BankMarketingCenter

There’s no doubt that the gig worker pool has grown. According to Upwork, “the U.S. freelance or “gig” workforce is growing faster than the overall U.S. workforce, outpacing overall U.S. workforce growth at a rate 3x faster. Freelancers are expected to be the majority of the U.S. workforce by 2027, based on growth rates witnessed in the past year.” And it’s no surprise. While gig workers are finding the independent contractor lifestyle appealing, businesses are enjoying the savings they’re realizing from a reduced workforce.

Hiring marketing talent, or any talent for that matter, can certainly have its challenges.  The hiring process is time-consuming and costly, and studies have time and time again shown that nearly 50% of new hires don’t last more than 18 months. As a result, the marketing professionals at smaller, community banks are looking to external providers; ad agencies, design firms, and, of course, the gig worker.

These service providers are not inexpensive.  Long term, retainer relationships with ad agencies, for instance, are tough due to shifting budgets, market conditions, workload, and more. “Project-based” relationships aren’t easy, either. They’re expensive, too and can require a significant investment of your time, as well. Then, there’s the freelancer; the individual who is usually “repped” by an Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr… or a recruiting/talent management firm such as Robert Half or Creative Circle. Here, since gig workers are less expensive than ad agencies and design firms, there’s an opportunity to, perhaps, save some money and get the work you need done. 

While I can’t claim to have had experience with all of these resources, I’ve had more than my fair share with some and, in general, the talent I’ve seen is pretty good.  Some quite good, in fact.  But the point is this:  Finding the right freelance help is not about talent. 

Say your bank is launching a new product or service. Perhaps you’ve just re-designed your website to radically improve your customer’s digital banking experience. You now need a multi-channel campaign to get that message out:  In-branch signage, social media messaging, press releases, print and online advertising, a drip email campaign, and blogs. You don’t want to engage an outside agency because of the cost so you take on the role of marketing “general contractor,” and hire the freelancers you need with the goal of managing them just as a contractor would manage the electricians, dry wallers, plumbers, etc. in constructing a new home.

First, you need to find the right individuals for the job. That, in itself, can be your fulltime job for weeks. Here, for example, is what you’ll find on Fiverr in your search for someone who can put together an animated video:

“I’ll do an amazing, animated explainer video for you… starting at $120.”

“I will create an animated explainer video… starting at $5.”

“I’ll do a great animation video for your business… starting at $2500.”

So, after a somewhat exhaustive search that involves judging their creative and strategic-thinking abilities, as well as widely differing pricing, you identify your team. Once you’ve worked with them on their availabilities (add another week of discussion) and they’ve all “cleared their decks” to start work on your campaign, you then need to get them ramped up not just on your campaign parameters, but on your brand. Your deadline still looms.  You’ve gotten them on-boarded and they’re on the job.  Your front-end web developer suddenly needs to go out of town while at about the same time, your copywriter takes on another project that pays better but “can still do what you need.”  Your project’s schedule and timeline have now gone out the window and several of your team members are having scheduling issues. Your “new and improved” digital experience is, unfortunately, no longer that “new.”

You get the picture, I’m sure. As the old adage goes, it’s sometimes easier to do something yourself then to try to explain what you need to someone else. And this can certainly be true when working with hired guns, no matter how talented they are. They’re not employees, so you can’t manage their schedules. Nor have you really gotten to know “how” they work. You know “what” they can do, but skill sets are often not as critical as attitude. 

Freelancers go through a process that, like The Seven Stages of Grief, we can call The Five Stages of Project Work.

1) Initial conversation where parameters and compensation and are agreed upon; both parties are excited

2) First deliverable not up to snuff; freelancer pushes back on critique

3) Timeline changes, forcing all to re-arrange their schedules; freelancer is privately wondering if he/she did the right thing by taking on the gig

4) Second deliverable not up to snuff; freelancer feeling truly demotivated at this juncture

5) Issue of compensation arises with “scope” change; freelancer actively looking for another project.  Yours is now relegated to “if I have time” status

Now, having said all of the above, I’ll also say this. Not every creative project goes this way. Some, by stroke of luck, act of God, whatever you want to call it, go smooth as silk; the work is great, deadlines are met, everyone’s happy. But, when you’ve invested in a product or service worth marketing, and you’re investing more in the messaging around it, can you afford to gamble on talent you’ve probably just met?

About Bank Marketing Center

Here at BankMarketingCenter.com, our goal is to help you with that vital, relevant, and compelling communication that will help you build trust, relationships, and with them, your brand. All while saving you time and money.

