specialize, and some prefer to stay as generalists. This means they are comfortable doing design work in a variety of things. Whether you decide to choose to be a specialist or a generalist, keep in mind that both categories can find success.
Portfolio Creation
One of the most important tasks you will have as you start to sell your graphic design services is portfolio creation. A portfolio allows you to showcase your work, so clients will want to hire you. You can create one in multiple ways, such as designing your own website to hold samples of your work.
Another option is to sign up for a popular portfolio website like Behance. You can create a profile and upload your projects like images, videos and other items. Some of the benefits of using an online portfolio site include being able to see the number of people who viewed your work, having a unique URL for each project and tracking appreciation or kudos.
Websites like Behance allow people to discover your work. Curators on the site pick the best portfolios and feature them. In addition, the search feature lets potential clients find and reach out to you based on what they are looking for in a hire.
Finding Graphic Design Work
When you are first starting out, it may seem as if there are few jobs available, but the key is to know where to look for work. Beyond the large job posting websites and career sites, there are communities of graphic designers that serve as a pool for companies that need help.
For example, a job opportunity website like Coroflot helps companies connect with creative professionals. Unlike larger websites that have jobs for every field ranging from medicine to engineering, Coroflot focuses on designers specifically. You can create custom job alerts to narrow down searches, upload your projects and look for matching jobs.
You can also sell your work on websites like Creative Market, ThemeForest and others. These websites offer buyers a large selection of graphic design work from stock images to special fonts. Essentially, they are huge online marketplaces for designers to sell their work and a good way to generate passive income.
Keep in mind that networking, word of mouth and business referrals are always helpful in a job search. Tell everyone you know that you are doing graphic design work. Network with other designers and find out if they have overflow work they can share. Make sure you always ask for referrals and pay attention to people who are always hiring.
Selling your graphic design services can be a fun way to generate income. From a full-time job to a part-time side hustle, this career move can help you blend business with creativity and art.
