The content strategy that actually gets you clients (as a designer)

Why do businesses post on social media?

It’s not for likes, comments, or impressions - it’s for generating leads (potential customers).

Yet I see so many designers lose sight of this because they fall into the comparison trap.

They see other designers getting lots of attention on social media through views and likes, so they try to emulate that success by creating similar content.

To chase these metrics, they create content that’s broader and more entertaining but loses its technical depth and specificity.

They create content about the best free design resources, Adobe Illustrator tips, and how to create the perfect portfolio.

But what they fail to consider is that the other designers (like myself) who are making this type of content aren’t trying to attract potential design clients - they’re trying to attract other brand designers.

And if that’s not your goal, this content is attracting the wrong audience.

Think about it: it might be great for getting attention, but it’s not very good at converting viewers into actual design clients.

And what’s the value of a larger audience if it consists of people who aren’t potential customers?

So… Here’s 5 Ways To Create Content That Actually Attracts The Right Audience

1. Create With Clients in Mind, Not Other Designers

Posting work that gets other designers commenting how great it is can feel super validating. But your ideal clients aren’t designers, they’re business owners looking for a solution (to their current problem).

By shifting your focus, your content speaks directly to the people who will actually hire you.

A good example of this would be instead of posting a carousel showing 12 logo variations with a caption like “Exploring ideas,” post a client-focused case study breaking down why you chose the final mark, and how it helped the client stand out from others in their industry.

Recommended action:

Go audit your last 5 posts. Would a business owner immediately understand how you could help them? If not, recreate one of the posts to make it speak directly to your ideal client.

2. Don’t Just Educate > Solve Real Problems

Value-based content works best when it solves an actual problem your target audience faces.

When your audience says “This is exactly what I needed,” they’re one step closer to hiring you.

So next time you’re about to share content like “Why kerning matters,” try reframing it into something like “3 simple ways to make your logo look more premium.” It’s more practical and focused on potential clients’ desired outcomes.

Recommended action:

List 3 real struggles your last client mentioned. Turn one of them into a tip-based post, like “If your brand feels all over the place, here’s what to do first…”

3. Use Testimonials and Results as Content

Social proof is usually the missing piece that tips potential clients over the edge and get them to enquire about your services. But most designers bury all their testimonials on their websites.

Potential clients need to see proof that you’re worth investing in where they already spend their time - social media.

But don’t just put up a screenshot of a positive review - make more out of it. Turn it into a story in the form of a reel or carousel. Include a short breakdown to give your audience context. I like to structure it like this: the challenge the client was facing → the solution I provided as a strategic brand designer → the outcome, along with the testimonial.

Recommended action:

Scroll through past client feedback and choose one great result or testimonial. Write a brief project overview using the structure above which shows how your design work led to that win.

4. Lead with Strategy, Not Just Aesthetic

Well-designed visuals might stop the scroll, but the strategy behind them is what will make businesses choose you over other designers who just create logos.

And as a result of this you’ll attract clients who value your brain, not just your hands. And that means higher-budget, long-term projects.

One way I demonstrated this was through a carousel showing how I repositioned a brand for a new target audience. I explained my strategic process with the client and how it shaped the visual identity’s creative direction. Most importantly, I emphasised that repositioning the brand involved far more than simply updating the logo.

Recommended action:

Take a past project and jot down one strategic insight that made a difference in how you approached the design. It could be the brand’s long-term vision, the competitor analysis you did, or something else. Using this, create a post essentially telling the story of the project and how your strategic research and understanding was crucial for the end result.

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5. Make It Easy to Work With You

This might sound obvious, but people need to be reminded more than they need to be taught, and many overlook this part.

It’s important because even if someone wants to hire you, they’ll hesitate if they don’t know the next step. It’s your content’s job to guide them toward action. Make your process visible and friction-free and you’ll increase DMs, discovery call bookings, and enquiries.

The good news is that this is fairly easy to do. Just make sure you have a simple and easy-to-access enquiry form linked to your social media bios, and drive people there with CTAs in your posts (if you want to get fancy, you could use ManyChat, but that comes at a cost).

One thing to remember with your CTAs is to always include a sense of urgency. People need a reason to act now rather than later, and by providing urgency through limited spaces, time, or other constraints, you give them that motivation.

I hope these 5 tips have given you some ideas for your content and how you can start attracting the right audience! Remember what good is a large audience if none of them want to buy from you? You’re a business after all.

Chat soon,

Abi.

P.S. If you enjoyed this marketing-focused edition of the newsletter, let me know and I can start sharing more content on these topics 😊

P.P.S. If you’ve made it this far down the email, I just want to say thank you for your support, so use code: Email for 20% off my Pro Freelance Bundle that contains all my design templates! (Just beware this code expires within 24 hours of you opening the email).

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