Three Benefits of Partnering With a Graphic Designer

All professional graphic designers understand the basics of design: layout, grids, color theory, typography, but the very best also have a deep understanding of strategy and how it applies to marketing and branding. The best designers understand how the value of exceptional design, created with a purpose, adds to a business and brand growth. Strategic understanding is crucial. We see how all of the pieces fit together and understand the role visual elements play in bringing your brand story to life.  

There are several benefits to hiring a graphic designer for specific projects. A good graphic designer will save you time and money, ask smart questions, and provide plenty of value without needing to be micromanaged. We are a dependable and resourceful lot: finding creative solutions to business problems is what we do.

But the benefits are so much more significant, and our work together is truly transformational when we establish a partnership. Graphic design is a critical business asset that has the potential to transform your business. But you can’t get a transformational result from a transactional relationship

Why to partner not just hire. Three benefits of partnering with a graphic designer.

Whether you are a business owner, founder of an entrepreneurial startup, marketing consultant, or chief marketing officer, you owe it to yourself to partner with a talented branding and visual communications expert. Here are a few you can benefit from partnering with a graphic designer:

1. Find creative solutions to business challenges. 

The best graphic designers have a deep understanding of branding and marketing strategy and can help you create and implement a plan to grow your business. It all starts with establishing a strong brand that resonates with your audience. Your brand is your business’s personality, and every graphic element has to evoke the right emotion. It might be adventurous or cautious, energetic or calm, traditional or innovative. A strong brand has a strong personality. It captures how you want your audience to feel when they first encounter your business. 

Your marketing strategy is built on your brand strategy and messaging. Whether your goal is to launch a new business or a new product, expand your reach, or spread the word about an upcoming event, your marketing strategy will outline the tactics and touchpoints to make it happen. And from that marketing strategy, you can create a list of marketing collateral to develop — from brochures, direct mail pieces, and conference swag to digital ads, infographics, and social media posts.

The sooner you partner with a graphic designer, the more you will benefit from their insights and in-depth understanding of branding and marketing. By partnering with a graphic designer, you’ll be able to build a strong brand and convey a clear and compelling message. 

2. Make a great first impression. 

You only have one chance to make a great first impression. In many cases, that first impression is informed by the quality of your website and other marketing collateral. Good design gives your business credibility. It builds trust with your audience and positions your company as the best solution to the problems that keep your clients up at night. 

But if the design is unprofessional, how can your clients trust that your company can provide the solution they need? 

A clear, unique, and memorable marketing message must be accompanied by an equally compelling visual system that represents your brand. A good designer gives shape to your brand while adding ideas to develop a strong visual identity that speaks to your audience.

3. Be consistently seen and heard by your audience. 

You can’t earn your audience’s business without first gaining their trust. And you can’t gain your audience’s trust without showing up consistently with a clear and compelling message. Great design amplifies your message, helps you earn your audience’s trust, and builds brand recognition.

In today’s business world, your online presence — your website, social media, email newsletter, and digital advertising — is the most effective tool to make sure you are seen and heard by your audience. A user-friendly website that is responsive and accessible is a powerful communication tool and at the heart of any online communications effort. Social media, email marketing, and digital advertising expand those efforts, converting your prospects into clients. Print materials subsidize your online presence, deepening the relationship with your audience.

Related article: Fix your Social Media Schedule Struggles with SocialBee

Are you ready to partner with a graphic designer?

In an increasingly competitive market, being average isn’t good enough. Your marketing needs to be exceptional to cut through the noise and be noticed by your target market. By partnering with a graphic designer who will put in the time to research your company and your competition, understand your audience, identify your business challenge, and create marketing collateral that responds to the needs of the people you serve, you will stand out from the crowd.

Your time is too valuable to spend doing anything other than what is within your zone of genius. Instead of trying to do it all yourself, build a team of trusted experts who can help you reach your goals. As Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy wrote in Who Not How, successful growth depends on changing your mindset from asking how you will accomplish your goal to asking who will help you accomplish your goal. 

Are you looking for a creative partner for your business — a who to take on the how of branding and visual communications? If so, give me a call.