Advertising Campaigns?

Question

I'm helping a friend start a graphic design business. However, we are both having serious mental block for the first marketing campaign (yeh, not a good start). Are there any websites out there that show examples of various forms of advertisements, mailers, campaign ideas, etc.?

Answer 1

If there's any expense for a company you need to spend on, it's a book on marketing your company.

The web designer's website -- Sitepoint.com -- offers many materials to get a graphic designer on their feet. From the how-tos and the what-nots. Their material is specifically designed for this market, and the community can help you network -- very important in seeking more work and affiliating with other companies.

Whatever you do, start small and then work up. Build a reputation of meeting deadlines and producing work to a customer's specs. Your portfolio will wind up being your advertizing, so pay particular attention to it -- don't add unfinished or so-so examples, but the work that inspires, different and not some TemplateMonster knock off. That's marketing that no slick ads can buy. Quicker your rep increases, more work you will receive, and sometimes to the point no advertising is needed, as you're swamped (I know and have to hide sometimes to have a life. Too many graphic designers do that, because the demand is greater than who's available -- so word of warning, start small, and only accept what you can reasonably take in. Once the word is out that you do good artwork and site layouts, you'll be swamped with requests. It's hard work, and you'll never get paid by the hour, so pick projects carefully).

Answer 2

Why not just look at the world around you? What kind of "junk mail" do you get that advertises? What kind of ads come in the paper? What kind of ads do you see outside as you're driving or walking somewhere? What do you see in stores, at restaurants, etc? These would probably be good things to look at in regards to this.