To build a brand worthy of remark as a graphic designer, you should be actively participating in your niche online. One of the easiest and best ways to start is by posting comments on blogs and forums relevant to your area of expertise, and share original, on-brand media you’ve created wherever members of your niche hang out. You will soon find people thinking of you as a passionate and valued member of the community.
The following ten blogs are excellent resources to post comments on and interact with on a regular basis:
- http://graphicdesign.about.com/
- http://www.designer-daily.com/
- http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/
- http://www.youthedesigner.com/
- http://www.septemberindustry.co.uk/blog/
- http://justcreativedesign.com/
- http://www.positivespaceblog.com/
- http://www.crazyleafdesign.com/blog/
- http://outlawdesignblog.com/
- http://veerle.duoh.com/
The following six forums are great resources to share your thoughts and media with others:
- http://www.graphicdesignforum.com
- http://forum.howdesign.com/
- http://www.allgraphicdesign.com/phpBB2/
- http://www.yourdesignforums.com/
- http://graphicdesign.about.com/mpboards.htm
- http://www.estetica-design-forum.com/
Remember to always include the following brand-builders whenever you post on a blog or forum:
1. The full name you want people to find you with in search engines. If your name is John Doe, it will be nearly impossible to make it to the first page of Google results for “John Doe.” So make sure you figure out the exact term you want to be found under when people search for you online. (Read our post, 5 Tips to Rank Highly on Google and Increase Your Visibility Online, to learn how to most effectively choose the term you brand yourself with online).
2. A link to your personal website or blog. Google counts a link from one site to another as a “vote” for that site. Sites with the most votes end up highest in search results. So, the more sites that link to the places you exist online, the higher your name will show up in results when someone Googles your name. Every time you post on a blog or forum, you should be leaving a link back to your “home base” site (which ideally contains your full portfolio) to boost its rank in Google results.
3. An eight-words-or-less description of your brand. Who are you, what do you do best and for what audience? Consistently leaving this short description with every comment builds brand awareness and associates you with your unique promise of value.
4. Optional: Your email address. If someone wants to get in touch with you, make it easy for them. Include your email address when you post comments to keep yourself open to as many opportunities as possible.
Know of any sites we missed? Submit a comment below if you know of any other blogs, forums or resources for graphic designers we missed. There’s no way we could include them all, so join the discussion and tell us about your favorite sites for graphic designers!
- Author: Pete Kistler
