Marketing Design: How to Use Graphic Design to Boost Marketing

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Whether you're just getting started with graphic design or you're a seasoned designer looking for more clients and work opportunities, look no further than the marketing industry. Businesses of all kinds can benefit from the skills of graphic designers to enhance their marketing messages and boost the reach of well-designed ads. Continue reading to learn how.

How graphic design can benefit marketing

Marketing and graphic design go hand-in-hand. While marketers have the goal of attracting interested customers to their brand for both new and repeat business, graphic design provides the perfect opportunity to create visually appealing designs to help attract those prospective customers and convey the brand's message effectively.

So how exactly can graphic design boost a business's marketing efforts? Because graphic design is a highly visual method of communication, it can enhance just about any aspect of marketing. Graphic design can help improve a business's branding with expertly crafted logos and consistent, recognizable designs throughout the brand's email signatures, business cards, flyers, and more. Marketers know just how valuable strong branding is to a business, so the importance of these materials and their design can't be understated.

Marketers can also use the help of a graphic designer when it comes to creating their ad campaigns. Both digital and print ads can greatly benefit from the skills of a graphic designer to create an aesthetically appealing and eye-catching design that communicates the brand's message quickly and effectively. From social media profile images and banners, branded content, paid ad campaigns, banner ads, and print ads of all kinds, the objective is to attract people's attention so they can take in the contents of the ad. An expertly designed graphic or illustration can help marketers do just that with enticing typography, bold colors, contrasting elements, and much more.

How to choose the best graphic design software

There is a multitude of graphic design software available on the market, and each one comes with a different set of integrated features, ease of use, and pricing to suit designers of all skill levels with different needs and preferences. Choosing the right one for you will depend on your unique needs and current skill set. Here is a variety of software options at varying features and price ranges:

Adobe Suite

The Adobe Suite is widely known as a common industry standard and includes a variety of software such as Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, and more.

Pros:

• Well-known software in the industry
• Large repository of helpful articles, tutorials, and FAQs to navigate the software and troubleshoot
• Easy-to-find video tutorials and courses from other users

Cons:

• The cost of the software adds up quickly if you need to utilize more than one
• Overwhelming navigation for new users
• The software has a learning curve and can be time-consuming to learn

CorelDRAW

The CorelDRAW Suite includes a variety of software options to suit the needs of all types of designers with different skill levels and needs for various features.

Pros:

• Multiple programs are available to accommodate designers of all skill levels
• Options include the stripped-down CorelDRAW Essentials program for beginners or designers who only need to use basic features, the CorelDRAW Standard software, and the fully-featured CorelDRAW Graphics Suite for power users and professionals
• Free trials are available to try before you buy
• Easy to learn and use, so designers can get to work quickly

Cons:

• Limited integration with other software for designers who use multiple programs

Free or low-cost online alternatives

Some free or low-cost alternatives are available to use online, such as Canva, Vectr, Design Wizard, and more.

Pros:

• Options are either free, come with a free trial, or have a low-cost subscription available for additional features
• Great for those with no graphic design skills or beginners who haven't learned to use a more comprehensive program yet
• Template-based drag-and-drop functionality makes it quick and easy to create designs

Cons:

• Features are limited
• File downloads may be limited
• Less customization over the end product

Conclusion

Graphic designers can find lots of work opportunities with marketers who will have a steady demand for well-designed materials for the various marketing and advertising needs of their businesses. There is a wide assortment of graphic design software available with varying skill levels, features, and affordability. To be well-equipped to handle different projects for marketers, graphic designers should find software that meets all their needs and provides them with the opportunity to create the different file types and designs that their clients need.