Making Over $36,000+ From A Self Promotional Newspaper.
Making Over $36,000+ From A Self Promotional Newspaper.
The self promotional piece that returned ~$36,000+ of work in 4+ months.
I wanted to share with you the self-promo project that I created at the beginning of 2016. At the time, I had just returned from a ~5 month hiatus traveling, I had hardly more than ~$2,000 to my name, and I had no work or network to lean on. This self promo peice was a last ditch effort to give the whole ‘freelance thing’ one last try. I’m beyond fortunate to say that it worked better than I had planned, and the success of that promo piece led me here, where I currently am, 4 years later.
Explained below was my process for creating and sending out my self promotional newspaper.
The Menu: what was the goal and process?
The goal was to get my work in front of agencies who's work and/or aesthetic aligned with mine (hand lettering or intentionally imperfect illustration.) To get my work in front of them, I created the following:8 page self promotional newspaper.Sent to 40 agencies around the country (mainly Denver/Boulder near where I live).Each mailer had a custom insert written directly to the individual sent.Mailed in custom envelope.
Appetizer: where did it start?
Research. I started by looking up ~40 of Denver and Boulder’s top creative agencies and studios. (and a few random ones around the country that I liked as well.)My criteria for selecting these agencies was find those who presented work that contained some aesthetic similarities as mine.I then went through their websites and LinkedIn’s and found the top creatives at the business (Creative Directors, CCOs, Marketing Directors, CMOs, or freelance talent managers).
Main Munch: what did I do with that research?
I designed and customized the newspaper mailer.
The newspaper was simple: cover, introduction, my face, 2 work spreads, and a closer. Let me break it down a bit more:
Cover: My goal was to convey that "I'm more than just a designer." I bring way more to the table than quality design, and I wanted that to come through.
Intro: This intro very intentionally conveyed my personality. In it, I said things like "I believe form should follow function, but I also believe artists should create beautiful shit just for the sake of creating beautiful shit." or, "I would love to be doing work for lifestyle, outdoors-focused and action sports brands, as well as drinking coffee 'till I'm clammy; although, if you have work for an intenerational financial instiutation and you only drink cups of tea, that's cool. I'm pretty easy going. I can get down with that too." I spent A LOT of time writing my intro and being sure that it was clear who I am, what I do, why they received this, and what I wanted to get out of this.
3 photos of me. Wanted to put a face to the name.
1 spread of black and white work. All but two pieces were personal projects (the two that weren't were some of the first hand lettering/branding freelance projects I ever did). The goal here was to show what I love to do: what I wanted to be hired to create.
1 spread of colored work. Same intentions as previous spread.
Outro: a simple "thank you" and my contact information.
I sent the newspaper shown herein addressed directly to the individual I selected from my research.
I had an individualized insert in each mailer, written directly to this person. Something like: “Hey, Macy, I was digging into [Agency Name’s] work, and I loved the approachability of [Project Name] achieved through the hand drawn style. I wanted to get show you what I’ve been up to…"
This was then placed in a custom envelope — something intended to stand out.
If I didn’t hear back within 10days of mailing (allowing for ~7 days for them to respond once received) I followed up with an email.
Dessert: So, what happened?
Results. I saw them.
As I mentioned, this led to a good deal of work. For starters, it connected me with an amazing ad/design agency in Denver which led to ~4months of full-time freelance work. I made the same amount in those fourth months as I did my entire first year of freelancing. Outside of the consistent work with them, there were other random projects here and there where I continued to work with that agency.
I received work from 3 other agencies throughout the following year.
Most of the people I sent the mailer to (those who I didn't ultimately work with) essentially said: "We love this! But, we don't hire/need freelance help right now. Thank you so much for thinking of us and we'll keep you in mind for the future."
Aperitivo: A reflection on the project.
Why did this work? I have some key insights from the Creative Directors that hired me in bold below; however, the remainder are just my own (well thought out) assumptions.
“We loved that this wasn’t a digital piece. We receive 10-30 emails a day from freelancers looking for work. I rarely even open them — I just delete ‘em. This newspaper forced me to open, touch, read, interact, and think. If I were to open an email, I’d spend 15seconds with it. This forced me to spend over 1minute with your work."
That's 4x + more time these people spent with my work—that's huge!
Emails get trashed. This gets left on a desk or table, tossed in a drawer or book shelf, or passed around by the design team.
This further reiterates my value. This forces them to interact with my work and remember me and my work.
I had been hired for 2 (low paying) hand lettering projects at the point of sending this out. This piece is filled with my personal work. I think my passion transcended the work itself, and people gravitated towards that.
This approach to marketing is innovative. A newspaper is the antithesis of an email. It forced people to remember me.
This showed that I can think creatively. It wasn't necessarily about the work itself (which, honestly, isn't profound by any means) but the fact that I knew how to think creatively about marketing my own work. Creative Directors see that, and assume that if I can do it for myself then I can do it for their clients.
Nightcap: Final thoughts.
I credit this self promotional piece for starting the snowball that continues to roll down hill today — this literally got my feet off the ground, and the relationships and opportunities that stemmed from this enabled me to get my business going.
No one gives a shit where you went to school, and frequently, no one cares if the project in your portfolio is client or personal (though, depending on the scenario, I do also have firm arguments against that note). Put the work you LOVE out into the world — the work you want to be hired to do. Eventually, you’ll get hired to do it. I am a living, breathing, writing example of that.
In hindsight, I don't know why I haven't done more of these. I want to do another. But I continue to put more stuff on my own plate (like writing this every week, ha!) and this keeps gets pushed to the background.
This piece changed the game for me.
I hope some of y’all find some success with your self promo pieces!
If you make one, share your experience. I’d love to hear how it goes.
Cheers
- Adam
WHAT'S ON THE PLATE FOR NEXT WEEK:
The power of routine. After a rollercoaster of mental and emotional ups and downs this year (ya know, pandemics and murder) I took the stride to take control. It's been incredible for not only my mental health, but also my productivity.
