While most sectors took a beating in 2020, the global digital marketing and advertising grew to an eye-watering 322 billion dollars industry.
While this growth has been an on-going trend, the figures speak to something more. This past year when businesses could not operate, as usual, they went the digital way to remain relevant and visible.
But for players in the ultra-competitive graphic design space, growing their business and bagging more accounts is an ever-growing concern. How do you take your business to greater heights in 2021? Here are some tips to help you achieve this goal.
1. Embrace Change
The past year has emphasized the need to adapt quickly to the environment. This goes for both individuals and businesses.
Businesses that have been able to pull through have shelved their idea of how business should be done and picked up new ideas on how the business has to be done. There is a need to evaluate and continuously find new ways of getting things done, be it working from home, running a lean outfit, and so on.
Essentially, you need to be open to repackaging yourself into what the market demands at any given time. Anything less than this, and you risk being edged out.
2. Follow the Money
While creativity is essential, it is not enough to keep your business afloat. Once you decide to open and grow your own agency, you need to combine creativity and business acumen to remain profitable.
One of the things you cannot afford to do is lose sight of your finances.
As businesses struggle to recover this year, it’s expected that they will be operating with lower capital reserves than usual. Often when this happens, marketing is among the area’s businesses cut back on.
However, this can have a negative impact on sales especially if your competitors decide to take a different approach. If you are to remain profitable, you have to evaluate ways to cut costs while increasing impact. Constantly evaluate areas your business could make cost savings without negating on service delivery.
3. Polish and Specialize Your Skills
Like with any other business, having in-depth knowledge in your line of business is imperative. While less than excellent ideas and concepts may have carried through in the past, the future demands nothing less than perfection.
There are numerous specialties in graphics. Going where your strengths lie means you can lead your team better and, ultimately, deliver optimally.
The most in-demand graphic skills include animation, infographics, brand strategizing, and logo designing. While the industry continues to grow, the focus is shifting from generalists to specialists.
Therefore, it helps to explore different niches, identify where your strengths lie, and pick up projects in that line. This expertise is what will allow you to manage, motivate and lead your team into the big leagues.
4. Transform Your Website into a Lead Generator
Prospective clients looking for a graphic designer to work with will likely begin their search online. With any luck, they should land on your website. Many business people can tell you how demoralizing it is when site visitors drop off and do not return.
You can avoid this by finding ways to nudge visitors into taking some action. This does not always mean making a purchase. Something as simple as requesting clients for an email to receive updates on the latest in the industry or a personalized portfolio can work wonders.
The further down you can get visitors down the funnel, the more chances you have at converting.
Final Thoughts
These tips should help you grow your graphics design agency irrespective of its current size. Alongside these, keep an eye out for market trends, your competition and keep seeking out new accounts.
