October 11, 2013

How to Get Noticed by Creative Directors

How to Get Noticed by Creative Directors
Creative directors at advertising agencies are a good source of repeat business. Do you want to get your foot into some advertising agencies? It can be done. The way in is to get the creative director to know you and your work (before the need arises). However, to befriend him or her is step 2. Step 1 is to get noticed at all.

One way to get on their radar is to share compelling content in social media.

Content Creative Directors Would Love

Art and copy are the raw materials of the products we produce […] Always start with the creative director who usually sets the agency freelance policy and its needs. […] opportunities are always available. […] We usually pay more and pay more quickly too.
– Creative Director, Michael Crozier

Most creative freelancers primarily tweets or blogs about freelance life and design. That's only natural. After all, it's what you do every day and what you love, but writing in such a way will mainly attract your peers – not potential clients.

To grab creative directors’ attention, you better talk about what interest them – not you.

What woos creative directors? You can get ideas for compelling content by looking into what creative directors themselves tweet about.

So, to help you, I have looked into what 14 creative directors and associate creative directors tweet about. These creative directors all work, or has worked, for outstanding advertising agencies such as Grey, Wieden+Kennedy, Ogilvy & Mather, BBDO, The Martin Agency, Droga5, and TBWA\Chiat\Day.

Look at the word cloud below! It contains hints to “creative director-friendly” subjects! The bigger the font the more often creative directors have tweeted that particular word. This is not an exact science, but the most tweeted words hint on what interest creative directors.

Tweets Creative Directors Would Love. How to Get Noticed by Creative Directors.

The 14 creative directors in the sample are all mainly followed by peers – other creative directors and art directors. Yes, creative directors make the same “mistake” – they tweet a lot about what they love.

However, if they attract creative directors by tweeting on these subjects, chances are you will you too.

With one important difference. For you the compelled creative directors won't be peers. They will be potential clients.

How and What to Post to Attract Creative Directors!

In general, these creative directors do a lot of shout-outs and link sharing.

Shout-outs to creative peers on awards won, nominations, promotions, and other job related successes. They share advertising related videos, photos, and blog posts, but also creative, trendy stuff in general.

Industry related tweets cover the following subjects – roughly in order of frequency.

Comments, news, and tidbits on:

  • Agency & creative life
  • Advertising agencies (mostly their own)
  • All fields of design
  • Advertising campaigns
  • The advertising industry itself
  • Social media & social media marketing
  • Digital media & advertising, apps, and digital life in general
  • Specific ads
  • Brands

To get an ever better feeling try the below links! They show the 14 creative directors’ real time tweets:

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