Stuck with your content marketing strategy? Consider hiring a digital marketing consultant.
The digital marketing industry was worth more than $300 billion in 2021, and it is safe to assume that the number will keep growing.
While investigating how to improve their marketing efforts, many companies turn to external experts with knowledge of the internet marketing fields.
Good digital marketing consultants bring not only plenty of expertise to the table, they are also valuable in auditing your digital marketing strategy from an outside view.
Why is Digital Marketing Important?
Before we go into the specifics of digital marketers and their field of work, let’s take a quick dive into the role of digital marketing.
Here at Moodiac, we see many clients that neglect the importance of internet marketing. When asked why, we are usually face with some (or all) of these answers:
- It is too expensive.
- It takes too much time.
- We don’t have the personnel.
While all of these points are valid, they represent easy excuses for not utilizing digital marketing. That does not mean, however, that marketing in the online sphere should be completely ignored.
Leveraging Social Media & Co.
The importance of online promotion cannot be underestimated. Email campaigns, for example, can generate $36 for every $1 spend. Talk about a good ROI!
In the same vein, influencer marketing has an ROI of 650%, making it a valuable asset every marketing team should have in their tool belt.
We would be lying if we told you that we are the first to discover these statistics. Naturally, this also means that many businesses already operate in the spheres of the digital world.
Nonetheless, the market offers more than enough opportunities for success. Finding your niche is just one way to box out the competition and position yourself as a reliable source of knowledge.
To stay ahead of competitors, either on social media or other websites, having a professional online presence is paramount.
We understand that taking care of a business full-time and allocating resources to online marketing channels can be challenging. But, as with many aspects of the day-to-day business, hiring external consultants is a viable option.
Digital marketing consultant hiring is on the come up, and it will likely increase in the upcoming years. With the appearance of new social media platforms, marketers must find ways to utilize these channels to their full potential.
What is Digital Marketing Consulting?
Digital marketing consulting services often include the audit, creation, or optimization of marketing strategies. They are a valuable resource for businesses, particularly those that are just starting out.
A digital marketing expert provides in-depth advice and guidance to help companies create successful marketing strategies, such as email or content marketing campaigns.
While many companies have in-house specialists or entire departments dedicated to digital marketing, working with an external marketing consultant can still be unavoidable.
This is especially true for areas where the business in question might not have the relevant expertise, for example paid social media ads or Google Ads (formerly Google Adwords).
What is the role of Digital Marketing Consultants?
Marketing consultants typically focus on a specific area of business, such as digital marketing or advertising. They will use their knowledge and experience to recommend ways for businesses to improve the effectiveness of their marketing initiatives.
This could include providing advice on defining the right target audience, optimizing ad spend and creating more effective content. They’ll also be able to provide valuable insight into consumer behavior, trends, and market competition.
A digital marketing specialist can take care of single aspects or even the entire marketing strategy. It is not uncommon for businesses to hire an independent digital marketing consultant for a content strategy and end up relying on their expertise for other marketing channels, too.
By working closely with the marketing team of a business, a digital marketing consultant can also teach employees and share valuable knowledge. Hiring a digital marketing consultant does not only benefit the short-term marketing efforts, but also set the tone for future projects.
Working with the right digital marketing consultants will give a business the competitive edge and bring their marketing efforts to the next level.
What services does a Marketing Consultant Offer?
In general terms, a marketing consultant offers various forms of marketing expertise: Content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, or lead generation are only some marketing activities covered by these experts.
This makes them no different from any other marketing consultant, since they all share a common goal: To help their clients make more money.
Online marketing consultants, however, specialize in digital channels, such as the upkeep of social media accounts or marketing automation.
Their marketing consulting services are geared towards digital marketing. As such, they target customers and site visitors more than the customer base that interacts with a business offline (e.g., customers visiting local shops).
To achieve their goals, consultants often develop strategies that are in line with the behavior of the target audience. In the case of email marketing, for example, this could result in a nurturing strategy.
The goal of the digital marketing consultant is to generate qualified leads. Potential clients are provided with a value-driven content campaign and slowly transformed from lead to customer.
This approach not only works with emails, but can also be leveraged on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok: By providing the audience with value, brands can guide the target group through the sales funnel.
What makes a good Digital Marketing Consultant?
A good digital marketing consultant will have excellent knowledge of the industry and should be able to provide an independent perspective that business owners may not have considered.
They can assess existing plans, identify potential opportunities and provide tailored strategies to help businesses reach their goals.
Besides that, they should also keep up with current digital marketing trends. This allows them to adapt a marketing strategy based on ongoing trends and changes.
Whenever algorithms in search engines or social media platforms change, consultants need to stay up to date.
In addition to providing expert advice, digital marketing consultants can also help businesses set goals for their campaigns and measure progress toward them.
This includes setting realistic targets with clear timelines and ensuring that campaigns are running efficiently.
How much does a Digital Marketing Consultant Cost?
As with other aspects of digital marketing, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. While a new consulting firm might charge less than $100 per hour, an experienced digital marketer from a renowned agency might cost several hundred dollars per hour.
Becoming a successful digital marketing consultant does not happen overnight. It takes years to become proficient with search engine optimization, paid advertising and other forms of marketing.
While using tools like Google Analytics or conducting a thorough keyword research is the basic skill set of every consultant, generating qualified leads or bringing in cutting-edge ideas can quickly raise the price for a consultant’s services.
Besides their basic digital marketing skill set, many consultants are also trained in web design, copywriting, or other aspects of marketing. By becoming a Swiss army knife of marketing, consultants increase their market value drastically.
How do I find the right Digital Marketing Consultant?
Digital marketers come in all sizes and shapes. From independent marketers to agencies for marketing consulting services, businesses have plenty of choice.
However, to find the right digital marketing consultant for your needs, you need to ask yourself a series of questions:
- Which channels do we want to use?
- What does our marketing budget look like?
- What is our target market?
- How do we measure marketing performance (leads, sales)?
By answering these core questions, you will be able to find the ideal marketing consultant for your needs. Since the market offers many professionals, it should be no problem for you to find the right person to do the job for you.
How to Develop an Effective Marketing Strategy
Relying on external expertise is not viable for all businesses, particularly new ones. Since consulting services can be costly, many companies try to stay away from them.
Would it be possible to come up with a strategy without the help of an online marketing consultant? Absolutely.
Does the help and advice of a seasoned veteran in the field help with mapping out your digital roadmap? No doubt.
But doing it by yourself can be achievable, too. As with many other areas of running a business, finding success in the online world mainly requires dedication and the will to improve.
Learning the ins and outs of online customer behavior is the first step in the right direction.
And you might not even need to develop new content to feed your online presence: Utilize existing content, like ad campaigns, and leverage your knowledge to create valuable resources that cater to an online audience.
However, if you are looking for an all-in-one solution, hiring a digital marketing agency or consultant might be the better choice.
At Moodiac, we provide an all-in-one digital marketing strategies that cover all needs of your marketing campaign. Our digital marketing services are always in line with your business strategy: Whether you want to generate more leads, find more potential customers, or optimize your landing pages: We are here for you!
Contact us today and get your free quote. We will develop a digital marketing campaign that is geared towards your business objectives. Trust our expertise and build your digital marketing success with us!