Who this guide is for

As a graphic design agency with 20-50 team members, managing client projects, staying on top of deadlines, and maintaining clear communication across your growing team can be challenging.

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system designed for mid-sized graphic design teams can help you streamline these tasks by organizing client communications, tracking project progress, and automating follow-ups—all in one centralized platform. With the right CRM, your team can focus more on creative work while keeping operations organized and efficient at scale.

In this blog post, we'll explore the best CRM options for graphic design agencies of your size, highlighting tools that will enhance your workflow, improve client relationships, and support the continued growth of your 20-50 person design business.

Why you need a CRM

For graphic design agencies with 20-50 employees, a CRM is essential to streamline operations and enhance client relationships across multiple project teams. Without it, managing projects and clients becomes chaotic as your agency scales beyond startup size.

Challenges without a CRM

Managing a mid-sized graphic design agency without a CRM can lead to several challenges that hinder productivity and growth. With 20-50 team members, these challenges become even more pronounced.

• Disorganization: Important client information and project details get scattered across various platforms and team members, making collaboration difficult.
• Missed opportunities: Without a centralized system accessible to your entire team, it's easy to overlook follow-ups and potential leads from multiple touchpoints.
• Inefficient processes: Manual tracking of tasks and deadlines across 20-50 team members becomes time-consuming and prone to errors.
• Lack of insight: Limited visibility into project progress and team performance across multiple designers impedes strategic decision-making.
• Inconsistent communication: Misaligned communication between team members can result in misunderstandings and project delays that impact client satisfaction.

Benefits of a CRM

Fortunately, implementing a CRM can transform the way you manage your 20-50 person graphic design team, leading to better outcomes and scalable growth.

• Centralized information: All client and project data is stored in one place, making it easily accessible to your entire team.
• Enhanced efficiency: Automated workflows streamline task management across multiple designers and reduce manual effort.
• Improved customer relationships: Personalized communication and timely follow-ups enhance client satisfaction at scale.
• Better decision-making: Real-time insights and analytics help agency leaders make informed decisions about resource allocation and team performance.
• Increased sales: Effective lead management and tracking across your sales team can boost conversion rates for your growing agency.
• Consistent communication: Unified messaging ensures your entire 20-50 person team is on the same page, reducing errors and delays.
  

How to boost your graphic designers' efficiency with a CRM

With the right CRM in your tech stack, there are several ways it can increase operational efficiency for your mid-sized team and help enhance business relationships across your 20-50 person agency. We've put together key strategies for implementation below.

1. Map your process

Having your internal process mapped out helps everyone across your 20-50 person team stay aligned. This approach helps organize contact lists and lead pipelines so that your entire agency is clear on project stages and client progression.

• Define project stages: Break down your design projects into clear stages such as Initial Consultation, Design Draft, Revision, Final Approval, and Delivery. This helps teams of 20-50 people track progress and identify bottlenecks efficiently.
• Set milestones: Establish key milestones within each stage to ensure timely completion across multiple concurrent projects and maintain client satisfaction.
• Use visual tools: Opt for a CRM that offers Kanban boards or Gantt charts to visually map out your project stages, making it easier for your entire team to stay organized and coordinate work.

2. Lead qualification

A CRM can be organized to help your sales team assess and qualify leads while keeping an eye on your agency's capacity across 20-50 team members.

• Create lead scoring criteria: Develop a scoring system based on factors like budget, project scope, and timeline to prioritize high-value leads for your mid-sized agency.
• Automated lead segmentation: Use CRM tools to automatically segment leads into categories like hot, warm, and cold, ensuring targeted follow-up strategies that work for agencies your size.
• Client intake forms: Implement detailed intake forms to gather essential information upfront, enabling better lead qualification and resource allocation for your 20-50 person team.

3. Outreach and follow-up

Manually following up with prospects across a 20-50 person agency can be complex and inconsistent. Fortunately, a CRM can help automate this process with the following features designed for teams your size.

• Automated email sequences: Set up automated email campaigns to nurture leads by sharing your portfolio, case studies, and design tips that showcase your agency's capabilities.
• LinkedIn outreach: Use CRM-integrated LinkedIn tools to connect with potential clients, send personalized messages, and follow up on interactions across your team.
• Follow-up reminders: Schedule automated reminders for follow-up calls or emails to ensure no lead falls through the cracks in your busy 20-50 person operation.