To view our marketing creative, both print and digital – ranging from product and brand ads to in-branch brochures and signage –  visit bankmarketingcenter.com. Or, you can contact me directly by phone at 678-528-6688 or email at nreynolds@bankmarketingcenter.com. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

“If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” It’s an adage that, in my personal experience anyway, has proven all too true. Whether it’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal on a pre-owned automobile, a “ground floor” investment opportunity, or the “right around the corner” date when I’ll finally be able to get my COVID-19 vaccine, I’ve learned over the years to take such barely believable opportunities with a grain of salt. This brings me to the promises that companies are making when it comes to the use of stock photography.

The reason I bring this up is that 1) my business relies on the use of stock photography, 2) I’ve been hearing a lot about this lately from my financial industry friends, and 3) I hate seeing people get taken advantage of.

Here’s an example. Right now, many banks and credit unions are promoting their mobile banking and thinking that it’s okay to use a photo of an iPhone with an Apple logo on it. That’s because there are stock photo suppliers out there that will tell you it’s okay. Truth is, it isn’t… okay, that is. Apple states this pretty clearly in their Trademark Guidelines: “Only Apple and its authorized resellers and licensees may use the Apple Logo in advertising, promotional, and sales materials.”  Of course, if your marketing department is planning on using it in your advertising, well, that – as Apple states – is very illegal and could put you in legal jeopardy.  (Note: Any major brand is going to have similar trademark restrictions and you must always remain aware of the fact that such use is commercial use, not personal, and the rights, restrictions and fees associated with commercial use are much different from those that apply to personal use.)

Now, you’ll probably find this amusing. I know I did. I did some research into stock photo websites – their available images, how to use them, how much they cost, etc. – and here are some of the things I found. 

Check out this quote from a site I came across when I conducted a Google search using the phrase “royalty-free images”. This comes from a site that supposedly guides you to the best stock image resources around:

“But don’t fret, my friend! Free stock photos are easy to find if you know where to look. Grab this list of over 80 places to get royalty-free images. However, while there are places to find copyright-free images, you need to understand the legalese to avoid getting into trouble using stock photography that requires additional licensing. We are not saying these sites have 100% risk-free images. What we say is theirs are safer than the rest.”

Not exactly helpful, is it? I found this info on another site that supposedly provides guidance in using stock images:

“No free stock photo site can guarantee the author (the uploader) has the appropriate releases on file, so you have to do that instead and do your own diligent research. Or just stay away from photos that are on thin ice or just flat out dangerous to use and choose more generic ones, with non-identifiable people or property.”

Now, I don’t want to name names, but this quotation is from the License Agreement section of Canva’s website. Canva is a very popular web-based design application that gives you the ability to create your own ad designs utilizing an image resource called Pro Stock Media, which states:

“While we have made reasonable efforts to correctly categorize, keyword, caption and title the Stock Media, Canva does not warrant the accuracy of such information and Canva also does not warrant the accuracy of any metadata that may be provided with the Stock Media. If you want to end this agreement you don’t have to get Arnold Schwarzenegger involved. Just shred any printed copies of the design and delete any files related to the design. We can change this license whenever we want. If anyone takes legal action over any Stock Media you are using, you must stop using the Stock Media, delete or remove the Stock Media, and let us know about it.”

Okay, so now that Canva has made it clear (sort of) that they take no responsibility whatsoever for what they’ve just told you, they’re then going to confuse you further with other parameters that you maybe should or shouldn’t be concerned about:

• Your final designs can be no larger than 600px by 800px
• You cannot remove any embedded copyright notices from the stock image.
• You cannot use the stock images in a way that competes with Canva
• You cannot use the stock images identified as relating to events that are newsworthy or of general interest and expressly excludes any advertorial sections

We reached out to a couple of the photographers that have photos on Canva and asked them if they have releases on their iPhone photos. We received responses similar to this one: “Unfortunately I don’t, which is why I don’t sell this photo (and instead I give it away for free).”

If all of this sounds confusing, and perhaps even a bit frightening, that’s because it is. What’s really frightening, however, is that with companies like Canva, that tell you that you can use their images without getting sued, well, you can end up getting sued. What do you do then?  Just follow Canva’s advice, “You don’t have to get Arnold Schwarzenegger involved. Just shred any printed copies of the design and delete any files related to the design.” Then, since that advice is completely worthless, get yourself a good lawyer as your bank or credit could be on the proverbial hook for damages; in which case, even Arnold probably won’t be able to help you.

About Bank Marketing Center

Here at BankMarketingCenter.com, our goal is to help you with that vital, topical and compelling communications with your customers and prospective customers; messaging that will help you build trust, relationships, and with them, your brand. In customizing our layouts, you'll have access to thousands of images. Since we have a relationship with the stock image provider, you can use any image you choose, worry free. To view our marketing creative, both print and digital – ranging from product and brand ads to in-branch brochures and signage –  visit bankmarketingcenter.com. Or, you can contact me directly by phone at 678-528-6688 or email at nreynolds@bankmarketingcenter.com. As always, I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.