{"id":89272,"date":"2021-09-01T08:15:52","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T12:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/?p=89272"},"modified":"2021-09-01T08:30:06","modified_gmt":"2021-09-01T12:30:06","slug":"how-to-market-yourself-as-a-freelance-architect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/industry\/how-to-market-yourself-as-a-freelance-architect\/","title":{"rendered":"Architecture Career Guide: How to Market Yourself as a Freelance Architect"},"content":{"rendered":"

Emma Walshaw<\/strong> is the founder of First In Architecture<\/strong> and Detail Library<\/strong>, and has written a number of books aiming to facilitate a better understanding of construction and detailing. <\/i>First In Architecture<\/i><\/a><\/strong> is a website providing resources and guides for architects and students.\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

Do you want to be able to market yourself as a freelance architect? If yes, then this blog post is for you. We will cover how to get the word out about your business and make sure that people know who you are. If you are interested in other ways to find work as a freelancer, visit my earlier post on the topic:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Finding Work as a Freelance Architect<\/a><\/p>\n

When you have the logistics of your freelancing business<\/a> all set up, it’s time to move to the marketing stage. You need to make sure you are easy to find, and when people do find you, they like what they see. Presenting your work and profile in a manner that is professional and appealing will help you win new clients.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Online presence<\/b><\/h2>\n

It is important to have a strong online presence, and it’s up to you which platforms you choose to get involved with. It is important that people can learn about you, what you do, and see examples of your work, so a LinkedIn profile and an online portfolio is a good starter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Next, it is important to consider where your potential clients might be. Are you looking to work with other architects providing architectural support? Or wanting to design for clients directly?<\/em> This will determine where you might spend your time promoting your services.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let’s take a bit of time looking at some of the different ways you can create your online presence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Portfolio<\/b><\/p>\n

As an architect or technologist, we all know how important the portfolio is.\u00a0 <\/span>Giving potential clients the opportunity to see your work, and understand how you might fit their requirements is key if you are to win work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a number of options to consider with an online portfolio. Firstly, the platform itself: where will the portfolio live? How will it be hosted, and viewed? Where will it get the most exposure, to the right people?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While some opt for a portfolio on their own website, others choose to use existing platforms to showcase their work. Whichever you go for, make sure the viewing experience is easy, and works well. If a potential client experiences any barriers to viewing your work, you can consider them a client lost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some online portfolio sites include:<\/span><\/p>\n

Behance<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Behance is considered one of the best places to showcase your portfolio, it is often used by other creatives for inspiration, and to share ideas. You can upload your projects and create links that you can share on your social media or anywhere else on the web. URLs are not custom so your portfolio web address will always be associated with Behance – there is however a paid Pro option where you can select your own domain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adobe Portfolio<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Adobe offer a free portfolio service with templates you can use to get started. It has integration with Behance and the portfolios are optimised for use on any device. You can also have a custom domain name for your portfolio.<\/span><\/p>\n

Issuu<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Issuu is a platform where you can share content usually in a flippable book format. This allows you to create a portfolio in a pdf format, and the user can then flip through it on Issuu.\u00a0<\/span>There are lots of great examples of architecture portfolios on the site already, and you are not restricted by size or orientation of the document. <\/span>You can also embed the portfolio on your own website.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Coroflot<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Coroflot is another online portfolio service. While the layout is not very flexible, it still seems to be a popular option.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Website<\/b><\/p>\n

Creating your own website is another good way to show your potential clients who you are, what you do and showcase your work all in one place.\u00a0<\/span>While it might be more labour intensive to create your own site, it is in your control and you can update and amend it as your business grows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can use options such as Squarespace<\/a>, WordPress or Portfoliobox<\/a> to get things set up pretty quickly. Squarespace is a popular option with creatives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What to include in your website<\/b><\/h3>\n

Key information to include in your website (this will vary according to your target client):<\/span><\/p>\n