👉🏼 Try folk now to automate outreach and never miss a follow-up across your 20-50 person team

4. Nurture existing client relationships

With multiple projects running simultaneously across your 20-50 person team, it can be challenging to remember when to follow up with previous clients. A CRM helps maintain these relationships through organized notes and reminders, enabling your agency to...

• Personalized recommendations: Use CRM data to offer tailored design services based on past projects and client preferences, leveraging insights from across your team.
• Exclusive offers: Create special offers or discounts for existing clients to encourage repeat business and upselling opportunities that scale with your agency size.
• Regular check-ins: Schedule periodic check-ins to discuss new opportunities, ensuring clients feel valued and engaged by your professional mid-sized agency.

How to evaluate and choose a CRM

With numerous CRMs on the market, it can be challenging to determine which one is right for your 20-50 person graphic design agency. To help with your decision-making process, we've compiled the following criteria specifically relevant to teams your size.

1. Define your requirements

As a mid-sized graphic design agency leader, it's crucial to identify key features needed for a 20-50 person team. Look for functionalities that streamline client communication, project management, and design approvals across multiple team members. Features like task tracking, client history, and integration with design tools become even more critical at your scale. Prioritize CRMs that offer customizable templates and collaboration features tailored for creative teams of your size. Here's a specific list designed for agencies with 20-50 employees to help guide your evaluation.

Key features of a CRM for graphic designers

• Automated processes: Streamlines tasks by automating repetitive workflows across your 20-50 person team.
• Contact enrichment: Automatically finds leads and customers' email addresses and contact information, enhancing efficiency for mid-sized agencies.
• Structured pipeline: Tracks leads and clients through defined stages, ensuring process clarity and effectiveness across multiple team members.
• Mail merge and email sequences: Increases communication efficiency with follow-up templates and automated sequences suitable for agencies your size.
• LinkedIn connection: Seamlessly imports contacts from LinkedIn and leverages your network within the CRM across your entire sales team.
• Analytics: Provides essential data analysis and predictive insights for better planning and resource allocation in 20-50 person agencies.

2. Budget considerations

Balancing cost and return on investment is essential when selecting a CRM for your mid-sized graphic design agency. With 20-50 employees, budget considerations become more significant as costs scale per user. Consider CRMs that offer tiered pricing or flexible plans that provide good value for growing agencies without prohibitive per-seat costs.

3. Selection process

Choosing the right CRM vendor involves thorough research specific to agencies your size. Start by reading reviews from other mid-sized graphic design agencies. Attend webinars or request demos to understand how the CRM works with teams of 20-50 people. Evaluate the vendor's customer support and training resources, as these become crucial when onboarding larger teams.

4. Get a demo

Trial periods are invaluable when selecting a CRM for your 20-50 person team. Sign up for free trials to test different platforms, focusing on usability and integration capabilities at your scale. Compare features side-by-side, paying attention to collaboration tools and team coordination features. Gather feedback from multiple team members to ensure the CRM meets everyone's needs. Get started by booking a demo with folk to see how it can streamline client management and project coordination for mid-sized agencies like yours.

3 tips for implementing a CRM

At this stage, it's time to prepare for your CRM implementation across your 20-50 person team. We suggest keeping these three tips handy to ensure successful adoption and maximum value for your mid-sized agency.

1. Import your data in your new CRM

Transitioning to a new CRM can be seamless for your 20-50 person agency if you start by importing existing data. Export your current client and project details as CSV files. This step ensures that all important information is transferred without loss, allowing your entire team to continue operations smoothly during the transition.

2. Create your first pipeline

Setting up your first pipeline is essential for tracking projects and client interactions efficiently across your mid-sized team. For graphic design agencies with 20-50 employees, this could include stages like 'Lead Contacted', 'Proposal Sent', 'Design Phase', 'Feedback Received', and 'Project Completed'. Customizing these stages according to your agency's workflow helps manage multiple concurrent projects effectively.

