Whether you are a freelancer or you work for a design agency, getting your name spread in the design community should be a top priority. A lot of doors can be opened with a just a little networking when using the right strategy to contact the top design bloggers.
An interview or feature on a top design blog with a large existing audience of your peers can be a major ingredient for success. Here is a list of the top 10 tips to get that design blog exposure and take you to the next level.
You may also want to check out this article on Arbent 10 No-No’s When Contacting a Blogger” the other half of the story.
1.) Direct E-mail
I had to list direct e-mail as the first option because it starts the introduction. It is the most forward and “to the point” way you can ask for exposure. However, direct e-mail alone is usually not enough. You need to perform a few of the remaining tips to earn some blog love.
2.) Get Involved
You know your Uncle Larry who only calls when he needs a favor? Yeah…you screen his calls for that reason. The same will happen in the design blog community if you haven’t spent time getting involved first. It’s so easy to do. Just leave some comments on the blog and add to the conversation.
3.) Include a Link to Your Portfolio
When leaving those comments from Tip #2, always link back to your personal website or portfolio so the blogger and their community can check you out. If you’re good enough, your work will speak for itself. If you are e-mailing the blogger, always include links to your site or portfolio in the e-mail to give yourself added credibility.
4.) Provide Ideas
There are many days that bloggers wake up and bang their head against the wall for hours trying to figure out the next subject to write about. Lend them a hand and give them a good idea, and they are sure to return the favor.
5.) Promote the Blog
Submit an article from the blog to Design Bump or Design Float and let them know how much you enjoyed it. Flattery can go a long way.
6.) Offer an Exchange
Do you have something that they can benefit from? Maybe you have expertise in a subject that they don’t feel versed enough to write about. That is the perfect situation for a guest post. This is often one of the most lucrative scenarios for exposure.
7.) Provide a Giveaway
Bloggers love to give stuff away. Do you have some custom brushes or vector art that you don’t mind parting with? Offer it to them in conjunction with a contest they are doing or as a single post for linkbait.
8.) Do A Tutorial
Tutorials are so valuable right now that places like the Envato Network will pay you up to $150 for one. Design bloggers love tutorials because their audience craves them.
9.) Create a Blog
I shouldn’t have to list this one, but we are designers and not copywriters. You can get a tricked out WordPress blog that acts as your personal website, content management system and as your blog.
10.) Offer a Discount
The last one doesn’t apply in all situations, but if possible, give an exclusive discount. If you sell services or products, then you can almost always count on an exclusive promo code being published on a blog.
So what are you waiting for? It is time to get after it. Accomplish these 10 tips and I am sure that we’ll all be knowing your name soon in the design community.
Author of this post: youdesignit
Blake Poutra works for a company called You Design It where you can design t-shirts and maintains a t-shirt design blog. See all posts by: youdesignit
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Great guidelines, all very useful.
Great Post! I thingmo web design is complete if it doesn’t have clear naviation, readability of text and forms to contact
Blogging is one thing that I should be doing but I never have the time to “get” in to it. It’s ok when there is work coming in but during the quiet times you needed to have started doing something before it got quiet!
Great tips. I can see you follow these rules well. We use our blog to give a way a few tips now and again.
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Don’t give it all away. Though I’m sure you have some tricks still up your sleeve.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) was founded by Tim Berners-Lee after he left the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in October, 1994
I think submitting your site to hubs of design traffic and staying active in the community by writing a blog and commenting is very important.
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Great tips! Thank you for sharing this great list of ideas.
Very, very excellent list!
Thanks so much for this. I’ve only just begun going through the motion you’ve outlined here and for the most part I’m happy to say the results are encouraging. Direct email I’m yet to try. Excellent list Blake!
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Wow nice tips! like to put some of this good use.
Great tips – will have to remember these!
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I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don’t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Ruth
http://www.infrared-sauna-spot.info
so true, I also agree to You, Angie – commenting techniques, tutorials…and also StumbleUpon gives great design blog exposure.
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@Rishi
Go get after it and be the next big name….
@Karen
Sounds like you are headed on the right path. Good luck!
@Craig
Looks like you are practicing what you preach. :)
A very nice post here, most I have used, and I can vouch that they are worthy of doing, but I think participating in the community is a must, and can get you so much exposure to your blog/website, and not only that you build up a big relationship with people who could suggest you to people, so I think that is the most important one.
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I am glad I came across this article (via Freelance Folder btw), I am working hard to get my work noticed and just finished a redesign of my website, IslandDesignStudio.com. I am working on a blog targeting small business owners.
Thanks for the tips.
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Wow nice tips! like to put some of this good use.
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@ Antonio
Glad you liked them. Thanks!
@ Viv
Could you elaborate? I am not sure if you are for that or against it.
@ Angie
That means a lot coming from Arbenting. You guys produce high quality content at your site and as guests for so many others. Y’all must have figured out how to get more than 24 hours in a day. ;)
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Being active in the community is such a huge advantage. The design community is so open and friendly, I would highly recommend everyone at least get involved on twitter.
Tutorials and freebies would be second on my list of things that bring in traffic. Designers are always looking for good, quality freebies and tutorials.
And I’m always surprised at how many visitors I get from just replying on other designer’s blogs. More people than you would think follow those links.
Great tips overall, thanks!
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Instead of offering (great, detailed) tutorial on your low traffic website. try to sell it @ envato networks sites, and buy some good backlinks.
IMHO.
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This is a good summary, I try to take advantage of many of this tactics myself.
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