Times have changed and today, companies are opting for a flexible working model while doing away the traditional structures. Be it remotely working teams or an army of freelancers being hired, the companies are keeping client and workforce preferences above anything else. This trend has resulted in outsourcing becoming one of the most favoured practices especially when it comes to marketing. Earlier companies used to hire a vast range of people, each with their own specialisations. While this model can be successful for large and established organisations, hiring and maintaining a large workforce can become a burden for a startup.

Utilising specialised agencies and outsourcing the graphic design needs has paved way for some phenomenal marketing strategies. With the fast internet and latest technologies, businesses can now tap into the vast pool of specialised and experienced designers from anywhere in the world. While outsourcing the graphic design services has become a widely accepted practice, some businesses still hesitate in taking up this route. Just as with any approach, this also comes with its own set of pros and cons.

Here are 7 benefits you can enjoy if you outsource graphic design services:

1. It is economical

As the services are rendered only for a particular project, only the relevant costs are to be borne. For instance, the costs for an in-house graphic designer start adding up right from hiring, day to day expenses which include machinery, infrastructure, management, health benefits and so on. This may seem a smart choice for well established and large organisations who have elaborate departments and a constant inflow of funds. But in the case of startups and medium-sized organisations, outsourcing the job would prove to be more affordable. Hiring a freelance graphic designer for a project or task can also provide a cost-effective solution without compromising on the quality of the work.

You can have your pick when it comes to an outsourced agency or a freelancer, they need not be located in your area. The whole criteria for choosing a graphic design agency can be the quality of work and cost of the project. The money saved by outsourcing the graphic design services can be channelled in other marketing activities.

2. Offers a great variety of creativity and talent

Graphic design is more than combining image and text or creating a logo. Each colour has numerous shades and each shade serves a purpose. While it is an art, the empty spaces, colours used, text placement, each has their own significance. Certain designs capture the attention quickly, while some get lost in the crowd. With an entire graphic design agency at your disposal, you can rest assured that the designs would be great with the necessary elements.

Graphic design agencies which specialize in designing, have the experienced and best talent of the industry. Since they concentrate on designing only, their portfolio is diverse with different styles of designing flairs. When you outsource, you are not restricted to a small in-house team or resource, you benefit from a whole organisation dealing only in designing services. With a complete agency at your disposal, you need not to worry about the overall designs and their effectiveness. These designs would have been created by the industry experts based on your brief and their knowledge.

3. It will save time and effort

Graphic design requires a keen eye, working knowledge of the designing tools and a creative disposition. Many business owners are not fluent in design, making it difficult for them to get deeply involved with the in-house designing expert or team. When they are managing and instructing an in house resource for a designing task, it can add to the stress. Even if the business owner has skills in the area, the time and effort which can be devoted to creating designs themselves or with the assistance of the in-house resource can be monumental. The initial design, final execution and edits can take a long time and add to the stress. On the other hand, as the task is delegated to a third party, a graphic designing agency or a freelancer, the time and energy saved can be directed to other business tasks.

Some business owners have shown a preference for online graphics tools in recent years. These tools are AI-based and hence assist in creating the designs based on their inspirations and preferences. Using these tools, you can create social media images, posters, logo maker tool for creating logo, brochures, business card maker for business card creation and much more.

4. Provides flexibility and scalability of design ideas

As your business grows, your marketing needs may change. In case the current agency is not being able to cater to your needs or preferences, you can switch to another party without any additional costs. Today the market is dynamic, each day brings a new trend. this flexibility is comforting as it offers you a chance to adapt and easily shift gears whenever needed.

Graphic design services include a plethora of various services such as product design, packaging design, logo design, brochure design, web design and much more. Hiring someone that specialises in each or most of them would not be a feasible option. Instead look for an agency which employs the best designers for each. You can also divide and delegate between two agencies based on what they have to offer best. Hiring an external agency or freelancer would relieve the marketing team from a lot of stress without compromising on the quality of designs.

5. Outsourcing the graphic design services brings accountability

Graphic design agencies rely upon the success of their work to attract more projects. Each successful design and thriving project becomes a testament to their work. Therefore with each design, they try to bring their best on the table. As you aspire to achieve maximum return on investment, so does the graphic design agency, hence they leave no stone unturned in creating an amazing design. Most of the times, they offer two or more options for each design to make sure that the best designs are used for marketing. For an external design agency, you are a client and your needs come first. Creating the best designs for you, based on your preferences becomes their priority and all their resources get pooled to meet your requirements.

At each stage of business, you need graphic designs to give your business a visual boost. Outsourcing your graphic designs can provide an opportunity to involve an organisation as focused and hungry for success as you. It also provides a key opportunity to build contacts and forge relationships which can open more business avenues for each party.

6. Gain from focused and specialised talent

The main focus of design agencies is to create and supply with the best of designs. As the payment is per project, they are focused and performance oriented. The agencies are aware of the fact that more projects, more designs will build up their reputation in the market and result in more work coming their way. This works as a constant factor which encourages freelance designers and design agencies to work harder and smarter.

When it comes to design, it is not recommended to follow the “one size fits all” approach. These agencies employ an arsenal of designers who are specialised in their respective fields. If there is a designer who specialises in brochure design, he/she may not necessarily be hands-on in creating a great website design. For businesses, it may not be practical to employ a specialised resource for each job.

7. Your energy can be focused on driving the business

Running a business requires a lot of energy and effort. Business owners are always on their toes while managing all the various tasks associated with the business such as management, sales, finances and so on. By delegating the designs to an external agency or designer, you can rest assured about the process that entails the designing. The role of the business owners is confined to providing brief and reference designs to the agency. This helps them in understanding the preferences and expectations. The next requirement of the business owner’s involvement is once the designs are complete.

Most of the times, agencies provide two or more designs for the clients to choose from. They can select the design they like the most and even get relevant changes done. With the designs outsourced, time and energy of the business owners are freed and they can concentrate better on driving the business.

With abundant freelancers working across the globe, round the clock, businesses have a variety of talent at their disposal. This pool of talent can be put to good use when businesses outsource their graphic design requirements. Based on these benefits, organisations with large design tasks should delegate it to the third party agencies or designers. The key to finding a good fit is acquiring samples and the current portfolio of the company. Once you zero in on a company offering the best cost efficient designs, the entire marketing journey becomes easier, leaving you more focused and dedicated to taking your business to new heights.

Author's Bio: 

Anne Carton is a blogger and Digital Marketing Consultant at a crowdsourcing company. She is a social media enthusiast, online market analyst, amateur designer and an avid author. She has written on several topics including social media marketing, content marketing, designing trends, startup strategies, and e-commerce. When not writing, she loves spending her time reading romantic novels.