Digital marketing is incredibly fast-paced, so you must shift gears judiciously to thrive online and anticipate your competitors' moves.
A digital marketing consultant is the perfect asset to up your game.
In this article, we will show you how these experts can help grow your business online.
After all, marketers who take the time to plan their projects proactively are 356% more likely to report success.
If you need assistance with developing a proper plan of action and crafting online marketing campaigns that drive measurable results, then you are in the right place.
Let’s see what digital marketing consultants specialize in and how they can bring value to your business.
A digital marketing consultant, also known as “online marketing consultant,” is an expert advisor who evaluates the current marketing efforts of the client organization, helps them optimize their strategies and leverage the right online channels to generate leads and increase online conversions.
These experts’ job is to identify the most effective ways businesses can promote their products and services through in-depth market analysis, customized strategies and various digital technologies.
A digital marketing consultant can help businesses that:
These professionals are proficient in analyzing large amounts of data, have a deep understanding of the digital marketing industry trends and come equipped with various digital marketing tools.
Digital marketing consultants tend to wear many hats; they are well-versed in the broad portfolio of digital marketing channels and tactics, from SEO experts to social media.
If you are interested in partnering with an agency for specialized digital marketing services, DesignRush has ranked the best:
The job of a digital marketing consultant varies greatly by client and project. Depending on the requirement, they can develop single-channel, integrated or omnichannel strategies.
The services they typically bring to the table are:
Some of their primary responsibilities are:
The type of online marketing services you can outsource to these experts depends on your unique business goals and the area you want to improve in your marketing efforts.
There are several key factors that influence the cost of digital marketing consulting services:
Online marketing consultants typically charge by the hour.
The average rates range between $100 and $175.
However, considering that you pay these experts based on their skills and experience, you can come across experts that offer high-end services and the costs can be steep, at up to $300 per hour.
Whether you have an in-house team of talented marketers or are thinking about hiring an expert who can take on your marketing initiatives, your business can benefit from a digital marketing consultant’s expertise.
Having said that, these are the key reasons to invest in an external advisor:
Organizations that don’t have the right expertise in-house tend to follow digital marketing best practices and stick to what worked for others or themselves in the past.
However, the online landscape changes rapidly, and businesses that fail to adapt to those trends can easily fall behind.
A digital marketing consultant can have a fresh take on your company, spot the real challenges and add new perspectives.
With an external point-of-view, you’ll get more clarity and objectivity and will be able to optimize your strategies for better results.
It is part of an online marketing consultant’s job to learn and grow along with the industry.
These professionals continuously upgrade their skill set and stay on top of trends at all times. They educate themselves by attending different conferences, webinars and events.
So, they are always aware of the search engine algorithm updates, the latest tools, best practices and tactics that organizations should leverage to achieve online success.
Business owners are busy and don’t have the time to follow everything that's trending.
A digital marketing consultant can be their best asset to growing in this highly competitive landscape.
One of the core strengths of marketing consultants is the access they have to expensive, cutting-edge tools.
They use these tools to get valuable insights on your customers, boost search engine visibility and overall web performance.
You may not have a budget for these tools. However, by partnering with a digital marketing consultant, you will reap the benefits and get advanced insights that increase your chances of reaching your goals.
A digital marketing consultant has worked with many other companies and has extensive experience in multiple industries.
They have tested different tactics on various channels and know what works with specific campaigns and clients and what doesn’t.
They know the ins and outs of most industries, understand the different types of audiences and are aware of the major challenges and opportunities on the market.
This is why they are quite competent to advise businesses and improve their marketing strategies and overall online performance.
A digital marketing consultant will teach your existing employees to execute campaigns, write content strategically or optimize for SEO, and these add massive value to your business. Plus, digital marketing consultants are highly skilled and experienced professionals that require no training.
What’s more, these consultants can help you spot problems and solve them quickly and efficiently. That will ensure your marketing budget is spent wisely on the right campaigns and channels.
All this will ultimately result in cost and time savings for your business, as well as quicker results.
Overall, the main differences between an online marketing consultant and a digital marketing agency are the following:
Typically, a digital marketing agency can help you with the three aspects.
A digital marketing consultant, on the other hand, usually specializes in strategy and planning only. Organizations execute the strategies on their own but under the supervision of the consultant.
After the strategies are executed, the consultant's job is not over yet, and in fact, they help clients gather analytics and evaluate the project’s success based on specific metrics.
Consultants serve as strategists rather than implementers, but they provide responsive monitoring and supervision during the project execution.
Based on these differences, you should hire an online marketing consultant when:
You should hire a digital marketing agency when:
To make sure you partner with the right online marketing consultant for your business needs, take the following steps:
Many business owners face the dilemma of whether they should invest in internet marketing consulting services during difficult times like the COVID-19 crisis.
Some believe it is bad timing to add additional costs when already struggling with decreased sales. This is actually the best time to hire a digital marketing consultant for your organization.
Let us explain why.
During the pandemic, people face many restrictive measures like lockdowns. It means that they spend most of their time at home and stay engaged with brands while shopping online.
An interesting fact says that Nike was projected to suffer a $3.5 billion drop in revenue in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020.
However, the company reported a 36% increase in digital sales and its shares rose as much as 11% thanks to eCommerce.
According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD):
“The pandemic has accelerated the shift towards a more digital world and triggered changes in online shopping behaviours that are likely to have lasting effects.”
The organization’s survey on COVID-19 and eCommerce shows that online purchases have increased by six to ten percentage points across most product categories.
However, the average online monthly spending per shopper has dropped significantly.
Based on the same source, many consumers are expected to hold on to the digital habits they adopted during the pandemic.
In fact, 36% of them are likely to shop online more often.
So, now more than ever, businesses should invest in strengthening their online presence.
With the help of an online marketing consultant, you can reach your audiences on the right channels, discover opportunities for new revenue streams and drive repeated sales.
A digital marketing consultant is an expert who can help you improve your marketing efforts and drive measurable results.
The average cost for these professionals varies between $100 and $175 per hour.
The primary reasons why you should invest in digital marketing consulting services are:
To choose the best online marketing consultant for your business needs, follow these steps:
You should definitely invest in online marketing consulting services during the COVID-19 crisis. Our shopping behavior has changed and more people make online purchases.
So, this is the best time to strengthen your online presence and connect with your audience with the help of a professional advisor.