Outsourcing makes the world go round – quite literally! When you outsource your work, you can base yourself anywhere, and hire a team anywhere across the world.
It’s also an ideal arrangement if you’re a business that doesn’t quite require a full-fledged in-house team, and are looking at scaling up your business in the near future.
Today, with the rise of digital nomads, creative teams are seeing a boom in outsourced workers, especially in a time where everything is quickly going digital.
If you’re thinking of setting up a cross-channel design team without the hassle of managing your people like a company with a human resource department would, this article is for you.
What is Cross-Channel Marketing?
Cross-channel marketing is a customer-focused digital marketing technique that marketers use to give customer integrated experiences allows marketers to reach out to customers across different channels, which can include digital platforms such as email, social media, web, mobile, apps, SMS, as well as customer support systems and physical ones such as call centers, in-store displays, as well as direct mail.
Cross-channel marketing’s main objective is more than just about acquiring new customers; it also aims to facilitate ongoing conversations with customers across all the channels they use, throughout the various customer life-cycle stages.
For example, if your customer has created an online account to shop with you, a subsequent step in your cross-channel marketing strategy may be to send an email with a discount code.
Cross-channel marketing is a boon in today’s digital marketing landscape.
One important reason is that it allows brands to not just keep the conversation going, but with time, suss out each customer’s preferred modes of communication, and then continue to engage them in the ways they are more receptive to.
This personalized touch will, in turn, lead to enhanced customer satisfaction, and ultimately, better customer loyalty.
As with any marketing campaign, various elements are needed, from SEO, to copywriting, design, content marketing, web design, social media design, and so much more.
In this article, we’re centering on design, as well as how to outsource talents to create your dream team – if you’re also keen on exploring outsourcing content marketing services, check out this article.
The Outsourced Cross Channel Design A-Team
Implementing cross-channel marketing strategies may seem intimidating at first, with multiple marketing channels to take care of.
This type of marketing connects experiences on different channels across a single campaign – and this means that you’ll need a team that is always in sync.
With the rise of offsite work, people are getting more resourceful, and more technologies are in place to make the collaboration process seamless.
Also, an outsourced team comes with the following benefits:
- It helps you efficiently expand your capacity, so that you have less downtime.
- It’s a relatively affordable option if you only require smaller tasks, usually on an ad-hoc basis.
- With outsourced talents, you can expand your portfolio of offerings, expertise and resources.
- You will also be able to scale your business and needs easily if you have a ready pool of outsourced talents.
- You get fresh pairs of eyes of people who aren’t set in your company’s ways.
- If you’ve got an outsourced workforce that’s large and flexible enough, you are likely to always have some available to meet tight deadlines.
In the design arena, you’ll be looking at design work for web, email, social and mobile platforms.
With such requirements, you are likely to be looking at setting up a team with a few designers, as designers typically do not do all of the above.
For example, you could be looking for designers for brochures, posters, emails, and more.
But especially in recent years where everyone is going digital and web design is recognized as a revenue-driving part of business, you will most likely be looking at the role of a web designer, which requires some very technical skills such as User Experience (UX) design.
Also, good web designers typically have at least basic knowledge in tech such as coding or web development.
As such, you should be looking at setting up a team with diverse skill sets.
3 Options For Outsourcing Cross-Channel Marketing Design Work
The scale of outsourcing varies. Depending on your needs and budget, you could be hiring one designer, a few with different skill sets, or even a full-fledged team that’s a company by itself!
Some options you can consider are:
1. Freelancers
One of the easiest ways to source for designers, freelancer-sourcing, can be quite affordable. However, it can also be a time-consuming or risky move to take, as you sometimes cannot be sure about how capable or reliable the freelancer actually is.
2. Design agency
You may also find yourself considering outsourcing the services of creative agencies, which typically have a ready workforce of design talents ready to take on any project you have in store for them.
3. On-demand design services
Some platforms have a ready pool of designers on hand – usually tried-and-tested ones. Typically a project manager matches you with one or a few designers that meet your criteria.
You pay on a per-project, per-hour or retainer basis.
Such platforms typically have good quality control processes and project managers are accountable for taking the project from start to finish.
3 Ways to Outsource Your Design Team Right
Once you’ve got your A-team all set up and raring to go, all you need to do is keep the processes smooth and simple!
Here are some steps to find the right people for your team.
1. Get Reliable Sources
One of the first things you would want to do is to form that team! Now, you could build your team by putting up a job posting online.
However, that would also mean that you will likely be receiving hundreds, many of which won’t be who you’re looking for.
One way you can get around this is to go beyond the conventional job search databases. Here are some channels you can look into:
- Recruitment agencies
Agencies – some of which specialize in particular areas and industries – can help you source for potential team members whose skills and expertise are aligned with what you’re looking for.
They’ll do the legwork, from sourcing for promising candidates, screening them and conducting preliminary interviews.
They will then shortlist some candidates, and you’ll get to meet the best of the best!
- Employees or team members
Because nobody wants to work with a less-than-capable team member, employee referrals can be one of the most reliable hiring channels.
Such candidates are likely to already have previously worked with your contact at some point, so you will have some confidence that your new team member will gel well with your team.
Try offering little rewards for every successful onboarding!
- Second-degree contacts
Never underestimate the power of contacts – all of us know someone who’s good at what he or she does. So, all you need to do is ask!
Tip! Assign trial projects to your designers
Once you have candidates with great resumes and portfolios in mind – go on to see them in action!
Even though they are outsourced staff who won’t really be working with you and your team full-time, given the nature of cross-channel marketing, there will be significant collaboration involved, and you’ll have to see how well these designers gel yourself, each other, and your team. Do they get along well with people?
Are they open to understanding the way things work with you? Are they able to be part of the project management process?
Again, given the collaborative and multi-faceted nature of work, are they able to meet deadlines well, so that the entire team can work like a well-oiled machine?
While a trial project will not necessarily help you sift out perfect designers, you’ll at least have an inkling of what it’s like to work with them.
2. Prepare all the required materials and information for designers
Having a clear brief can save you and your designers precious time, and also minimizes the risk of miscommunications and mistakes.
This requires you to clearly articulate the marketing and technical requirements for the product.
Here are some examples of what you will need to brief your designers with:
· Objectives of campaigns
· Deadlines
· Corporate communications requirements
· Approved copy
· A moodboard with examples of what you like and dislike
Below are some examples how how a brief can look like:
Source: Hire Digital
3. Organise your design workflow
When carrying out a project with so many parties involved, you’ll find great help with tech.
You can try a project management platform such as Monday, Basecamp, Asana and Trello – these are useful in helping you keep track of what all team members need to do, what has been completed, what needs to be done, deadlines, and more.
Outsourcing: a great business and marketing strategy
There’s no one way, or one-size-fits-all approach to outsource graphic design, especially for a complex endeavor such as cross-channel marketing. You’ll need to test the waters and do some trial and error before finding the perfect formula.
However, with design being a critical element of marketing efforts, it does make sense for you to spend more time on this aspect.
We wish you all the best in your marketing and outsourcing journey!
Are you looking to outsource or get outsourced? Create beautiful and professional business proposals with ease and close more deals using Prospero’s proposal management tool.
Author’s Bio: Eileen Chan is the Commercial Director at Hire Digital, a world-class network of pre-vetted digital marketers, developers, and designers on demand.
