Do you need to hire a digital marketing consultant? In order to properly answer that question, you have to analyze the key part of the question which is why you need help. Do you need to beat your competitors across all aspects of digital marketing? Do you need to know how to maximize your results and how to use your website to generate revenue? Do you need help scaling so that you can focus on other aspects of your business? We’re guessing the short answer is yes, but let us go into detail and explore why hiring a digital marketing consultant is a good idea, and will benefit your business tremendously.
You must have a solid online presence to help build your brand, attract new customers, turn them into loyal customers, engage existing customers and establish your company as an authority in your field. If you have not established a brand presence online, you will be left behind in the dust of your competition.
So, what are you to do?
Hiring a digital marketing consultant would be the answer and be in your absolute best interest. Whether you own or run a small, mid-sized or large company having a digital marketing consultant on-staff or on speed dial is a good idea. With the world going digital, consulting with a digital marketing consultant will grow your business quickly and efficiently.
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What is a digital marketing consultant?
Coming up with a digital plan to advertise your products or services can be daunting, especially if you are not familiar with all the areas of digital advertising that are available to use. A digital marketing consultant will have a vast knowledge of digital advertising and the know-how to create and execute a winning strategy effectively.
A digital marketing consultant will evaluate your current marketing strategy and help improve and build long-term or short-term goals for your business.
Finding new and exciting ways to engage with existing customers and attract new customers is another skill your digital marketing consultant will bring to the table through marketing campaigns, emails, or social media.
Types of businesses a digital marketing consultant can help
Anyone who runs a business from a small solopreneur all the way to big companies with large staff can benefit from having a digital marketing consultant on hand.
You may have an employee who has a knack for writing emails or managing social media but creating and implementing an online marketing strategy should be left to someone who specializes in digital advertising. There are so many aspects to building a solid online presence that having an expert to manage your online activity will increase your business quickly and make your brand memorable.
Skills a digital marketing consultant should have
When looking for a digital marketing consultant, keep in mind that the skills of a consultant will vary. There is so much to know in the digital marketing field it is not fair and unrealistic to expect one person to know everything. However, a digital marketing consultant will have a diverse knowledge of the digital world and how to advertise effectively. Digital marketing consultants will all have areas that they specialize in, finding someone with the skills needed for your needs is important.
A few skills that a digital marketing consultant should have are analytic skills, communication skills and be detail orientated. These are known as soft skills but are especially important and should be universal among digital marketing consultants.
Some other skills you may find commonly among digital marketing consultants are digital strategy, PowerPoint, and project management. We mention these skills above as common skills among digital marketing consultants, but they barely scratch the surface of what a digital marketing consultant will bring to your business. When referring to digital marketing consultants, a word thrown around is “polymath,” meaning a jack of all trades type of person and master of them all, or at least competent in them all. That is a lot of skills wrapped up in one person; of course, some digital marketing consultants will be stronger in some areas of marketing than others.
So, all this is wonderful and great, but what exactly will a digital marketing consultant do for your business?
Implement SEO – any online presence you have will need to be SEO optimized; this can be a full-time job alone. A digital marketing consultant will have knowledge of SEO and how to use it properly to put your business in front of your audience. Using the following points in the SEO strategy will help make a solid online presence
- High-quality and relevant content on the website
- Google guideline compliance
- Keyword analysis
- Proper tagging
- Proper backlinking
Having a strong SEO plan is probably one of the most important aspects of online marketing. If people can’t find your companies online, then all your efforts are null and void.
Advertising strategy – this is another big task that could easily be a full-time job. Creating an advertisement strategy while considering all the routes that can be taken can be overwhelming to someone unfamiliar with the advertising world. A digital marketing consultant will be able to determine what form of advertisement is relevant to your business and is most likely to land in front of your target audience. A strategy needs to be well thought out with all the variables of advertising taken into account.
Web development – with all the DIY web builders available now, just about anyone can build a website. However, creating an effective, engaging and SEO-optimized website is something that should be left to a professional. A digital marketing consultant can help design a website that will attract your ideal customers, help your website land on Google’s first page, and ensure that your website is compatible with various devices.
In the digital world, today if you are not online, then you are going to be left behind. A digital marketing consultant will make sure your business puts its best foot forward and lets your customer have a good experience with your company from their first visit to your website.
Social media – managing your social media can be a headache, to say the least. With all the platforms available, finding the right one for your business is crucial, and how to engage customers using posts, videos and hashtags can be daunting. Not to mention how to decide which platform to use and how to use it properly because they all have their quirks. A digital marketing consultant should have knowledge of social media and how to wield its power in your favor.
Social media is most likely the first place your customer is going to see your business; knowing that and using it to your advantage to engage and interact with your customers should be a big part of your marketing plan. Running social media, especially multi-platforms, can take up a lot of time and effort, but if they know how there is not, all your efforts will go unnoticed.
How much does a digital marketing consultant cost
There are a lot of variables that go into the price of a digital marketing consultant.
You could go with an agency that offers a range of services that will cover all your needs with various professionals on staff. You can hire them for all your needs or to do an in-depth analysis of your current market plan. Having an analysis done will cut costs and let the digital marketing consultant focus on problem areas instead of an overhaul of your marketing strategy. Of course, if you are looking to refresh your brand and overhaul your marketing plan, an agency will provide all the services you need.
You could hire a freelance digital marketing consultant. You will have to shop around since the field is so vast. Finding someone who specializes in what you need is essential. If you are looking for social media management, email campaigns, website designs or anything else related to digital marketing, there is a freelancer out there for you.
The range cost of hiring a digital marketing consultant is vast and needs to be evaluated by the agency or freelancer to give an exact quote. Still, you are sure to find a solution within your budget.
Conclusion
Coming up with a digital marketing strategy can be overwhelming and hurt your business if not done correctly. Hiring a digital marketing consultant is a smart move, especially with companies going digital. Having an effective digital marketing strategy is going to get you in front of your target audience, engage with them, earn their trust, and turn them into loyal customers.
A digital marketing consultant will help create a digital marketing strategy and know-how to quickly execute the plan and increase your business and bottom line.