Should You Hire a Marketing Consultant?
Marketing your business is a crucial component if you want to succeed. Having an effective marketing strategy that works for your brand and target audience will ensure you attract the right customers and get the leads you need and want.
Large corporations may have the luxury to be able to recruit and hire an experienced and talented full-time marketing employee as part of their staff. But small to medium sized businesses or start-up entrepreneurs don’t necessarily have the budget or the same requirements for marketing. They want someone who can hit the ground running with minimal ramp-up time. This is where it’s a great idea to hire a marketing consultant.
Benefits of Hiring a Marketing Consultant
There are pros and cons to every decision, and hiring a consultant to do your marketing is a decision you should consider for a number of reasons. Here are some of the top reasons to hire a consultant over doing it strictly in-house…or worse, not at all.
- Experience
Good marketing consultants will already have the expertise and knowledge needed to develop or enhance your marketing strategy to show profitable results in a short timeframe. They have a focus on keeping up with the changing landscape of the marketing environment, especially the online platforms and climate.
It would be difficult finding the same level of experience internally without investing a lot of time and training.
Most individuals now use the internet to research and buy products and services. Your marketing strategy must concentrate on the digital landscape in order to keep afloat.
Marketing consultants have professional experience with internet marketing and search engine optimization. Marketing professionals can advise you on online marketing campaigns to establish a method that works best for your business.
- Objectivity
Outside consultants don’t have the preconceptions about your business that you and your staff may have.
Sometimes it takes a third party to offer a fresh view of the business to improve and enhance the current way of doing things. Consultants don’t have biases; they can provide impartial advice and input where an insider may not be able to see past the current status quo.
It may seem counter-intuitive that an outsider can know your customers better than you do. But they have the methods and knowledge to define your ideal customer and your target market so that you are concentrating on doing the job that really matters.
- Save Money
This is one of the most misunderstood benefits to hiring a Marketing Consultant.
Consultants are hired to complete a particular project or task. Once they’re done, they go away and you don’t pay them anymore. Also, you may only need them part-time.
If you choose to hire an employee, you’re obligated to pay benefits, vacation, taxes, etc., and most will not accept part-time work. If the employee doesn’t work out, you must go through the process of termination, which can be lengthy.
With a professional marketing consultant, you get what you pay for.
They are focused strictly on helping to market your business. They don’t need to worry about hiring or firing, purchasing, supply management, training, etc.; their only concern is helping you increase your business by using strategies that work.
Think about the ROI
What level of marketing experience do you really think you are getting when hiring a full-time employee for $50k a year? Plus, that $40k salary turns out to be $75k+ when you consider benefits.
Now, imagine the level of experience and expertise you would get from outsourcing to a Marketing Consultant for $50k a year. It’s like having a $200k level employee on tap.
What to Look for When Hiring a Marketing Consultant
There are many consultants and agencies to choose from when looking to hire a marketing consultant. As with any critical decision for your business, it’s important to hire the right individual.
Some elements for selecting the best marketing consultant include:
- Online research. Since the consultant will be creating your online presence, they should be very visible on the web themselves.
- In-depth interview. The consultant will not be your actual employee, but they will be working for you in a very critical capacity. During the interview, there should be dialogue from both parties, with lots of pertinent questions asked by the candidate.
- Research and contact the companies they have worked for in the past.
- Ask them to provide an audit of how your business currently stands and where it needs to improve.
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