00:05.36
Preston Lee
All right clay so I actually have a matter that got here across ah via email today and ah, it’s from Oliver Gray he says I got here across your website through watching a video. On the Youtube channel To start with, thanks a lot for watching Oliver we’ll link to our Youtube channel within the in the outline of this episode. But Oliver says I’m a contract social media graphic designer and I’m on the lookout for assistance on the right way to effectively create a graphic design portfolio after which go on to achieve and retain clients. So for me, it looks as if a really um, basic query. But but possibly something that loads of brand recent freelancers are wondering and it’s like look I do a bit little bit of freelancing I actually don’t know where to start out to construct a very good portfolio so I desired to ask you today Clay.
00:42.41
Clay Mosley
Ah.
00:54.57
Preston Lee
What are some elements in your mind. What involves mind immediately whenever you say elements of a of a successful freelance portfolio and and Oliver’s a graphic designer. But I believe a few of these elements will apply to writers marketers developers whatever but what are elements of a very good portfolio.
01:13.20
Clay Mosley
Um, so I can consider a pair things 1 is one is ah you wish to make certain to have a I suppose this that is all relative to what you are promoting right? So like should you’re already. If what you are promoting is already in a distinct segment or area of interest just ensuring your portfolio reflects that? Um, but not. But but along with that ensuring to have a wide range of different like styles because.
01:50.20
Clay Mosley
Each company has a unique brand Personality. So I’d actually say like because one among the primary things that ah from small business owners on the subject of outsourcing their social media. Ah. Whether it’s graphics or posting. Whatever is that they wish to make certain it’s on Brand. That’s the largest thing at the identical time They don’t want to do this shit themselves right? So I believe in case your portfolio can reflect like actually.
02:12.69
Preston Lee
Yeah,, that’s good point. Right.
02:27.50
Clay Mosley
Not not identical to a set of graphics right? That’s superb, but what I’d do is I’d actually create a graphic after which next to it explain? Okay, here’s this company here’s here’s their brand and their brand voice and personality. Because of this I got here up with this variety of graphic.
02:46.48
Preston Lee
I Love that I believe so often particularly graphic designers. But I’ve seen writers do that too often. We fall victim to gallery syndrome right? Where we we identical to oh man like I hate the portfolios that you just go to and.
02:46.95
Clay Mosley
To reflect that.
02:57.75
Clay Mosley
Yes.
03:05.24
Preston Lee
Front page. It would look super cool to a designer right? however it’s identical to square thumbnails of one million projects and and it’s like there’s no information. There’s no value. Add , no explanation of the worth that you just added to your client’s business or anything like that. It’s just.
03:11.86
Clay Mosley
Ah.
03:22.71
Preston Lee
Thumbnails and also you click on it. It gives you want a bit light box and also you see it larger and there’s no information and it’s like clients care what it looks like yes, but they’re not hiring a superb artist right? They’re hiring.
03:27.98
Clay Mosley
Yep.
03:33.17
Clay Mosley
Um, right.
03:35.80
Preston Lee
On this case, they’re hiring a graphic designer or same with a author like I’ve seen so many writers portfolios where it’s identical to a link to the article linked to the article include include my advice all the time is like make each kind of a mini case study I’d reasonably you’ve got like 3 to five great mini case studies than 100.
03:42.66
Clay Mosley
Yep.
03:52.68
Clay Mosley
Yeah, yeah, you don’t need 100 you. You simply need 3 to five like 10 on the max. Um, and it’s yeah I agree with you. It’s I believe it’s the difference between.
03:55.25
Preston Lee
Images with no information attached. No no yeah.
04:08.86
Clay Mosley
Ah, technician who knows the right way to use a so a graphic design software and make stuff pretty versus an actual brand and graphic design consultant.
04:19.23
Preston Lee
Yes, yeah, we’ve talked about this in an episode called. You’re an authority charge for it or something like that. We should always really number our episode so I can say like an episode 127 but we haven’t done that however it could be great. Ah, but yeah, it’s like chart you’re an authority charge for it or something because.
04:23.95
Clay Mosley
Because.
04:29.86
Clay Mosley
Um, ah.
04:36.69
Preston Lee
What you wish to show them is you possibly can do greater than just especially oh man, you consider in design and writing especially with Ai coming on the scene you wish to give you the option to point out that you would be able to solve those problems a lot better than , an Ai designer can.
04:46.56
Clay Mosley
Yep. Um, then a I Yep yeah and it’s ah ah what I used to be going to say is there. There’s one other on I’d hate to love.
04:55.80
Preston Lee
Um, yeah.
05:09.30
Clay Mosley
And the graphic design world. There’s there’s folks that understand how like each one among them know they know the right way to use the software right? But not everyone knows the right way to do the consulting the branding side of things right? The creative. Um, and I hate to say it. But.
05:14.95
Preston Lee
Yeah, right.
05:24.32
Preston Lee
Yep.
