Finally, a Straight Answer: Should I Hire a Digital Marketing Consultant?

Within this picture, the role of a seasoned digital marketing consultant becomes increasingly pivotal. As you strive to cut through the noise and carve a digital presence, all the while maintaining a healthy financial position, the question looms: should I hire a digital marketing consultant?

In this exploration, we embark on a journey to demystify the essence of digital marketing consultancy.

The landscape has transformed from conventional campaigns to intricate online ecosystems, demanding expertise with a variety of lead generators: SEO, social media, content creation, and analytics, to name a few.

Long story short, we’ll say this: the right consultant is a serious strategic partner for your company, armed with specialised skills to navigate this ever-evolving terrain.

But… you’d expect us to say that, right? We do offer SEO consultancy and CRO consultancy services, after all.

So join us as we dissect the reasons to consider a digital marketing consultant; unravel the core responsibilities they shoulder; and delve into the impact they can wield on your business goals.

Speak to a marketing consultant at The Brains

Setting Things Straight

Navigating the digital marketing landscape can feel like traversing uncharted territory. Before delving into the question of hiring a consultant, let’s set the stage by unpacking some of the intricacies of digital marketing.

It’s more than campaigns and analytics – it’s a whole, interconnected operational machine, where businesses carve their online identity, connect with audiences, and drive growth. In this section, we untangle the web of terms, providing clarity on what digital marketing really entails.

Defining Digital Marketing

“Marketing has always been about connecting with your audience in the right place and at the right time. Today, that means you need to meet them where they are already spending time: on the internet.”

– HubSpot

Digital marketing isn’t a singular entity; it’s an expansive ecosystem encompassing various channels, tools, and strategies.

From SEO and social media to email campaigns and content creation, it’s the orchestration of online efforts to elevate brand visibility, engage audiences, and achieve business goals. Understanding this multifaceted discipline is the first step in deciphering its potential impact on your business.

The Evolution of the Consultant Role

As digital marketing has evolved, so too has the role of the consultant.

Once viewed as mere tacticians – ‘quick-fixers’, you’d hire on a short-term basis to solve a singular problem – consultants now wield a more overarching strategic influence.

They’re not just implementers anymore; they’re more like architects, designing and building bespoke strategies that align with longer-term business growth objectives. The evolution of this role reflects the dynamic shifts in the digital landscape, from traditional marketing approaches to agile yet all-encompassing, data-driven yet innovative sales methodologies.

Versatility in Strategies

In a digital era where one-size-fits-all approaches fall short, consultants – good ones, that is – stand out for their versatility.

They operate with an expansive toolbox of strategies tailored to meet diverse business needs. Whether that means optimising search engine visibility, crafting compelling content, creating cost-efficient PPC campaigns, or harnessing the power of social media: consultants bring an adaptive, ‘many-coats’ skill set to the table.

Stay tuned as we explore the specific reasons why a digital marketing consultant might be the missing piece in your business puzzle.

Should I Hire a Digital Marketing Consultant?
3 Reasons to Say ‘Yes’

The decision to bring in a consultant is a strategic one, but not one you should take lightly, or make blindly. Businesses don’t succeed when they over-invest in speculative or half-baked ideas, after all – profitability is intricately tied to strategy, and long-term growth requires solid foundations.

As the question lingers – should I hire a digital marketing consultant? – we present three compelling reasons to tilt the scale in favour of a resounding ‘Yes.’

1. Cost-Effective Solutions

Contrary to misconceptions, in many cases, hiring a digital marketing consultant often proves more cost-effective than maintaining an in-house team.

Consider these numbers – they didn’t happen by accident.

• 63% of organisations have upped digital marketing budgets in the past year
• PPC typically yields £2 for every £1 spent. That’s 200% ROI
• These days, half of all marketing is digital marketing

Consultants bring specialised expertise to the table, without the overhead costs of full-time employees. They provide targeted solutions, ensuring your marketing budget is allocated efficiently for maximum impact.

2. Access to Specialised Skills

The digital marketing spectrum is vast, spanning SEO, content creation, social media, and beyond.

