Thu, Jul, 2022 
This article was originally published on June 27, 2022
Researching the cost per hour in different sectors in Central Europe, for instance in Poland, I notice an exciting factor. The price for programmers and developers is increasing dramatically. The gap creates, in fact, a considerable distance between many jobs and those linked to programming. What’s more, hen I compare photography and design, the gap is even more significant. Let’s focus on the situation in Poland. Some junior developers with some specialisation in a cutting-edge programming language are getting at least €50 per hour. Junior designers – on the other hand – are earning €15 per hour. As a result, we are talking about a difference of 3-4 times higher wage.
That reality shows us how the market appreciates some sectors more than others. Indeed, photography and design are super-competitive fields and the road to an abover-average income is long. Even photographers and designers with long-term experience could face challenges. Some of them have regular projects, thanks to the recommendation from others. At the end, when they try to go beyond and grow up, they realise the journey is quite complicated.
In this series of new articles, we will share the best marketing strategies for photographers and designers. Therefore, we will discuss some good tips and tools to implement in terms of marketing strategy to make your passion a machine to generate new leads and projects. In this first article you will find out about two ways to make your work spotlighted and take advantage of other less-conventional and oversaturated platforms, for instance Instagram. First, let’s explain Behance.
Behance is the go-to platform for all designers wanting to reach recruiters and creative clients. This online network lets creative professionals share their best design skills and showcase their creative imagination. Powered by Adobe, it is used by some of the biggest design companies in the world to recruit quality talent. By putting your work on Behance, you can quickly become visible to employers and prospective clients.
Personally, in my professional life, when I have required the services of a designer (no matter what type of design), one of the first steps I take is to verify if the designer has a Behance page. Some of my colleagues and I believe that Behance creates a more equal and clean interface to navigate between projects and check if the quality is good.
As you may know, Behance allows users to navigate filtering types of tools and areas of experience where designers would have more projects. Differently from Instagram or Pinterest, Behance, in contrast, is designed only for designers and photographers. As a result, they showcase their best works. It is even better than checking only designers’ portfolios because sometimes they can create unique websites that can surprise others. That being said, they might not have a lot of experience or content. That’s why, Behance is an equal platform for everybody.
How to take advantage of this tool for your marketing strategy? Here are five valuable tips:
1. Focus on quality, not quantity
Some believe that the more projects to show, the better. On the contrary. We have said that Behance focuses on quality and technical skills. What’s more, if you add all your projects on the platform, including the ones that are less successful, your next client can jump to the conclusion that your work can vary in terms of quality.
In fact, it is better to showcase only your best photoshoots or design projects. That simple tip will help you to engage your leads and convince them that you can meet their expectations. Ask your friends or colleagues which projects are the best, do a quick survey and upload them.
2. Add tags to your projects
It’s simple but truly tricky. Think in which tags your project could be defined, and choose the skills, software, and topics that could influence a potential client’s search. Choose the most popular keywords. If you are unsure, find similar projects and check how they were tagged.
3. Include short storytelling
Indeed, some people prefer images to words. However, a quick description or a couple of sentences that help users understand your project better could help. In fact, you don’t need to write long paragraphs, just a few words that tell a short story behind your project. Behance is not only about uploading photos, it is an excellent platform to explain why you are a good artist. If you are not sure what to include, think about four questions you will find below:
4. Join galleries
One fascinating feature of Behance is to join ‘private’ galleries where users can find specific topics or skilled designers. Some of them need permission and have some basic requirements. I advise you to surf between galleries, check which ones could be more fitting to be invited to and submit your request. Afterward, you can find the top clients there.
5. Add the Behance icon to all your marketing materials
Many clients are aware of the importance of Behance. For some of them, it is more crucial that you have a Behance page than a Facebook page. Besides, some design studios even avoid having a Facebook page and focus on new platforms to advertise. Include the Behance icon and its link to your page to gain credibility with your community, leads and current clients.
Social media platforms are evolving super fast. Instagram is not the best option for many artists, and they are looking for new solutions. Behance is one of them, and I suggest you keep navigating what others are doing there every week. Behance has grown up significantly over the last five years. The support from Adobe makes it a reliable platform with the possibility to make big leaps in the coming years. Manage your account well – it could make you the king of the jungle!
