Method to the Mayhem

These days I do a lot of my networking and marketing on-line. The web reaches more people than any brochure or media kit, with less time and money. The two that really helped me are: On-line networking/directory web sites and posting in forums.

Having a profile/account/portfolio on any free networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, or Creative Hotlist will get your name out there. Posting on forums will also help to build relations and trust that may bring you new clients and projects.

That's how Create Magazine contacted me to design their 5 page featured article. I have a portfolio on their site. After looking at my work. They thought I might be a good fit for the magazine.

I post on design forums pretty often and have built many relations. As a result, Jeff Fisher, Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, asked me to submit some of my work for his new book, Identity Crisis! 50 Redesigns That Transformed Stale Identities Into Successful Brands.

Another example, Steve Gordon, Jr., RDQLUS Creative. Asked me to submit my work for his book, 100 Habits of Successful Freelance Designers: Insider Secrets for Working Smart & Staying Creative.

Labels: 100 Habits, Alltop, Chris Brogan, Design Tips, Freelance, Graphic Design, Guy Kawasaki, Jeff Fisher, LogoMotives, Marketing, Networking, Promotion, RDQLUS, Self-Promotion, Steve Gordon Jr, Successful

Posted by Calvin Lee at Sunday, November 08, 2009 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

With only 3 days into the launch of the new Twitter related web site, Just Tweet It, created by designers Adelle Charles & Dani McDaniel. They have gotten some amazing feedback from the community and a lot of love has been spread.

Just Tweet It have chosen to feature Calvin Lee of Mayhem Studios as their First Featured Tweeter! Calvin is a designer/blogger who is always hard at work tweeting and re-tweeting to help his fellow colleagues and it hasn’t gone unnoticed!

Feel free to follow @mayhemstudios, @Adellecharles and @Dani on Twitter.

About Just Tweet It
Just Tweet It is a directory to find other Tweeters that share your interests, search for friends, and keep up with the latest Twitter tools, links and information.

Just Tweet It was created by designers Adelle Charles & Dani McDaniel. They wanted to make it easier for people using the popular micro-blogging service Twitter to find other “Tweeters” with similar interests.

About Adelle Charles
Adelle Charles is a Designer & Blogger who runs Fuel Your Creativity & AdelleCharles.com.

She is an obsessive email checker and highly addicted to Starbucks. Loves to add "fuel to the fire" any chance she gets. Her dogs Chino and Jameson jot down ideas for her while she's at work. They are obviously the secret to her success.

About Dani McDaniel
Dani McDaniel owner of Anidan Design with over 8 years experience in web and graphic design. Dani loves to help people design their individual place on the internet.

Dani specializes in css/xhtml and Wordpress customization, she can code a design you already have or help you to design a brand new one that sets you miles apart from your competitors!

Labels: Adelle Charles, Anidan Design, Dani McDaniel, Design, Fuel Your Creativity, Just Tweet It, Networking, Promotion, Tweet, Twitter

Posted by Calvin Lee at Friday, October 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Mayhem Studios contributes to an article, Marketing Your Pro bono Work: It’s All About You, for BoDo, written by wordsmith Thomas Stephan.

Stephan shows how to promote and make your pro bono projects work for you, using press releases, blogs, e-newsletters, forums, social networking and social bookmarking web sites. When writing press releases it should consist of the "Five W's," Who, What, When, Where and Why.

Calvin Lee, of Mayhem Studios, gives his thoughts about self-promotion.

"If you’re a freelancer, self-promotion is a must. How else do you expect a potential client to know about you? Most new designers—even some pros—don’t view self-promotion as an option. Many frown upon self-promoting, as it’s bragging and name-dropping. In a way, it’s bragging but to me it’s more about letting people know who I am and what I can do to help them.”

You can read the full article at Bodo: Marketing Your Pro bono Work: It’s All About You

About Bodo
BoDo: Business of Design Online, blogs about the business of design including: starting your own design business (online or off); marketing; dealing with clients; working with printers, photographers, copywriters and other surrounding industries; pretty much anything to help a design business grow.

About Thomas Stephan
Thomas Stephan carries more than a decade of experience in non-profits of various sizes and venues, and has freelanced for the past 5 years in various creative areas including copywriting, web design, custom graphics for print and web and marketing. He has designed for TT Electronics, The Texas State Aquarium, The University of Texas Law School and Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, and has written for the Art Museum of South Texas, The University of Montana, Korby Imagery and the United States Navy.

Stephan current position is Director of Communications with the largest non-profit social service agency in the state of Texas, where he manages content on four websites, print design, marketing and public relations for seven satellite offices, three residential treatment centers and three retirement facilities, not including the identity and promotion of five annual fundraisers.

Thomas Stephan can be contacted at dyer9380_at_gmail.com for any wordsmithing.

Labels: BoDo, Calvin Lee, Design, Mayhem Studios, Networking, Press Release, Pro Bono, Social Bookmarking, Thomas Stephan

Posted by Calvin Lee at Monday, June 09, 2008 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Most of the time you never get to meet friends you've met on-line. Recently some of us from the HOW Design Forum got together for dinner, drinks and good times.

This is our 2nd annual get together. It was great seeing everyone again from our 2006 get together. I hope we can get together a couple times a year instead of just annually.

Labels: Design, Friends, HOW Design Magazine, HOWie, Networking

Posted by Calvin Lee at Sunday, December 16, 2007 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Forums is a great place to network and meet new friends. Sometimes you even get to meet a few forum members in person, which is pretty fun and exciting. This weekend some of us from the HOW Design Forum got together for dinner, drinks and good times.

It was a fun and great time meeting all the members. One forum member even lead us in an arts and crafts, making a mini-book. I hope there will be many more get togethers in the future.

Posted are a few photos of the fun evening and more photos may be veiwed HERE

Labels: Design, Friendship, Graphic Design, HOWie, Networking

Posted by Calvin Lee at Sunday, November 12, 2006 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post