Ready to build your personal brand? If you’re a freelancer or professional who is looking to elevate themselves online, you’ve come to the right place. Using some stunning graphic design in your communications could be a smart way to boost your brand fast.
Getting personal branding graphic design work done can be pricey. You may be on a small budget, which means that you likely can’t go through a marketing agency. If that’s the case, there are some cost-effective things you can try. Here’s what you need to know.
Part 1:
Try using a simple graphics tool
Let’s face it – the chances are you won’t know how to use Adobe Creative Suite. While you might have dabbled in InDesign or Photoshop in the past, learning to properly master these pieces of software takes skill, dedication and time.
It doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t want to waste your time messing around with high-end (not to mention, expensive!) software that you can’t fully use.
Of course, should you need a complex piece of work – such as a brand or print design work – the best course of action is to hire a graphic designer. Doing so will mean that you get high-quality work that has a professional finish.
For smaller, less significant graphics, though, you could use a simple online tool to do it yourself. Getting to grips with these tools shouldn’t take you too long. Here are four that you could try for free today:
Canva
Started back in 2012, Canva is one of the most popular free graphic design tools on the internet. You can quickly and easily create personal branding graphic design work on this site in a matter of minutes. What’s more, it’s completely user-friendly.
You can drag and drop your own imagery into the software, choose from illustrations and add text to any of your designs. As though that weren’t enough, the site also has a range of free templates, from which you can choose when you first get started. Neat.
Website: canva.com
Stencil
Similar to Canva, the Stencil website is mainly geared towards making imagery for social media and marketing purposes. If you’re looking for a way to boost your personal brand online, you might just have found it.
The graphics tool has a variety of quotes, stock images and templates that you can use at the click of a button. Again, you have the easy drag-and-drop functionality here, which means that you should pick up the basics instantly. You have to sign up and the free plan allows 10 designs per month.
Website: getstencil.com
Snappa
Snappa is another graphic design tool that you can use online. You can either use one of the numerous pre-built templates or input your own dimensions to get started. There’s a wide range of fonts from which to choose along with vector images that you can insert into your designs.
The free plan allows you to have five free downloads per month. If you want more, you need to pay a subscription! Finally, you can use the site to schedule your social media posts too, which means that the tool can be used for more than just designs.
Website: snappa.com
Visme
Visme is a great tool for creating any type of graphic design you might need. With templates for social media graphics, flyers, infographics, presentations, brochures, schedules, and more, you’ll have the tools to design anything.
You can dive into an intuitive dashboard to access thousands of photos, icons, shapes, data visualization tools, and so much more!
Website: visme.co
PicMonkey
If you don’t need to create a new design from scratch, PicMonkey could be the tool for you. You can use this online software to quickly resize an image or crop it. It doesn’t end there! There are loads of handy tools such as templates, free imagery and more.
Plus, if you want an extra level of accessibility, there’s also a smartphone app. The baseline subscription is £9 per month, which gives you 1GB of cloud storage too.
Website: picmonkey.com
[content_band bg_color=”#E8F6D2″ border=”all”] [container]By the way, did you know that T-shirts are also a great way to introduce yourself and your business? Printsome’s T-shirts are perfect for souvenirs, merchandise and staff uniforms, among many other possibilities. Visit our website to find out what we can do for you.[/container] [/content_band]Part 2:
Hire a graphic designer to design your personal brand
For more complicated and professional designs, you might want to hire a graphic designer. You may already have connections and be able to get a ‘mates rates’ deal. However, if you’re on a budget and don’t know anybody in the business, there are some other options.
Luckily, you can find many freelancing sites online where graphic designers offer their skills. Thanks to the competitive nature of these sites, you can often get a real bargain. Here are three places you can begin looking right now:
Freelancer
Posting a project on Freelancer takes less than a few minutes. You need to make sure that you have a brief ahead of time and that you are clear about what you want. Then, you simply click ‘post a project’ and get started.
You can choose whether you want to pay a fixed rate for your design or pay by the hour. Once the posting is live, freelancers can bid on your project by telling you how much they charge and what experience they have. All you have to do is choose a professional.
Website: freelancer.com
Fiverr
Using Fiverr couldn’t be easier. You just have to use the search bar to look for the type of service you want – e.g. ‘graphic design’ or ‘poster design’ – and then press search. You will then see a range of postings from professionals telling you what services they have to offer. You can get in touch with each designer through the site to arrange your project.
Website: fiverr.com
People Per Hour
Looking for a creative you can hire by the hour? Similar to Fiverr, the People Per Hour platform allows you to search for various professionals in seconds. Each designer lists their hourly rate and shows off some select pieces of work. You can sift through the listings and find the ideal person for your next project. Simple.
Website: peopleperhour.com
Part 3:
Tips for hiring a graphic designer
Looking for a professional to help you with some personal branding graphic design? When you use any of the above sites, you may need some tips. Getting the best quality designs for your money is absolutely key. With that in mind, check out these golden rules:
Craft an in-depth brief
Before you post a job or start talking to a professional, you need to work on your brief. Make sure that you are as clear as possible when describing what you want. You could also pick out some examples to show the designer what style you expect.
Read the site guidelines
Each of these websites has a range of rules and guidelines, especially when it comes to communicating with professionals and paying them. Often enough, you will find that you need to make the payment via the site. Make sure you know what to do ahead of time.
Beware of scams!
While there are many genuine professionals selling their services online, there are scammers out there as well. If a designer asks you to contact them directly or pay them upfront for work, you might want to be wary about using their services.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to get some personal branding graphic design work, it’s time to get started. Using either these online tools or hiring someone online could be the quickest way to get what you need. Be sure to shop around until you find a deal that works for you!
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