Once you have decided to brand your church, you will need a knowledgeable graphic designer. Choosing between a full-time staff member or contracted designer is a big part of this process. While a staff member might seem to be the obvious route, there are great benefits to outsourcing.
Turnaround is typically faster.
Usually, designers who are outsourced are experienced enough to create high quality work in a shorter amount of time.
For a staff media person with other day-to-day tasks and distractions, focusing on a single design and accomplishing the best quality in a short amount of time is difficult. Churches usually hire at the low end of salaries for these positions because of budgets, so the position is often filled by someone without significant experience.
While a staff member being at your call can be beneficial, things may get difficult to manage as other needs continue to arise from multiple church departments.
Contracted media specialists are in a position to dedicate time to specific projects, from concept to creation to fine-tuning, without much distractions. They have the experience to understand your need and fulfill it within a quick time frame while still maintaining excellence.
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After I graduated from college, I got a few job offers, but decided to work at a large church. I got to work on a bunch of different types of projects. I worked extremely hard—long days, lots of hours, trying to do everything from logos, T-shirts graphics, promotions, ads, videos, even some photography. 10 years later, I’m still doing a lot of the same things as a contracted designer, but I’ve gotten a whole lot faster, more efficient, and can deliver graphics at a much higher level than I could back then when I was starting out. I believe that churches I work for now as a contractor, benefit more from me than what I was able to deliver back then as a member to a church staff. I am just as affordable now as I was as a newbie, but I can now deliver at a greater level.
[Michael Persaud, Persaud Creative Inc]
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Outsourcing is financially beneficial.
Hiring media specialists on retainer can help your church get more for their money.
Virtual media groups allow for a wide range of media services at about the price of a staff hire for one position. Graphics, video, and web can all be done at a high level by specialists in a media group for a reasonable cost.
To feel more comfortable with outsourcing and develop a trusting relationship with those you outsource, a retainer is a good option. Retainers allow for more of a staff feel where a set amount of work is done for a monthly cost. This allows the church to budget accurately and the contractor to be more responsive.
To make outsourcing work, it is best to have an internal contact person who is dedicated to communicating with the media contractor and feeding them information. Once this relationship is established, the outcome will benefit your church as a whole, along with the way you reach your community.
In closing, here are a few tips for working with your designer:
- Choose carefully. Is their style what you’re looking for? Are they experienced? Organized?
- Communicate clearly. Anyone involved must all be on the same page. Share feedback clearly and timely.
- Stick to deadlines. This includes everyone who is part the process.
- Try to understand each other, and be patient.
Have you ever had an experience with outsourcing? What are some tips you might offer?
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