3. Onboard your team

Once your CRM is set up, onboarding your 20-50 person team is critical for successful adoption. Conduct training sessions in smaller groups to demonstrate CRM usage, highlighting features particularly beneficial for mid-sized graphic design agencies, such as project tracking, team collaboration, and client communication tools. Well-trained teams are more efficient and better equipped to leverage the CRM for improved client relationships and project outcomes.

The 5 best CRMs for graphic designers

1. folk

folk is the ideal CRM platform for mid-sized graphic design agencies with 20-50 team members, offering customizable pipelines, AI-driven tools, and seamless integrations designed to scale with growing creative teams.

Key features

• Contact enrichment: Automatically enriches contact details by finding emails and LinkedIn URLs, enabling efficient outreach across your 20-50 person team without manual data entry.
• Social media integration: Seamlessly import contacts from LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Instagram and X to centralize all contacts within folk, perfect for agencies managing multiple client touchpoints.
• Mail merge and email sequences: Full email sync, templates, and tracking features enable teams of 20-50 to manage all communications efficiently from one platform.
• AI-Powered features: AI tools assist in managing contacts and relationships, automating routine tasks across your mid-sized team, and suggesting actions to improve productivity.
• Integrations: Connect via folk's open API and native integrations (e.g., Kaspr, Allo, Salesforge, PandaDoc), plus Zapier and Make, enabling connections to thousands of tools.
• Sales cycle and multiple pipeline management: Keep leads and clients organized within the same platform, perfect for 20-50 person teams managing multiple concurrent projects and tracking business development.
• Notes and reminders: Attach notes to contact profiles and take collaborative notes across your team. Set reminders to ensure seamless follow-ups across your entire agency.
• Permissions: Full control over team member access levels, essential for managing roles and responsibilities in 20-50 person organizations.

Pros

• Ease of use: folk CRM is praised for its intuitive interface, making it accessible to entire teams of 20-50 people with quick onboarding and minimal learning curve across different skill levels.
• All-in-one: folk streamlines workflows for mid-sized agencies by allowing contact import from LinkedIn, automatic email discovery, customizable email sequences, and pipeline tracking, eliminating the need for multiple tools and reducing per-seat costs.
• LinkedIn integration: Seamlessly import contacts from LinkedIn across your sales team, track conversations within folk, and use templates for consistent, streamlined communication.
• Customizability: Custom fields, pipelines, and workflows that adapt to the specific needs of 20-50 person creative agencies.
• Integrations: folk integrates with over 6,000 apps, allowing mid-sized agencies to centralize workflows and reduce the complexity of managing multiple tools across larger teams.

Cons

• Reporting and analytics: Advanced dashboards for pipeline and deal stages, revenue forecasting with weighted probabilities, and performance breakdowns by owner, channel, region, industry, or any custom field.

Price and plans

You can try folk for free with a 14-day trial, perfect for testing with your 20-50 person team. Monthly or annual subscription plans offer excellent value for mid-sized agencies:

• Standard: $20 per user, per month.
• Premium: $40 per user, per month.
• Custom: Starts from $60 per user, per month.

2. HubSpot

HubSpot CRM is a comprehensive platform offering integrated tools for managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations, though it can become expensive for teams of 20-50 people.

Key features

• Marketing hub: Includes email marketing, ad tracking, landing pages, and lead generation tools, useful for showcasing your graphic design work to prospects.
• Sales hub: Provides deal tracking, pipeline management, sales automation, and reporting for managing client projects across larger teams.
• Service Hub: Offers customer service tools like ticketing, live chat, and knowledge bases for mid-sized agencies managing multiple client touchpoints.
• Operations hub: Syncs and automates business processes across different systems, though can be complex for creative teams to implement.
• Lead scoring: Prioritizes leads with predictive scoring to improve sales efficiency across your agency team.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: HubSpot offers an intuitive interface, though onboarding 20-50 team members can be time-intensive.
• Comprehensive free plan: Offers basic features for free, though limitations become apparent quickly for agencies with multiple team members.
• Marketing integration: Strong marketing tools, though may be overkill for agencies focused primarily on client relationship management.
• Automation capabilities: Powerful automation tools, though complexity increases significantly with team size.
• Customizable reports: Advanced reporting capabilities, though requires significant setup time for mid-sized teams.

