Should You Outsource to a Social Media Graphic Designer?

Written by Des Fourie

Have you considered outsourcing your graphic needs to a social media graphic designer? Technology has made it easier than ever to learn and apply different skills in all facets of business. But the question is — should you really be doing everything yourself?

The Importance of Social Media Graphics

Graphics, imagery and design are a huge part of any business. It’s the first thing potential customers notice, and it portrays the general quality of the work that you produce.

While it might seem effortless these days to grab a stock image or use design software like Canva, which makes designing straightforward, is that really creating the best portrayal of your brand? These conveniences can mean that your graphics are created without being given enough thought, which can ultimately lead to images which look uniformly banal.

Social Media Graphic Design Know-How

A professional social media graphic designer not only has an eye for creating attractive graphics, but also has the know-how to capture and convey your brand essence. From the very beginning when designing initial brand assets and throughout the ongoing campaign process, they know how to continuously create branded material to set you apart from the crowd.

It isn’t enough to simply put a few stock images and well-paired fonts together. Designers know how to thread the silver lining of a company’s image throughout project strategies.

Also remember that it’s not just about creating the individual graphics; there is also strategy to consider about how each individual element is fitting in with your greater marketing efforts.

When is it Time to Outsource?

Let’s face it — graphic design can be very time-consuming, and there’s nothing worse than homemade looking graphics. At best, they look sloppy. At worst, they can reflect poorly on your entire brand, making your business look shoddy and unprofessional.

To be effective, the graphics themselves must go hand in hand with the messaging that goes into each caption. That’s why the best social media graphic designer, either working alone or as part of a team, can handle the entire social media content creation and management process.

By outsourcing graphics to a professional, you free up time for your team to focus on the important day-to-day challenges that they are most skilled in. This is especially important when it comes to high volume projects.

When You’re Ready To Grow…

There is generally a gap between very small businesses on shoestring budgets and large businesses that are established enough to build out their own internal marketing departments. If you fall somewhere in the middle, you might already have someone doing graphic design on your team, but this will rarely support your ability to really nurture and grow your business with the marketing it deserves.

By outsourcing to a professional social media graphic designer, you make room for more diversity and fresh ideas. Most importantly, you can shift your focus from the busy work of creating social media graphics because you know “it’s important for my business to be on social media” to strategic campaigns that drive the calls to action that will help grow your business.

A professional social media graphic designer will be able to strategize and execute your social media marketing campaigns with the bigger picture in mind. The professional branded graphics that they make will support your overall campaign and help show a better return on your investment.

So. Should you outsource to a social media graphic designer?

The short answer is: Probably yes!

If you don’t have the expertise to plan out your social media graphic strategies, then it would be a very good idea for you to outsource, either to an individual or to an established team like we have here at Barker Social. We work as an extension of your team to form your very own digital marketing department.

The coronavirus has shown just how possible it is to collaborate virtually and graphic design is one of those jobs that can be done from anywhere in the world — as long as the deadlines and quality expectations are met.

Established companies can create their own virtual marketing departments and therefore save more money by not having to pay for office space, electricity, etc. Small to midsize businesses can absolutely benefit from the expertise of marketing specialists at a fraction of the cost of hiring full-time staff — and with better results.

If you’re ready to explore social media graphic design outsourcing for your business, contact us today for a free marketing consultation. We know a thing or two about marketing worth shouting about!

Thank you Des Fourie for writing this blog post!