When a possible client hears your name, they will look you up. What they find in the first few seconds decides whether they contact you. A clear, honest profile answers three questions at once: what do you do, who do you do it for, and how can they reach you?
Be found where your clients look
Different clients look in different places:
- Local businesses and groups often find people through WhatsApp, Facebook and word of mouth. A messaging business profile with a catalogue, and a simple page on a social network, can be enough.
- Clients abroad often look at professional networking profiles, marketplace profiles and portfolio links.
- A business listing on a map service helps if you have a fixed place where clients can visit, such as a print and design shop.
You do not need to be everywhere. Choose one or two places your niche really uses and do them well.
What a strong profile contains
- Your real name and a clear, recent photo of you. Not a logo, a cartoon or someone else's photo. Clients want to know they are dealing with a real person.
- A headline that states your service. For example, "Menu and flyer design for restaurants in Tamale" is better than "Creative. Dreamer. Hustler."
- A short description. Two or three sentences: who you help, what result you give, and how you work. Write it in plain English and check spelling.