So you decided to hire a marketing consultant, but you have no idea what to look for when hiring one. Lucky for you, Innocom Agency is here to help!
What Does a Marketing Consultant Do?
A marketing consultant can serve many purposes for your company. It is a role that can be employed when your marketing goals are too complex for the staff that you have, or it can be someone that you bring in when you do not have enough staff to cover the different marketing disciplines. The important thing to keep in mind is that a marketing consultant should always bring value to your business. For some business owners, this is a difficult task to undertake. After all, how do you determine what makes a marketing consultant valuable?
Why Use One?
There are many ways to utilize a marketing consultant. Smaller teams may want to use the consultant to be their primary source for their marketing effort. Other larger companies may want to supplement their marketing efforts with the help of a consultant. For instance, there may be an area of your marketing that you need assistance with because your team is lacking the skills to do it themselves. This could be anything from SEO to content marketing. In other cases still, some teams may want to hire a marketing consultant to help them with one specific project, either throughout the entire process or at the beginning to train the marketing team.
If the marketing consultant that you select is experienced and well-equipped, they will be able to answer three questions in their marketing plan for your company. These three questions are:
- Who is your target audience?
- What is the objective of the project?
- How will you measure success?
Some Things to Keep in Mind
Budget
Your budget is going to determine the type of marketing consultant that you hire. You want to make sure that you set a realistic budget so that you can afford a marketing consultant that will actually make a difference for your company. If you are underspending, you will end up with a wasted investment. On the other hand, you do not want to aim for a consultant that is going to charge you more than you would receive on your ROI.
References
Marketing consultants who have had successful marketing campaigns in the past are going to be able to show you their metrics and illustrate their concrete results. Make sure to look over this information carefully, but also ask for references that you can speak to about their customer service. You’ll want to know that the marketing consultant is not only adept at their job but responsive to their clients.
Personal Requirements
Some marketing consultants will specialize in one particular area of marketing. They may even have specific goals that they excel at achieving. You’ll want to decide for yourself what matters most to you, and what your goals are for your marketing consultant. This way, you can search for the ones that are more likely to deliver.
Experience
You’ll want your marketing consultant to be well-versed in a number of different things. First, you’ll want them to be able to handle small business environments as well as large corporate environments. Marketing consultants who work exclusively for one or the other may get lost in the shuffle of the organizational structures. Another thing to consider is that they have experience in your particular industry. You do not want to waste your time having your marketing consultant learn about your industry before they even begin working on your marketing strategy.
Skills
The marketing consultant that you hire should have a skill set that is compatible with the goals that you wish to achieve. For instance, if you are interested in launching a new product, your consultant should have experience in launching new products or building market share. You should never be afraid to ask your consultant for measurable results to verify their skills. If they cannot provide you with a way to measure their progress, they may not be worth your time.
Relationship
A marketing consultant should have a good working relationship with your company. This means that you must feel certain that they are delivering value to your company and that they are treating you fairly. You’ll want to ask the consultant how they charge their fees and whether these fees are results-based. With some consultants, this may be a sign of their faith in their own skills, while other consultants who charge upfront may be trying to get paid before you can change your mind about them.
The Best Orlando Marketing Consultant
Innocom is more than just another Orlando marketing consultant. We are a trusted source of marketing expertise for local businesses who want to do more for their marketing strategy. With our help, we can help you see real results from your marketing and get your business to where you want it to be. If you are interested in learning more about our services, contact us today.
