Business has slowed down—but how are you marketing your creative business?

If the answer is “I’m not,” that may be the problem.

For this episode, Steph secretly filled a cocktail shaker with 15 ways to generate leads. Ben sees each method for the first time on camera, and they rate it from one to five based only on what has worked for them or people they know personally.

In part one, they tackle LinkedIn, local meetups, walk-ins, online marketplaces, conferences, and referrals. Some methods earn nearly identical scores. Others place Steph and Ben about as far apart as possible.

They discuss why generic thought leadership rarely attracts clients, how a $16 cake became a five-figure project, why trade conferences may be more valuable than creative conferences, and whether referrals should count as lead generation at all.

In this episode:

• Why creative businesses slow down when marketing stops

• How to use LinkedIn without joining the designer dog pile

• Why showing your work needs a clear point of view

• Networking events versus participating in a real community

• How interests outside work can generate unexpected opportunities

• The advantages and limitations of walking into local businesses

• How one creative turned a $16 cake into a five-figure project

• Why Upwork, Fiverr, and similar marketplaces are a race to the bottom

• When online marketplaces can still help pay the bills

• Creative conferences versus client-industry trade conferences

• How to choose events filled with buyers instead of competitors

• Why Steph doesn’t consider passive referrals lead generation

• How to intentionally engineer referrals from former clients

• Why difficult clients often refer more difficult clients

• Which methods Steph and Ben plan to use for their own studio

There is no single best way to find clients. The right method depends on your work, your market, your personality, and whether you need immediate revenue or relationships that develop over time. The important thing is to stop waiting for clients to appear and begin building a lead-generation practice you can sustain.

Get more lead-generation guidance in The Dispatch:

https://www.makerdivision.com/the-dispatch

Explore Maker Division:

https://www.makerdivision.com/

Which lead-generation method has brought you the best clients—and which one would you never try again? Tell us in the comments.

#LeadGeneration #CreativeBusiness #FreelanceDesigner