I already covered some of the basics of getting clients in design etiquette, but this chapter is thoroughly dedicated to helping all those up-and-coming graphic designers manipulate, er I mean, SERVE their clients. Do you want people to request on your thread? Do you want clients to keep coming back? Do you want your clients to treat you right? This is the chapter for you!
I'm going to delve into a bit of client psychology here, hence the term "manipulate" being used earlier. You'll be surprised how small changes in wording can really change a client's impression of you.
1. Some gimmicks work.
Remember last chapter when I denounced a lot of widely used gimmicks in the MDC? Well, okay, some gimmicks actually are okay and they do work. You just have to do it subtly, and DO NOT PUT THE GIMMICK IN THE TITLE. The goal with these is to get people to click on your thread without the gimmick, but including it in the first post will help them stay.
A) A SPECIALTY SALE
People in the MDC like these because it doesn't happen often. For example, you can do a "buy a cover, get a free banner" thing. (All you have to do to make the banner is transfer the stock you used in the cover to a 550x200 canvas.) You can also get creative with auctions and raffles.
B) STORY PROMOTION
People on Wattpad are nice, trust me. If your story needs a boost, you can flat out say, "Hi everyone, I'm making covers to promote my story [ place title here ]. If you need a cover, please request!" I did this before, and you don't want to know how much good publicity I got. A couple people gave comments on ALL FIVE CHAPTERS of my story instead of the mandatory one. Some people even gave me and my story a shout out. I've seen other designers do this and get similar results. Wattpad people love to read.
C) GENRE NICHE
People love a good thread that only does their genre. LGBT+ threads are usually popular, but you can get more creative. What if you only accept romance requests one week, and science fiction the next? Light graphics one week and dark graphics the next? Every designer does a different genre? This gimmick is actually really fun, and could be very successful.
2. Plan your payment.
Graphic designers, all in all, should be paid what they believe their art is worth. I didn't start off by making my payment a read/comment on my story. I used "dedication" and upgraded to comment once I thought I was good enough to deserve it. Honestly, I don't think some people realize this.
People want the product to reflect the payment. If you're just starting out and have an outrageous payment, potential clients will most likely ignore you, and the clients you do get will be very, very dumb.
Keep it simple! One or two types of payment is best for one job. Also, you need to be sneaky. Wanna know how I manipulate my customers?
A) DO NOT BE SPECIFIC
People who say "at least a 3+ line comment" or "at least an 8+ line comment" come off as very pretentious to me. Saying this makes the payment seem more like a chore rather than a pleasure. If you refrain from doing this, your clients won't feel pressured, and you will get more genuine comments and genuine readers.
B) BE VERY POLITE
Being nice when you ask for payment makes you come off as not only professional, but modest, which clients like. Don't just tack on "payment is a comment on my story." Say, "please" and "as soon as you're able" and maybe even thank you.
C) CREATE A FEELING OF OBLIGATION
This is something I actually learned in Psychology lol. If you're telling the customer your payment, say it like this instead from now on: "Will you please complete the payment, a comment on my story?" Having the client answer this question makes them feel more obligated to make the payment, and to give you a good comment. It's almost like guilt . . . almost.
D) PROMISE THEM SOMETHING IN RETURN
All I mean is, when you say the payment, make them a promise in return. Like, so: "Will you please complete the payment, a comment on my story? Do it as soon as you can, and your cover should be done before Friday." This ensures the client that what they will receive is well worth the required payment.
3. Have a good thread design.
Not everyone is good at making threads, and hey if you aren't, remember that there are a lot of designers out there who are. The best threads are unexpected; please refrain from using a "trend" thread that you see everywhere. I literally gag when I click on a thread and its design is the same as threads I've clicked on hundreds of times before. It's boring, it's predictable, it's obsolete. Strive to either create or commission to create something different.
PLUS, something else I think that's worth noting is the user friendliness of your thread. I've said it before and I'll say it again; the MDC is really, really losing its user friendliness. Every thread is either too hard to read, too hard to follow, or just plain confusing.
A) Keep your major posts down to a maximum of three (this includes the queue).
B) DO NOT use a tiny, or hard to read font. DO NOT place your text in front of an image which would make the text a little hard to read in some areas.
C) You remember those thread designs everyone and their mother had with the giant model to the side, and the tiny, tiny column for text on the other side? Yeah, stay the hell away from that. A client shouldn't have to scroll that much to read three sentences.
D) Refrain from using heavy PSDs or Topaz in your layout if you're doing a pure design thread. PSDs brings the quality of the text down and makes it pixelated, and Topaz just makes text swirly and hard to read.
E) Make the examples EASY TO GET TO. I literally see threads everywhere that say, "To see our examples, click on the third heart-symbol down on the third post." Dafuq? Either put the examples directly on the thread, or make it an easy link named "EXAMPLES."
F) Question why VIP lists are still a thing.
4. Passwords are dumb.
Okay, I couldn't think of a better subtitle. But, yes, passwords are in fact, doo-doo heads.
Listen to me, yes, your rules are important. But, this godforsaken password trend that originates from the dark ages of Wattpad designing is not. It's superfluous and adds unnecessary pressure to a client who might not understand what it means. Clients get denied for not including the password, which I think is dumb. You're supposed to deny requests that don't give you inspiration, and accept the ones that do. I mean, fuck, Wattpad is supposed to be fun and you're making it too goddamn bureaucratic with your secret password fuckery.
I mean, if you need a password to be able to tell when someone on your thread isn't following the rules, you're either legally blind or don't even know what your rules are to begin with.
5. Be original.
Okay, I really fell apart during that last segment. But, this one is perhaps the most important so listen up.
If you're a new designer, don't fall into the trap of copying everyone else with how they make their threads, how they devise their payments, and how they style their designs. I did this when I was a youngster, and good Lord do I regret it. I made like 10 main posts on each of my threads for useless shit like VIP list, blacklist, and affiliates (god, I hope 'affiliates' never goes back in style). I used the same rules as everyone else, I even used the password, and I wanted my thread to look like everyone elses. Well hon, clients appreciate originality, and who knows you might even start a trend.
Stay true to your graphics and your style; don't think you need to get Topaz or load up your graphics with PSDs just because it's "what everyone is doing." Most writers I know HATE covers with celebrities, heavy PSDs, light textures, and Topaz. No, they really do. They know that they're trends and they want something different. Be that difference. Fill that niche.
Also, make friends! Start fun threads (that have to do with designing)! And, participate in other user's threads! Becoming more well know really, really helps you with getting clients. People see your name and think, "Hey I need to click on her thread."
OH AND BONUS
I finally remembered that one thing I was going to rant about in mdc rants; revisited.
A lot of designers rant about this; "I feel like you can only get requests if you're like, super popular and well known."
Well, fucking duh.
There are reasons popular designers get more requests, and it's because (a) they're good, (b) they have more experience, (c) they've made a name for themselves on Wattpad, and (d) they have more MDC friends. There's nothing wrong with any of the above reasons. Just because you're not successful, doesn't mean you should go blaming it on people who are. I mean, all you have to do is keep at it! Keep making threads, keep practicing, keep making friends, and keep getting experience. No one started from the top. We all started at the bottom. We all had to deal with our threads getting no requests, never getting hired by anyone, and people shitting on our graphics in critique threads. It's fine. It's all apart of growing and learning as an artist. Maybe somewhere along the line you'll realize you weren't meant to be a designer, and that's fine. Maybe you'll realize you want to do it for a living, and that's fine, too. You'll never know unless you try.
:)