HOW TO EARN MONEY AS GRAPHIC DESIGNER THROUGH LINKEDIN in 2024
I still remember sitting in my tiny bedroom studio three years ago, working full-time while trying to build my freelance graphic design business on the side. I was beyond exhausted trying to balance it all. The full-time job provided me with financial security but little fulfillment or room for growth. My passion was in my side business, but it wasn’t making enough money to quit my day job.
I knew there’s definitely a better way.
So, to expand my business, I looked to LinkedIn. And it worked incredibly well. Within a year, I was able to quit my full-time job, and now I make a healthy full-time income with the flexibility to work when and how I choose.
LinkedIn is an excellent help for graphic designers seeking to connect with high-paying clients to make money. In this blog post, I’ll share exactly How to earn money as Graphic Designer through LinkedIn.
Why Finding Freelance Graphic Design Clients on LinkedIn Works
LinkedIn has over 900+ million members. That’s a huge pool of potential clients! Also, LinkedIn is favored by business professionals and entrepreneurs—exactly the type of client ready and willing to pay for graphic design services.
I love LinkedIn because:
- Clients come to you (instead of you having to pitch random strangers and hope they’ll hire you)
- It’s easy to identify high-paying client types by their job title and company.
- You can provide visual samples of work directly on your profile.
- LinkedIn facilitates trust and relationship building through shared connections.
- Many freelance graphic designers are NOT leveraging LinkedIn, so there is less competition.
But to gain these benefits, you must have a complete LinkedIn profile tailored specifically to attract your ideal graphic design clients.
How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile to Attract Clients
Your LinkedIn profile—not your website—will likely be the first thing a potential client sees when evaluating you. As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Your profile must look professional and ideally positioned to land clients.
Here are the 5 key areas to optimize in your LinkedIn profile:
1. Profile image
This will show up in tiny thumbnail size anytime someone views your profile from a search or when you comment on posts.
- Use a professionally taken headshot cropped close to your face
- Warm, approachable expression (aka no RBF!)
- Avoid super casual images
2. Background image
This will showcase front-and-center on your profile. Take advantage of the visual real estate!
- Graphic design related (previous client work, custom graphics, etc.)
- Visually appealing, not too text-heavy
- Represents your personal brand/area of expertise
- Looks good displayed on all devices
3. Headline
Your headline appears directly under your name, often the first detail people notice.
- Concise (max 100 characters)
- Clearly state your specialty
- Uses power words like “specialist,” “designer,” or “artist.”
GOOD: Graphic Designer Specializing in Logos and Branding for Startups
BAD: Creative professional
4. About section
This space lets potential clients learn about your skills, experience, services, and more. Optimize every word!
- Begin with a value proposition, answering, “What’s in it for me?”
- Provide an overview of your niche, ideal clients, and special talents
- Use clear calls-to-action to contact you
- Showcase visual examples of work
- Share client testimonials
5. Featured section
This highly visible space at the top of your profile lets you highlight key info.
- Contact info
- Link to portfolio
- Availability status
- Pricing/services offered
How to Get Graphic Design Clients to Find YOU on LinkedIn
Now that your profile looks hot and ready to convert visitors into paying clients, it’s time to focus on getting clients to find you.
There are 2 main approaches here:
1. SEO Optimization
The first (and most effective) tactic is optimizing your profile for LinkedIn’s search algorithm. LinkedIn search works similarly to Google in that profiles with relevant keywords are ranked higher.
To start attracting potential clients:
- Include frequently searched industry keywords in your profile sections. This is especially important for headlines, about, and features.
Examples of a logo designer logo design, brand identity design, startup logo design, small business logo creator
- Publish regular long-form posts and articles featuring these keywords (300+ words)
- Use hashtags like #logos, #logodesigner, #graphicdesigner, etc.
- Obtain lots of recommendations from past clients with keywords in their written recommendations.
This will greatly improve your chances of ranking for important graphic design-related searches. And higher search visibility means more opportunities for prospects to find and contact you for paid client work!
2. LinkedIn Networking
The second way to get graphic design clients from LinkedIn is good old -fashioned networking. Reaching out and directly connecting with potential clients.
To effectively leverage your network:
- Connect with at least 5-10 potential clients per week (CEOs, founders, marketing managers, bloggers, etc.)
- Send personalized connection requests mentioning something unique about them.
- Engage regularly by commenting and liking their content.
- Follow up any connection accepted with a friendly note about your services.
Networking allows you to establish relationships that foster trust and familiarity—key components before someone feels ready to hire you!
Plus, LinkedIn shows your shared connections on profiles. According to research by Nielsen, people are up to 20x more likely to trust information and recommendations from people they know. So leveraging those shared connections pays off.