A consultant brings a set of specialised skills, honed through diverse industry experiences.

Whether it’s unravelling the technicalities of SEO or crafting engaging content strategies, a consultant offers high-level expertise that you’re unlikely to find elsewhere.

3. Keeping Up With Trends

Trends shift rapidly.

Staying ahead requires not just skills, but a pulse on the latest industry trends. A digital marketing consultant is immersed in the ever-evolving landscape, offers news and insights, and ensures your strategies align with the latest technologies, algorithms, and consumer behaviours.

It’s not just about keeping up; it’s about staying ahead in the digital race.

Key Consultant Responsibilities

A consultant often wears many hats, and each is tailored to elevate your brand’s online presence. Here, we unveil (some of) the key responsibilities a consultant undertakes, showcasing their expertise across crucial domains.

SEO Optimisation

SEO isn’t just about keywords anymore; it’s a nuanced strategy that ensures your digital footprint is as prominent as it could be. A digital marketing consultant dives into the intricacies of SEO and local SEO, optimising your website to climb search rankings. This involves a task load of things like:

• Technical SEO Audit: Conducting a comprehensive audit to identify and resolve technical issues affecting website performance.
• Keyword Landscape Analysis: Analysing the competitive landscape to strategically select and optimise keywords for maximum impact.
• Backlink Strategy: Devising and implementing a robust backlink strategy to enhance domain authority and search engine credibility.
• User Experience Enhancement: Collaborating on website improvements to enhance user experience, a crucial factor in SEO rankings.

Social Media Management

Challenges in social media marketing, such as algorithm changes and evolving user behaviours, are best overcome with a consultant’s adaptive strategies. Surviving and thriving amidst this moveable feast requires a nuanced approach.

“As a starting point, identifying the target audience is a must. How else can you create content that resonates effectively? From there, it’s all about campaign optimisation. Clients sometimes fall into the trap of thinking this is something to be ‘finished’; rather, it’s an ongoing, iterative process, and a commitment to improvement. After all, you want to maximise engagement and conversions, right? There’s no situation where you’d say – this campaign is perfect, it cannot improve further. Or, if such a thing does exist… we’ve never seen it!”

– Simone Spence, The Brains Paid Ads & Social Media Specialist

Moreover, when it comes to crisis management, consultants are adept at devising plans to address potential PR crises and safeguard brand reputation across diverse social platforms.

They’ll also stay attuned to social media trends, harnessing them to keep your brand relevant and impactful.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is kind of like the backbone of a digital strategy, providing businesses with a powerful tool to connect, engage, and convert audiences. It goes beyond traditional advertisement messaging, fostering authentic relationships by delivering valuable, relevant, and consistent content to users in the spaces they occupy at opportune moments.

From blog posts and videos to social media and podcasts, content marketing spans diverse channels, creating a consistent narrative that resonates and builds brand loyalty.

Analytics and Metrics

In addition to the above, a consultant’s expertise in analytics transforms data into actionable insights, steering your digital strategy towards sustained success. This would include things like:

• Conversion Rate Analysis: Evaluating conversion rates to identify high-performing strategies and areas for improvement.
• User Behaviour Insights: Delving into data on user behaviour to understand the customer journey and optimise touchpoints.
• Real-time Feedback Utilisation: Leveraging real-time data to refine strategies swiftly, ensuring continuous improvement.
• Challenging Metric Interpretation: Addressing the complexities of interpreting metrics, from attribution modelling challenges to understanding the impact of external factors.

3 Ways Consultants Can Work

According to IBISWorld, by the end of 2024 there will be 18,748 UK-based marketing consultancy businesses (up 1.5% from 2019), staffed by 38,722 individuals (up 1.0% over the same period). This aligns with a study by Business Research Insights / LinkedIn, which projects the global marketing consulting industry to grow at a CAGR of 3.88% until 2027.

That’s an impressive growth rate and, as you might expect with such a large variety of businesses, there are a multitude of ways they can operate.

Below, we detail three of the most common modus operandi for digital marketing consultants.