Cons

• High cost at scale: HubSpot becomes very expensive for 20-50 person teams, often reaching $22,500+ monthly for mid-tier features.
• Limited customization in lower tiers: Affordable plans lack customization options needed by growing design agencies.
• Complexity for creative teams: Advanced features have steep learning curves that can overwhelm design-focused professionals.
• Email marketing limits: Restrictive email limits in lower plans become problematic for agencies with larger client lists.
• Add-on costs: Essential features often require expensive add-ons, significantly increasing total cost for teams your size.

Price and plans

HubSpot's annual subscription costs can quickly become prohibitive for 20-50 person agencies:

• Starter: $15 per user, per month (very limited features).
• Professional: $450 per user, per month ($22,500/month for 50 users).
• Enterprise: $1,500 per user, per month ($75,000/month for 50 users).

3. Capsule CRM

Capsule CRM is a user-friendly platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses, though it lacks some advanced features needed by growing 20-50 person design agencies.

Key features

• Limited project boards: Basic project management suitable for smaller teams but potentially insufficient for 20-50 person agencies managing multiple concurrent projects.
• Custom fields: Allows some customization for tracking client preferences and project details, though options are more limited than other solutions.
• Contact management: Handles contact organization, though the 30,000 contact limit may be restrictive for growing agencies.
• Task Management: Basic task management features that may become unwieldy for larger team coordination.
• Workflow Automation: Limited automation capabilities compared to solutions designed for mid-sized teams.

Pros

• Simple interface: Easy to navigate, though may lack sophistication needed for complex agency workflows.
• Affordable pricing: Cost-effective for smaller teams, though value proposition diminishes as team size approaches 20-50 people.
• Basic customization: Some customization available, though limited compared to more robust solutions for growing agencies.
• Standard integrations: Basic integration options, though fewer than needed for comprehensive agency tech stacks.
• Good for beginners: Suitable for teams new to CRMs, though agencies may quickly outgrow its capabilities.

Cons

• Limited scalability: Not designed for agencies with 20-50 employees and lacks advanced features needed at that scale.
• Basic reporting: Limited analytics and reporting capabilities inadequate for strategic decision-making in larger agencies.
• Minimal automation: Lacks sophisticated automation needed to manage workflows efficiently across larger teams.
• Email support only: Limited customer support options may be problematic when onboarding 20-50 team members.
• No advanced collaboration: Lacks team collaboration features essential for mid-sized creative agencies.

Price and plans

Capsule's annual subscription costs scale quickly for larger teams:

• Starter plan: $21 per user, per month ($1,050/month for 50 users).
• Growth plan: $38 per user, per month ($1,900/month for 50 users).
• Advanced plan: $60 per user, per month ($3,000/month for 50 users).
• Ultimate plan: $75 per user, per month ($3,750/month for 50 users).

4. Streak

Streak is a Gmail-integrated CRM tool that works within your email inbox, though it has limitations for agencies with 20-50 team members who need more comprehensive collaboration and project management capabilities.

Key features

• Gmail-based CRM: Manages leads and customers within Gmail, though this becomes limiting for larger teams needing centralized access.
• Email tracking: Tracks email opens and responses, useful for individual contributors but lacks team-wide visibility needed in 20-50 person agencies.
• Basic pipelines: Simple pipeline management suitable for small teams, though insufficient for complex project workflows.
• Google integration: Works with Google Workspace tools, though integration depth is limited for comprehensive agency management.
• Mobile access: Basic mobile functionality, though limited compared to dedicated CRM mobile experiences.

Pros

• Gmail integration: Seamless for Gmail users, though limits flexibility for agencies using diverse communication tools.
• Easy to learn: Minimal learning curve for Gmail users, though may not provide sufficient sophistication for growing agencies.
• Simple setup: Quick to implement, though customization options are limited for complex agency needs.
• Email automation: Basic email tracking and automation, though lacks advanced features needed for larger team coordination.
• Affordable entry point: Lower initial cost, though limitations become apparent as teams grow.

Cons

• Gmail dependency: Completely dependent on Gmail, which creates risks and limitations for agencies with 20-50 team members using diverse tools.
• Limited scalability: Not designed for mid-sized agencies and lacks collaboration features needed for teams your size.
• Basic reporting: Minimal analytics and reporting capabilities insufficient for strategic agency management.
• Poor mobile experience: Mobile functionality is limited, problematic for agency teams working on-the-go.
• Email clutter: Managing CRM data within email becomes unwieldy for agencies handling multiple concurrent projects.

