Promotion Ideas

To Start up the Business:
- Network - Give out our business card whenever possible and take their card as well. We’ll make notes on the card and follow up with a thank you for their time.

- Set up speaking engagements. We’ll contact local schools and associations about classes, college seminars and lectures that you can speak or teach at. Also, talking at an AIGA event. We’d make sure our logo is either worn or displayed prominently. We will provide monthly design advise on our website and offer interviews for local radio stations and television programs.


- Set up accounts on Flickr and other photo sharing sites to display our work. Making sure each image give us proper credit and images are grouped with other similar items such as “cool brochures” or travel places. Get connected on MySpace, Twitter, Facebook. Submit portfolios to design portals such as AIGA, Communication Arts and other gallery sites.

- Offer free consultations to potential clients

- Find interesting angles to send out a press release, like holding events or making a subtle publicity stunt (Stephen Sagemester style)

- Send out e-newsletters, e- blasts to help collect contacts and mailing addresses. In this also compliment other designers in a positive way and help share positive ideas and links. Building an online directory can also help network with local businesses. Also, sending out all e-blasts with email signatures and memorable slogan.

- Write articles for Online magazines, e-zines such as How Magazine, CMYK Magazine and GD USA. We can start out with mini articles banks. No matter what submitted each piece with a blurb about ourselves and our company.

- Watch freelancing job banks and seeing if we can take on those jobs

- Find poorly designed websites, menu, brochures etc. Cold call and offer our services

- Get listed with trade associations

- Blogging – commenting on the lastest reviews, design in travel supplies and destinations, design websites


When company is more established with steady clients and profit:

- Participate and/or sponsor charity events. These offer free PR and it feels good to support we care about.

- Offer clients an incentive for referring clients to us whether it’s a discount, gift certificate or gift in general.

- Hold a contest with a grand prize that would interest our target audience. We will promote through flyers, local newspapers and local radio stations. By holding a contest, we can also get our website listed on dozens of online contest directories.

- Sponsor a client event. We not only get our name out but we also remind our client that they are a valuable resource to them.

- Enter competitions with our work and win

- Give away freebies such as self-promotional travel kits and/or calendars.

- Participate in tradeshows

- Holiday promotions – we can do this as cheaply as possible making sure our logo is one whatever is given. For example, chocolate with our logo on it.

- Take out ad space in our target market’s popular magazines and their websites such as Condenast Traveler, Coastal Living, National Geographic, Travel and Leisure and Vacations. Also, travel websites such as Priceline.com, Expedia.com, Kayak.com, Homeandabroad.com, Cruisecritic.com. Also, in airline magazines like Canada Air's EnRoute, U.S. Airways Magazine, Delta Sky, Germany's Lufthansa Magazin, Virgin Blue Australia's Voyeur and small Eastern Europe's Adria Airways.

- Buy signage space at airports.