Hi Elizabeth,
I see a few things in your profile that can be can improved:
Title: Add one space between letters and the pipe symbol (vertical bar), and capitalize the first letter of each word in your title; this will help it stand out: Graphic Designer | Social Media & Flyers | Canva Expert
Overview/Summary: Remove the first line of your summary: "Hi, you can call me Lizzie." Here's why: when clients search for freelancers, only the first 200-225 characters of your summary are shown. This means you have very little space (approximately two short sentences) to get their attention. You want clients to see their goals (your services and results) in this small space--not greetings and names.
Next, your summary must go further to convince clients to hire you. There are thousands upon thousands of graphic designers on Upwork, so clients need several reasons--beyond skills--to choose you. For example:
- Tell clients how you communicate and gather feedback to ensure the final product meets their needs.
- Is Canva the only app you use or do you use other software applications like Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.?
- Do you provide unlimited revisions? Do you offer follow-up support after a design is delivered?
- Since a design is a project, mention your time management and organizational skills.
- Can you highlight any graphic design or social media projects you have worked on and your accomplishments?
- Talk about your ability to meet business challenges and adapt to changing or new requirements if necessary.
Clients looking for graphic designers will find them on Upwork. The question is, do they have enough good reasons to choose you? The information you provide can help them better understand why they should hire you and how it will benefit them.
Portfolio: The brand guidelines and social media designs look great, but clients will expect to see more samples from a graphic designer. The portfolio is a chance to make a positive first impression on potential clients and most graphic designers have 8 to 10 or more different portfolio items. If you don’t have relevant examples to add to your portfolio, you can create items that demonstrate your skills.
Hourly Rate: Your hourly rate is a bit low for a graphic designer based in Nigeria. I just checked and most Nigerian graphic designers are between $15.00/hr - $50.00/hr depending on experience and specialities. If you have very little or no experience as a graphic design professional, you may still want to bump your rate a little higher. When clients see low hourly rates, they often think low-quality work.
You should also consider adding a project catalog. The project catalog allows you to setup a pre-packaged service that clients can buy without you sending a proposal. Due to higher than usual requests for project catalogs, reviews and approvals are taking 10 to 30 days to complete. Read Get Started With Project Catalog for more information.
Good luck!
