Let me be clear: I am NOT a team player. Well, not naturally.
I mean, I can be if a need to be…but I’d almost always rather just do things myself.
So, if you hear my advice that you need to reach out to designers and create a network of contacts and you think, “Oh, I’d rather not…” I get you. I do.
But here’s why you’ve still got to do it.
First, you NEED designers for your spec ads. And believe me, I know—you’ve already started to figure out a way around that.
I get it: No one wants to reach out to strangers! It even makes extroverts uncomfortable.
But you need to gird your loins and be brave.
It’s essential to work with designers on your spec ads because, first, they have put your very best foot forward when it comes to both design AND copy. If they look poorly designed, they reflect poorly on you. Someone visiting your site will think you don’t know the difference between ads that look good and ads that…don’t.
Second, a big part of what your portfolio demonstrates is that you know how to collaborate with designers. And it’s even better if you can demonstrate that you can collaborate with multiple designers.
You can’t demonstrate that if you try to design your ads on your own.
Second, a network of designers is essential to help you get work!
When you pitch a client and that client says, “Super, but I also need a designer” it reflects very well on you to have designers to recommend.
But even more importantly, when your design contacts are pitching clients and those clients say, “Super, but I also need a copywriter,” who do you think they’ll refer? YOU. You can get work without having to do anything.
Remember, too, that when you’re building your network of designers, you’re looking to provide value for both of you. When it comes to spec ads, you’re not hiring designers, you’re looking for designers who also need to build their portfolios so you both get something out of it.
When you reach out to designers, there will be plenty who won’t be interested. But so what? That doesn’t reflect on you at all! Just keep moving on until you find designers who DO want to work with you.
You MUST build a network of designers to build out your spec ads.
I get that it’s uncomfortable. I get that it’s not something you really want to do. But it’s something that you have to do anyway. And it’s something that’s going to have a major, undeniable, and unparalleled positive effect on your career.
So, here’s your challenge: If you’re at the spec ad stage of building your portfolio, I want you to make a commitment to reach out to a certain number of designers by a certain date. I’ll let you choose both of those, but I want you to make the commitment.
Your Turn
Feeling brave? Tell me about how many designers you’ll reach out to and when in the comments below. You can do it. 🙂
Last Updated on October 7, 2023
I fell off the train for a bit, and the designer portion is where it happened. The two things I find most difficult are the 1.) Where to look, and 2.) What to look for. I could network all day long in my current career field like it or not, but I’ve been doing it a while.
Hi Aaron,
Yup – that’s pretty common. You’re chugging along, learning and practicing, and then you have to go out into the world. Most people don’t like making that transition. Look at the “Spec Ads” course in the CCA again – there are a lot of good ideas in there. The simple truth is that there’s no secret to doing it than to just start doing it. Give yourself a deadline and get to it. (And, if you need a little extra boost, watch Module 0 again or check out the “Bust Through Your Blocks” bonus course). You can do it.
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Hi Aaron
Try going to a coup[e of networking events where you are almost guaranteed to find at least one or two designers. I met several at the last one I attended.
Nicki, thanks for the push!
I commit to reaching out to 200 designers by Dec 31.
Hi Alex,
Wow! Good for you! Remember to make sure to balance in quality with your quantity. (In terms of both your outreach messaging and the designers you reach out to.) 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
I have reached out to the local community colleges, Craig’s List ads, and have contacted a friend who is a professional copywriter. I have a friend who is a graphic designer, but she says she doesn’t know anyone who could work with me. I’m feeling a little stuck! Any suggestions?
Hi Renee,
Great – you’re definitely on the right track! Now it’s a matter of expanding your methods. Have you tried reaching out via LinkedIn? Mentioning it to *all* of your friends (not just your copywriting or design friends) since you never know who people know, reaching out to design schools or colleges that aren’t as local? There are also Facebook groups for creatives and designers that could be a good resource. Have you watched my Facebook Live in the students-only group about finding designers? It might be worth checking out. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
I’m going to reach out to local colleges and see if any of their students/alumni are interested in teaming up. I’ve also got onto an Oxford designer’s group and will go to some of their events. I’ll also try Facebook and LinkedIn as well as contacting friends.
Cheers, Kevin.
Hi Kevin,
Good for you! The wider the cast your net, the easier it is to find designers to connect with. 🙂
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
I’m recently out of work with decades in the graphic design field. I came across this site as I was looking into copy writing as an option. I would still like to keep in the design field however. How can I best get in touch with copywriters who need designers?
Hi Brad,
You can connect with copywriters in the same way that copywriters would connect with designers – seek out groups on Facebook, connect with writers on LinkedIn and across social media, etc. As always, be sure to lead with the benefit of connecting with you and you’ll see a lot of people interested in making those connections.
Thanks for commenting!
Nicki
Dear Nicki,
First “Thank You!” for this well thought out training course. It is comprehensive and concise.
To be honest it’s also a little overwhelming as well, but you broken it down into manageable
chunks, so it’s completely achievable. Plus, you’re addressed topics that I never would have
thought of on my own and I’ve only just started the course.
As far as building a network of designers, which is something I never would have imagined,
appears to be a daunting task, but again, doable. I know someone that knows someone so I’ll
start there and I think I’ll look on LinkedIn, plus I do have some friends in Tech that I will contact.
Thank You again! – Eugene
Hi Eugene! Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the CCA—we appreciate your kind feedback. 🙂 And yes, LinkedIn is a great starting point to search for designers to partner with. As you know, we share a ton of other ideas for how to find graphic designers in the course, so I recommend trying several of them to get a good pool of prospects to choose from (because not everyone will get back to you, be the right fit, etc.).
And absolutely—breaking the coursework down into manageable chunks (even if they’re super tiny to start) is key! Slow and steady wins the race … and it’s better to go slow than to be so overwhelmed with feeling like you have to “hurry up and get through” it—and spend hours a day working on it—that you don’t work on it at all.
Lastly, if you’ve not yet joined the student-only Facebook group, I highly recommend that you do! It’s a truly amazing place for our students to get feedback, support, encouragement, you name it. And, of course, we have the monthly coaching calls and optional 1:1 support from our expert coaches. All that to say, we’ve got your back! If you have questions about anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out—we’re just an email away! >>> [email protected].