What You Need to Know about Finding and Hiring an Internet Marketing Consultant

Would you consider using Web MD to diagnose medical ailments as reliable as seeing a trusted medical doctor? Probably not. So why trust marketing your business effectively to anyone other than a seasoned internet marketing consultant?

WHEN AN INTERNET MARKETING CONSULTANT CAN HELP

There are many times when hiring a marketing consultant makes sense. A marketing consultant can help if you:

  • Want to build your business
  • Need to set well-defined goals
  • Require a solid strategic marketing plan with both short- and long-term goals
  • Need help monitoring key metrics to measure success
  • Are uncertain what key metrics would be (things such as daily foot traffic, lead to sale conversion ratios, website traffic, social media engagement, incoming calls or leads, profit margins)
  • Want to improve relations and loyalty with existing clients
  • Desire to expand into new markets and attract new customers

WHY HIRE A CONSULTANT RATHER THAN A MARKETING EMPLOYEE?

Hiring a marketing consultant secures you a senior marketing professional with demonstrated success engaging customers and generating business. Once you fully understand what therole of a marketing consultant is and what the responsibilities of a marketing consultancy are, you will understand that it will save you time and money if you hire a consultant rather than recruit and hire a full-time marketing employee.

When you start searching for someone local who is highly skilled in your area of business, it will be time to start discussing marketing consultant rates. The cost of hiring a marketing consultant will vary depending on the experience, responsibilities for the project, and the standards in the local market. Typically consultancy fees are either hourly fees, project-based flat fees, or a monthly retainer fee.

THE KEY CONSIDERATION FOR HIRING THE RIGHT STRATEGIC MARKETING CONSULTANT

The most seasoned strategic internet marketing consultants will be veteran executives who have specialized in a particular area of business. It makes sense to find the marketing consultant with the most experience and success in your company’s line of work. Someone with a portfolio of work that shows success building business in your industry should be able to quickly understand your unique position in the marketplace and develop a well-researched strategic marketing plan.

Think of a strategic marketing plan as the roadmap to success for your business. A comprehensive strategic marketing plan will include:

  • Strategy
  • Tactics
  • Timeline
  • People
  • Tools
  • Assets & Resources
  • Budget
  • Measures of Success
  • Audience
  • Competition
  • SWOT Analysis (evaluating the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats)

When you need to establish or improve your online presence, convert website visitors to leads – and leads to customers, and measure and analyze success, find a qualified local marketing consultant who understands the importance of online marketing strategies and social media.

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