There’s so much noise out there. To those companies looking to bring on a trusted marketing consultant who will leverage the internet to meet the goals of the organization, you have my sympathies. However, you don’t have to be a talent scout to know ‘exceptional’ when you see it. So, I’ve created a list to help you busy businesses choose the best digital marketing strategist for your unique needs.
A digital marketing strategist can be a very lucrative asset to your business, but only if they’re in it for the long term; it takes time to build and implement an effective digital marketing strategy. Additionally, you need to trust their expertise and feel confident working with them: imagine paying for something (or someone) that isn’t impacting your bottom line—simply a nightmare. Your relationship with the digital marketing strategist you select should be open, honest, and filled with value.
Getting Yourself Organized
You are hiring a consultant to help you decide what strategy to follow and what marketing tactics to use so you can reach your goals. With that said, having a solid understanding of your market, challenges, competitive landscape, customer problems, and how your products/services help them sleep at night is key! Your digital marketing strategist will not only help pull the juicy nuggets to the surface; they’ll also assist you in creating a starting point, one that will help you find the essential questions necessary for beginning a conversion with a potential candidate.
What are your sales goals? Do you need more website traffic? Leads? Quality customers?
Questions to Consider When Choosing a Digital Marketing Consultant
- Can they quickly pinpoint areas of improvement?
- Can they execute their ideas or will they just send you a checklist of things you need to do?
- Are they practicing what they preach?
- Should you choose an agency, freelancer, or consultant?
- Can you connect with them? (You should be able to openly collaborate because you know your business better than anyone!)
- Do they have experience? Are they experts?
- Do they have reviews, testimonials, or even references if you ask?
- Are they friendly, approachable, and easy to work with?
- Are they organized?
Things to Look Out For:
- Are you sure that they want you to sign a lengthy contract with a set retainer?
- Do they have a huge team that you have to navigate your way through, or will you be communicating directly with one person who knows the ins and outs of your business?
- Do they promise the world and spend most of their time talking about themselves? Or, do they truly care about your unique problems and the possible solutions that could be implemented?
Digital Marketing Consultant Research Plan
- Understand the needs and goals you have for your business. You can do this by narrowing down your priorities: first, by target customers, and then by the channels through which you connect with them.
- Narrow your digital marketing consultant candidate search.
- Request a meeting where they can have the opportunity to review your challenges and assess the best starting point for reaching your goals.
- Listen to their questions to see if they dig deep into your unique business or if they’re just generalizing.
- Hire a digital marketing consultant for an initial audit or plan to see what ideas they can bring to the table. The goal is to get a clear picture of what working with them long-term will be like.
Don’t Be Overwhelmed – Be Excited You’re Taking This Next Step
Feel good that you are making progress. Formulating a great brand and determining the best way to market it is a learning process. No matter what, you’re going to go through ups and downs, but the lessons learned along the way are going to get you that much closer to predictable growth!
I love helping busy business owners and managers make the most out of their time and I also love seeing the results of their improved marketing efforts. It really is exciting to move the needle, help my clients stress less, and give them time back to do the things in life that bring them joy.
Schedule a FREE marketing strategy session when you are ready to take the next step in your business.
