Social Media for Designers: Twitter

by Margaret Penney | September 21, 2016

You’re probably already familiar with Twitter and may already use it, however, you may not be using it optimally as a designer. Here are some ways that you can use this social media site as a promotional tool for your design business.

1. Follow Designers and Studios

One of the first things you can do is follow the designers and studios you admire so you can be aware of their latest projects, glean knowledge about their design methodology and start a conversation of sorts with them by liking and retweeting their work.

2. Look for Work

You can use the search tool in Twitter to find new jobs and projects.The Twitter search tool and hashtags provide a great way to quickly find job leads.

3. Use Hashtags

If you present your work on Twitter and want to expand your audience of potential viewers, make sure to use hashtags so that others searching for a #designer or #graphicartist can easily find you and your awesome work.

4. Go Local

In Twitter’s Advanced Search area you can search locally for different types of businesses. Use this search feature to connect with potential clients and other creatives in your area. You can develop a list of potential client partners this way.

5. Post About Design

Twitter is a great resource for written content. People share and post articles the bulk of the time on this social media site, so consider starting a design blog if you haven’t already. Your blog posts are most likely to be shared on Twitter more than on most other social media sites.

If you don’t have time to create a design blog, start by simply posting quality articles about design or about other creative topics, like art shows you’ve been to or creative movements you find inspiring.

6. Comment with other Creatives

A great way to start a dialogue with other creatives, designers, and design firms is to provide helpful critique or positive feedback on the work they post. A key feature of social media is reciprocity, so don’t have your use of social media be all about you—if you see a designer posting their new logo project let them know how awesome it is and provide them the same kind of encouragement you would want.

Margaret Penney is the Managing Editor of Notes on Design. Margaret is a teacher, designer, writer and new media artist and founder of Hello Creative Co.

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