05:28.66
Clay Mosley
Where and that is just from my experience. Sorry I don’t mean offense if any if that is any Pi listening but these graphic designers that lack that that branding consulting like type of ah skill set they go to sign corporations.
05:46.00
Clay Mosley
That’s where they work.
05:46.53
Preston Lee
Yeah, we used to call these production designers I’m I’m sure that’s still a term that’s used right? It’s identical to it’s like that your employer actually doesn’t or or your client actually doesn’t want you to think through any of the strategy.
05:49.51
Clay Mosley
Yeah production designers. Yeah.
05:58.95
Clay Mosley
This.
06:01.23
Preston Lee
They’ve already hired and paid another person way greater than you to think through it and so they just want you to love move some pixels around and and I believe that’s going to go away right because Ai bots are going to give you the option to do it. Um.
06:09.10
Clay Mosley
Um, yep, yep.
06:14.56
Preston Lee
They’re going to give you the option to have a look at 1 thing that has all of your branding on it and so they’re going to give you the option to design 100 things that look identical to it or which might be meaning that match the branding um way way faster. Yes, way faster than you possibly can. Yeah.
06:21.70
Clay Mosley
Oh yeah, with a single prompt but what what was the did he ask like the right way to market himself.
06:31.60
Preston Lee
He did say like I would like to construct a very good portfolio after which use it to achieve and retain clients. In order that’s that’s definitely value discussing.
06:40.13
Clay Mosley
Yeah, there’s there’s just 1 thing that like an idea I got here across this graphic designers Instagram I don’t remember the handle but she’s ah she’s a logo designer and all her Instagram feed is.
06:58.50
Clay Mosley
Is she takes skilled sports teams logos and revamps them for content and so they are so a lot better than the actual real logos and in any case it caught on and she or he has like.
07:05.32
Preston Lee
Oh interesting.
07:17.48
Clay Mosley
I Swear that is how she makes money now she doesn’t make cash off logos. She makes money off of being an influencer now and so in any case I used to be considering that like if if it’s good to construct up like a quote unquote portfolio or you only use it for social content I’d still do the case studies.
07:21.31
Preston Lee
Yeah.
07:34.92
Clay Mosley
And have those as evergreen content in your website. Um, but like so far as social content this actually is perhaps a reasonably fun thing to do I’m not I’m not saying do sports teams but like pick some brands like really well-known brands and just see what you possibly can do and say hey.
07:49.34
Preston Lee
Yeah.
07:54.83
Clay Mosley
This particular brand. Possibly it’s like I don’t know Goal or Mcdonald’s or whoever ah Gucci and and and do like you possibly can do a bit case. Study is hey based off their personality and like who they cater to.
08:00.74
Preston Lee
Um, yeah.
08:11.53
Clay Mosley
That is the way in which I’d create a social post or a social graphic and you may.
08:13.65
Preston Lee
Yeah, yeah, and even like I believe it’d be cool to take like so you discover clients that will type of be in your target market like Goal may not be in your target market right? but you discover.
08:24.91
Clay Mosley
Right.
08:29.70
Preston Lee
And you discover like really bad social graphics that they’ve shared identical to poorly designed poor messaging good and then you definately and then you definately show how you’ll fix it. Um and show the entire process. There’s this Youtuber I I can’t remember his name. We’re doing a extremely bad job promoting our fellow ah creatives and entrepreneurs here. But.
08:35.12
Clay Mosley
Um, oh that’s a very good idea.
08:48.26
Preston Lee
Um, there’s this Youtuber who redesigns packaging for ah like he’ll redesign like a cheetos bag or something and he on Youtube he shows the entire process like he screencasts it and he’s really entertaining and and interesting which goes to be critical here. But It’s fun to look at him like rebuild these items and so they often come out higher than the unique right? So kind of this very similar. Yeah, very similar thing just getting loads of attention because now these 2 people we’ve talked concerning the the brand designer the package designer they will probably get nearly any client they need in a certain target market right? like.
09:08.21
Clay Mosley
Me here.
09:22.65
Clay Mosley
Oh obviously.
09:25.16
Preston Lee
You understand when when you’ve got one million Youtube subscribers or whatever. Um, there’s a certain. There’s a certain quantity of clout and confidence that comes with that and you possibly can then charge more you possibly can you possibly can say no to more clients you possibly can get the sorts of clients that you just want so I’d add to I’d add to that I believe that may be a incredible. Um.
09:34.27
Clay Mosley
Um, yeah, yeah.
09:44.51
Preston Lee
Little segment there I’d add to that coming back to the portfolio piece too many freelancers construct their portfolio and don’t think through just like the the flow that results in the decision to motion that results in the conversion right? So coming back to love this gallery syndrome. They simply have a gallery and possibly like a contact.
09:57.45
Clay Mosley
Ah.
