Whether you are a freelancer or you work for a design agency, getting your name spread in the design community should be a top priority. A lot of doors can be opened with a just a little networking when using the right strategy to contact the top design bloggers.

An interview or feature on a top design blog with a large existing audience of your peers can be a major ingredient for success. Here is a list of the top 10 tips to get that design blog exposure and take you to the next level.

You may also want to check out this article on Arbent 10 No-No’s When Contacting a Blogger” the other half of the story.

1.) Direct E-mail

I had to list direct e-mail as the first option because it starts the introduction. It is the most forward and “to the point” way you can ask for exposure. However, direct e-mail alone is usually not enough. You need to perform a few of the remaining tips to earn some blog love.

2.) Get Involved

You know your Uncle Larry who only calls when he needs a favor? Yeah…you screen his calls for that reason. The same will happen in the design blog community if you haven’t spent time getting involved first. It’s so easy to do. Just leave some comments on the blog and add to the conversation.

3.) Include a Link to Your Portfolio

When leaving those comments from Tip #2, always link back to your personal website or portfolio so the blogger and their community can check you out. If you’re good enough, your work will speak for itself. If you are e-mailing the blogger, always include links to your site or portfolio in the e-mail to give yourself added credibility.

4.) Provide Ideas

There are many days that bloggers wake up and bang their head against the wall for hours trying to figure out the next subject to write about. Lend them a hand and give them a good idea, and they are sure to return the favor.

5.) Promote the Blog

Submit an article from the blog to Design Bump or Design Float and let them know how much you enjoyed it. Flattery can go a long way.

6.) Offer an Exchange

Do you have something that they can benefit from? Maybe you have expertise in a subject that they don’t feel versed enough to write about. That is the perfect situation for a guest post. This is often one of the most lucrative scenarios for exposure.

7.) Provide a Giveaway

Bloggers love to give stuff away. Do you have some custom brushes or vector art that you don’t mind parting with? Offer it to them in conjunction with a contest they are doing or as a single post for linkbait.

8.) Do A Tutorial

Tutorials are so valuable right now that places like the Envato Network will pay you up to $150 for one. Design bloggers love tutorials because their audience craves them.

9.) Create a Blog

I shouldn’t have to list this one, but we are designers and not copywriters. You can get a tricked out WordPress blog that acts as your personal website, content management system and as your blog.

10.) Offer a Discount

The last one doesn’t apply in all situations, but if possible, give an exclusive discount. If you sell services or products, then you can almost always count on an exclusive promo code being published on a blog.

So what are you waiting for? It is time to get after it. Accomplish these 10 tips and I am sure that we’ll all be knowing your name soon in the design community.