5. Zoho

Zoho is a comprehensive CRM system with extensive features, though its complexity and steep learning curve can be challenging for creative teams of 20-50 people to implement and maintain effectively.

Key features

• Extensive customization: Highly customizable but requires significant setup time and technical expertise for 20-50 person teams.
• Comprehensive reporting: Advanced reporting and analytics, though complexity may overwhelm creative teams focused on design work.
• Multi-channel communication: Integrates various communication channels, though setup and management can be complex for larger teams.
• Workflow automation: Powerful automation capabilities, though requires significant configuration and ongoing maintenance.
• Zoho ecosystem: Integrates with other Zoho products, though this may lock agencies into a single vendor ecosystem.

Pros

• Comprehensive features: Extensive functionality, though may be more complex than needed for design-focused agencies.
• Customization options: Highly customizable, though requires significant time investment to configure properly for teams your size.
• Zoho integration: Works well with other Zoho products, though may create vendor lock-in for agencies preferring best-of-breed solutions.
• Scalable pricing: Multiple pricing tiers, though costs can escalate quickly for mid-sized teams requiring advanced features.
• Mobile app: Robust mobile application, though interface complexity can be challenging for creative professionals.

Cons

• Steep learning curve: Complex interface and extensive features require significant training time for 20-50 person creative teams.
• Complex implementation: Initial setup and configuration can take months for mid-sized agencies, requiring dedicated technical resources.
• Performance issues: Can be slow with large datasets, problematic for agencies managing extensive client and project information.
• Limited third-party integrations: Integration with design tools and creative software is limited compared to more specialized solutions.
• Overwhelming for creative teams: Feature complexity can distract from core design work and client relationship management.

Price and plans

Zoho offers a free plan for up to three users, but costs scale significantly for 20-50 person teams:

• Standard: $20 per user, per month ($1,000/month for 50 users).
• Professional: $35 per user, per month ($1,750/month for 50 users).
• Enterprise: $50 per user, per month ($2,500/month for 50 users).

Conclusion

Choosing the right CRM for your 20-50 person graphic design agency is essential to streamline operations, enhance client relationships, and boost productivity across your growing team. Each CRM discussed offers different advantages for mid-sized agencies. folk CRM stands out as the best solution for graphic design agencies of your size, with its intuitive interface, seamless LinkedIn integration, and AI-powered features specifically designed for teams managing multiple client relationships and projects. At $20-40 per user monthly, folk provides exceptional value compared to HubSpot's enterprise pricing that can exceed $22,500 monthly for 50 users. While HubSpot offers comprehensive features, its complexity and cost make it less practical for creative teams. Capsule CRM and Streak lack the advanced collaboration and scalability features needed by 20-50 person agencies. Zoho, despite its extensive capabilities, requires significant technical expertise and setup time that can distract from your core creative work. For graphic design agencies with 20-50 team members, folk CRM delivers the perfect balance of powerful features, ease of use, and cost-effectiveness. Get started by trying folk, free.

👉🏼 Try folk now to manage contact-based reminders with your team and centralize project notes

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FAQ

What are the 4 types of CRM?

Operational (automates sales, marketing, service), Analytical (turns data into insights), Collaborative (shares customer info across teams and channels), Strategic (focuses on long-term customer value).

Do graphic design agencies need a CRM?

For 20-50 person design teams, a CRM centralizes client info, tracks projects and approvals, automates follow-ups, and improves handoffs. Without it, scattered data and missed deadlines reduce margins and client satisfaction.

How much does a CRM cost for a 20-50 person team?

Pricing varies widely. Expect about $20-$75+ per user monthly. For 50 users, that's roughly $1,000-$3,750, while enterprise suites can exceed $20,000 per month. See folk for plans suited to design teams.

How to implement a CRM in a 20-50 person design agency?

Map project stages, import contacts and past projects, build a pipeline, set roles and permissions, and train teams on templates, reminders, and follow-ups. Pilot with one squad, gather feedback, then roll out agency-wide with clear KPIs.