One question businesses and organisations will ask themselves when planning a content design project is whether using the services of an external content design agency is a good idea. Well, there’s a lot to think about.
On one hand, a competent in-house editorial team may already be in place and able to do the work, the budget is tight and could the in-house team and an external agency form a productive partnership?
On the other hand, agencies are specialists doing a specialist job. In the face of the growing trend for templated projects, an agency will make more of the information designed in a unique way for the client. They are used to forming productive partnerships, bringing ideas to the table and getting the most ROI for client budgets.
So, here’s five good reasons why to use an external content design agency:
Experience
Content design is not an easy skill to acquire but, surprise, surprise, content design agencies have acquired it.
They bring a specialist knowledge and experience to projects that an in-house team possibly cannot. And a key specialism can make all the difference to the quality and effctiveness of the final product.
At NWC Design for example, we are all about the science of data and information design and the way the brain interprets, stores and recalls information. As our design is driven by this scientific understanding we can create more effective visual content.
Creativity
A specialist content design agency will be able to get under the skin of the project and, in effect, become part of the client’s team.
Consequently, it gets to understand the audience as if it was in-house and then adds a freshness and creativity from an outside perspective. Being part of the team but being external at the same time helps generate that spark of inspiration.
Efficiency
Many projects get tied up in internal processes and that can lead to a slow-down in the work rate. In turn, deadlines get stretched, costs rise and an interesting and exciting project becomes a burden for clients.
Specialist external agencies are geared up to work on particular project types. They have the resources and processes in place to work very efficiently and produce high quality work quickly.
Economy
In its broadest sense, there’s an economic benefit to bringing in an outside agency. Content design agencies live and breathe in content creation. They can provide innovative ideas for repurposing content and reaching wider audiences. This could result in a much higher ROI.
As for resourcing, it means the in-house team can turn its attention to other pressing projects. In terms of the product, an agency should aim to give value by creating content that can be used in a wide range of ways; from business development to social engagement.
Partnership
It pays to have one eye on the future as well as the present. If the client is happy because the project goes well and the results are good, it now knows it has an external agency on their books that it can trust to get a job done and done well.
Meanwhile, the agency will have a good understanding of the aims of the business as well as the audience. They can provide continued value in the form of innovative ideas and suggestions.
Using a content design agency can have a big impact on a range of outcomes; from creative output to overall brand value, and audience engagement to sales enquiries.
What’s more, it can bring a wealth of specific experience to help you squeeze the most content from your budget, maximising value and return on investment.