1. In-House vs. Outsourcing

The choice between having a consultant work in-house or outsourcing tasks depends on the nature of your business and its needs:

2. Collaborating with Existing Teams

Effective collaboration is often at the heart of a consultant’s success. Consultants can seamlessly integrate with your existing teams by:

• Knowledge Transfer Workshops: Conducting workshops to share industry best practices, trends, and new techniques with your in-house teams.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborating across departments, aligning marketing efforts with sales, customer service, and other key functions for a holistic approach.
• Regular Communication Channels: Establishing clear communication channels to ensure that the consultant remains aligned with the overarching business objectives and adapts strategies accordingly.

3. Customised Strategies

Taking the above as read; the beauty of hiring a tried-and-tested consultant (look out for a healthy back catalogue of case studies) lies in their ability to tailor strategies that align precisely with your business objectives:

• Thorough Business Analysis: Conducting an in-depth analysis of your business goals, target audience, and industry landscape to inform strategy development.
• Flexible Implementation: Adapting strategies based on real-time feedback and changes in the market landscape, ensuring flexibility and responsiveness.
• Continuous Optimisation: Implementing iterative improvements through ongoing analysis, keeping strategies in sync with evolving business needs and industry trends.

To find out more about the various partnership options available here at The Brains, contact a member of the team today.

Get in Touch With a Digital Marketing Consultant

Measuring Success

As we mentioned earlier, it’s so often the case that ‘success’ is not simply a destination. It’s helpful to have milestones, periodic goals, and KPIs, of course; but the most successful brands don’t look at marketing as a project they finish.

It’s more of a continuous journey, shaped by tangible outcomes. To coin a tired-yet-true cliche, when it comes to digital marketing: the journey is the destination.

It’s also worth emphasising the importance of a balanced perspective on this point. If you don’t manage to achieve a specific KPI, it’s not necessarily a cause for panic; there are likely a number of reasons why, and you can look at it as a challenge for the future.

Equally, if you find your business easily achieving every last KPI on the list with time to spare – there’s a good chance you aren’t being ambitious enough, and it could be time to think bigger.

1. ROI and Revenue Growth

Ultimately, the most important indicator of success lies in the return on investment (ROI) and revenue growth, along with ROAS (return on advertising spend). A consultant will track the impact of digital strategies on your bottom line, ensuring that every effort contributes to the overall financial success of your business.

2. Tracking Key Performance Indicators

KPIs serve as compass points, guiding your digital marketing strategy in the right direction. Consultants meticulously track KPIs tailored to your business goals, whether it’s:

• Conversion rates,
• Customer acquisition costs,
• Or engagement metrics.

These indicators provide real-time insights, allowing for informed decision-making and the refinement of strategies for optimal performance.

3. Adaptability to Changing Trends

Success in the digital landscape isn’t measured by a static yardstick; rather, it’s a growth-mindset, applied within an ever-evolving context. A consultant’s ability to adapt strategies in response to changing industry dynamics, consumer behaviours, and technological advancements is a testament to their effectiveness. By staying ahead of the curve, consultants ensure that your digital marketing efforts not only endure but thrive in the face of evolving trends.

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Right Consultant

So as we come full-circle, we return to the question: should I hire a digital marketing consultant?

The resounding answer (at least, if you want our honest verdict) is an unequivocal yes.

But don’t just take our word for it. To close-out, let’s review the key reasons why hiring a digital marketing consultant might just be the best business opportunity in your sights. 

• Strategic Expertise: A consultant isn’t just an implementer; they’re a strategic partner armed with expertise across SEO, social media, content, analytics and more. Their holistic approach ensures that every effort aligns seamlessly with your overarching business objectives.
• Cost-Effective Impact: Contrary to common misconceptions, hiring a consultant often proves more cost-effective than maintaining an in-house team. Their specialised skills, tailored strategies, and adaptability ensure maximum impact for your digital marketing budget.
• Adaptability and Innovation: The digital landscape is ever-evolving, and a consultant’s adaptability is their secret weapon. They navigate changing trends with finesse, infusing innovation into your strategies to keep your brand at the forefront of industry developments.

Contact The Brains today to begin this transformative journey and start supercharging your digital marketing – we look forward to working with you!