Craft a Compelling Service Offer Irresistible to Clients
Your LinkedIn profile and networking will generate leads. But to convert those leads into paying clients, you need a stellar service offer.
This means clarifying WHO you want to work with and WHAT you’re offering them.
Here is my step-by-step process for creating an irresistible graphic design service offer:
Step 1: Define Your Ideal Client
Having an Ideal Client Avatar (an “ICA”) helps ensure you attract leads perfectly matched to your services—those most likely to say YES and pay you well.
My ICA as a brand identity designer for startups:
🚀 Founder of an early-stage tech startup
💰Willing to invest $XXX or more into branding
🏙 Based in major cities like San Francisco or New York
Define your ideal client details like:
- Job title
- Company size
- Location
- Budget
Step 2. Outline Your Offer Details
Now it’s time to craft your irresistible offer by outlining exactly what you provide and the tangible results clients can expect.
For my startup branding packages, I lay out the following:
- 📝 Discovery call to understand goals + brand vision
- ✏️ 2 custom logo design concepts
- 🎨 Final logo files in multiple formats
- 🖼 Brand guidelines document
- 🔖 Business card and stationery design
And highlight exciting benefits like:
“Watch potential investors sit up and take notice thanks to your polished, professional brand identity.”
“Confidently launch your startup knowing your branding conveys expertise and trust at first glance.”
“Save thousands in branding agency fees and get personalized service catered exactly to your niche.”
Step 3. Set Your Pricing Strategy
Pricing your services is tricky as a new freelancer. The price is too low, and you lose out on earning what you deserve. Too high, and clients may hesitate.
Use these best practices to price your graphic design services profitably:
1. Research Competitor Rates
Search profiles of designers offering similar services and packages. See what pricing they list publicly.
2. Calculate Your Costs
Tally up estimated hours + software fees needed to complete projects. Pay yourself around $50-100 USD per hour (or local currency equivalent).
3. Offer Packages
Create bundles around natural breakpoints in project sizes—usually 3-4 packages. More flexibility attracts a broader range of budgets.
4. Charge Deposits / Milestones
Require a non-refundable deposit upfront before starting work. Then, collect the remaining payment upon reaching project milestones or delivery. Reduces non-payment risk.
5. Raise Prices Over Time
Once established, revisit pricing every 6 months. Increase rates 10-20% annually to account for inflation and experience gained. Retain discounts for repeat customers.
Using this approach, I landed on package pricing from $750 for basic branding to $2500 for in-depth brand strategy and collateral design. I also offer discounted monthly retainer plans.
Generate Raving Client Testimonials to Boost Trust
LinkedIn recommendations and client testimonials seriously impact your chances of winning new business.
According to research by Invespcro:
- 90% of consumers read online reviews before visiting a business.
- 88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations.
- 72% of consumers will take action after reading a positive review.
So, promoting genuine client reviews is essential, especially when first starting out.
To quickly get rave testimonials from happy clients:
- Ask clients to describe their experience and results from working with you.
- Request clients to submit written recommendations on LinkedIn.
- Follow up with thank you notes after a project ends.
- Offer incentives like discounts on future work.
Don’t be shy about asking clients to do you the favor of leaving positive reviews! This social proof can catapult you ahead of less established competitors.
How Much Money Can You Make as a Freelance Graphic Designer?
So, after all this effort…how much can you expect to earn? Here are realistic salary ranges:
Hourly Earnings
According to PayScale, the average freelance graphic design hourly rate is $20-30 USD per hour. However, experienced designers can charge upwards of $100 per hour.
As your skills grow, aim to increase rates by $5-10 more per hour annually.
Yearly Earnings
Full-time freelance graphic designers typically earn $50,000-$75,000 per year. The top 10% of the highest-paid designers make over $92,000 per year.
Your earning potential increases exponentially once established with higher-paying clientele. Six-figure incomes are very possible!
Landing just 1-2 monthly retainer clients paying between $3,000-$5,000 per month covers full-time income needs. Fill the remaining time with one-off project clients.
Start Your Journey to Financial Freedom Today
After reading this, I hope you feel empowered and excited about the opportunity to earn a great living as a graphic designer leveraging LinkedIn.
No matter where you’re starting from—working a full-time job, freelancing part-time, or being a complete beginner—you CAN do this.
Sure, there is lots of work involved. You have to seriously optimize that LinkedIn profile, network consistently, master sales conversations, and, most importantly, consistently deliver mind-blowing work to paying clients.
But isn’t freedom, flexibility, and finally getting paid what you deserve worth it?
If I can do it, you certainly can, too. Remember, so many amazing designers are NOT yet leveraging LinkedIn. You have an advantage over the competition!
Questions? Feel free to reach out via email or comments! Now, get out there and start earning as a graphic designer!