10:01.89
Preston Lee
Link at the highest. It just says contact or whatever and I just think you possibly can be a lot smarter about possibly making a chat widget or possibly making ah ah, a extremely great contact page that actually sells them.
10:02.40
Clay Mosley
Who.
10:15.69
Preston Lee
Um, making it super easy like not I hate portfolios that they ask you 300 questions before you possibly can actually submit. You’re on the contact form like what’s your budget. What’s ? and.
10:23.39
Clay Mosley
Yeah.
10:26.70
Preston Lee
For those who know should you should you really have the issue that you’ve got too many my friend Ian Ian Padgett he’s a logo designer. He does legitimately have the issue that he gets too many requests and so he has to filter people out most of us don’t have that problem right? So unless you’ve got to filter them out. Don’t ask all those questions just get their contact information after which reach out to them. But I believe.
10:45.33
Clay Mosley
Yeah, yeah, ah on top of that one idea I’d I believe it’s value testing could totally backfire totally backfire So full Disclaimer um is.
10:46.23
Preston Lee
We don’t think through that flow enough .
11:02.60
Clay Mosley
In your portfolio. You possibly can put a put it like a a submission right? like ah ah like give me your email then like your website and your name and I’ll create 1 social graphic for you as a test right? as like a test run.
11:19.21
Preston Lee
That’s cool idea. Yeah.
11:22.56
Clay Mosley
Now This might totally backfire and also you get an entire bunch of individuals but I don’t think ah I just I just think in my head I wouldn’t enroll simply because I’m getting one without cost right? I don’t think I’d um me as ah as a possible buyer that’s not value it to me.
11:41.97
Preston Lee
Yeah, it’s more. It’s more to love see what the work could be than to simply get the 1 free graphics what you’re saying.
11:42.18
Clay Mosley
If You understand if I desired to like get a free graphic. Yeah yeah, and so yeah, so like I don’t think individuals are going to make the most of it. Um, and and here’s the the caveat is it’s free reign to you so people can’t just say hey I would like to free graphic. That’s specific to but this event that I’m running but blah blah I’m like okay that any person’s attempting to get a bunch of free work. So All you do is give like ask for name email website. That’s it and in order that way it’s free reign to you that way you’ve got full creative.
12:07.19
Preston Lee
Ah, yeah.
12:15.92
Clay Mosley
And what I like about that is that and loads of people might think well you’re spending a while actually doing this without cost and I take into consideration okay, you possibly can either do that without cost. Um and get an entire bunch of leads right? and spending a while on it.
12:30.51
Preston Lee
Naha aha.
12:31.91
Clay Mosley
But should you take into consideration the fee per acquisition to achieve an actual client should you don’t do it this fashion. You understand it actually cost you. It may cost a little you quite a bit greater than than one the time to create one free graphic. You understand what I mean does that make sense.
12:46.46
Preston Lee
Yeah, particularly should you’re really good at it. Um, and really fast at it and and I believe yeah I believe I agree with you so often we’re so repulsed by the thought of free work that we identical to say no free work. Irrespective of what but free work will be an ideal solution to get your foot within the door with someone.
12:57.60
Clay Mosley
Is I.
13:03.16
Preston Lee
You understand what we’re like coming back to this social content piece Imagine should you put this all together. Someone visits your portfolio they like your work. They enroll for this free graphic you then record yourself or document yourself by some means creating this free graphic you post that to social that goes out to more people and so they come back and order their free graphic.
13:15.38
Clay Mosley
Um, ah yes.
13:22.72
Preston Lee
Mean why you send this client and and also you’re sending 20 free graphics per week which is actually not that many let’s say it takes you a half hour you’ve got content at the identical time you were going to do the content anyway, right? So like so now unexpectedly you’re you’re sending out yeah content on the one side.
13:28.44
Clay Mosley
But you’ve got content at the identical time. Um.
13:40.93
Clay Mosley
You’re you’re constructing your you’re constructing your list at the identical time. Yep, that’s a very good idea I believe’s value’re testing.
13:40.98
Preston Lee
Nurturing leads on the opposite side you’re constructing your email list. Yeah yeah, absolutely Oliver and it is best to try that and it is best to allow us to understand how it goes because we expect we’re. We’re really smart.
13:57.69
Preston Lee
Ah, no, but seriously like that’s something I’d totally do I believe I believe it makes loads of sense particularly should you really need to do this content piece and if after which who doesn’t wish to grow their list and grow their leads. So awesome. Oh.
14:07.23
Clay Mosley
Yep.
14:08.92
Preston Lee
Ah, Clay. Thanks a lot for taking the time today man I believe that’s been hopefully that’s been helpful. Oliver, thanks a lot for writing and if you wish to have your query answered on one among our q and a episodes like this you possibly can visit freelance tofounder.com/ask. We’d love to reply your query as best we are able to. And Clay mostly from gettripify.com I’ve been Preston with Millo.co. Thanks a lot. We’ll see ya.
14:27.82
Clay Mosley
See ah.