I’d say about 90% of my conversations with business owners include statements like:
“We worked with a internet marketing consultant for 6 months and got nothing from it”
“I’ve spent thousands of dollars on search engine optimization and have no idea what it did”
“We hired a marketing consultant who wrote great blog posts but they never resulted in any new business”
The trepidation to go down that road again is understandable. In the vast ecosystem of digital marketing, there are many ways to spend money and not understand what, if anything, that investment has returned.
In the majority of these cases there is a disconnect in expectations, unclear goals and lack of accountability. The first step in hiring the right internet marketing consultant is to understand the many choices and which is best for your particular needs.
The many internet marketing consultant options
Digital marketing consultants come in many sizes and shapes. When vetting which might be best for your business, it’s best to understand the different types of services, the skills needed to be successful and the time it takes to see results.
Content Marketing or Inbound Marketing Services
The concept here is to develop and distribute content that will organically attract the right visitors to your website. Content marketing works hand-in-hand with search engine optimization (SEO). The success of this option requires deep insights about your buyers (what they need and want to see), a data-driven smart strategy and a commitment to long-term marketing efforts.
This internet marketing consultant will need expertise in a whole host of areas such as strategy development, writing, marketing automation, SEO, website development and email marketing.
TIP: If you offer a product or service that takes some consideration to purchase such as software or equipment, this type of marketing can produce a consistent lead flow as well as position you as an expert in your field.
Not sure if Inbound Marketing is right for you? Get our helpful guide to find out:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Services
Search engines want you to prove that you are an authority at what you do and if so, they will reward you with a prominent position in their rankings (page one). Success requires many critical factors, from the technical parts of the website, to the way the content is written (content marketing), to the speed of the site on all devices.
A quality SEO consultant will help create a plan to attract your target audience by providing strategic keyword choices, up to date SEO technical recommendations and ongoing support for continuous improvements. Similar to content and inbound marketing, SEO is a long term option that requires patience and close monitoring.
This internet marketing consultant must be schooled in all things Google, a feat unto itself!
TIP: Any company that wants to be found online for their products or services needs SEO. The types of businesses that benefit most are professional services, software and technology, small business and startups, niche companies, and locally dependent businesses.
Digital Paid Advertising Services
Other common names for this are Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Paid Media, Online Advertising. These all amount to the same thing: paying to place your content in a prominent position and increase traffic to your website or a specific landing page.
There are a number of ways to advertise online; pay-per-click (PPC), display advertising, retargeting as well as social media advertising on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. A good paid advertising service will understand the value of each and will make recommendations in regards to audience reach and necessary budgets. The beauty of paid advertising on any platform is that it is measurable, providing you with a clear picture of your ROI. Paid advertising is a shorter term strategy that can yield quick results if done by an experienced professional.
This internet marketing consultant must be proficient in all the digital advertising spaces (or at least the ones you want to advertise on) and show proof of developing and managing successful campaigns.
TIP: Do you need some quick lead generation? Maybe you don’t have the patience or the time to wait for content marketing or SEO to begin to show results. Paid advertising can be extremely effective if you have the money to invest and a properly built ad campaign.
Social Media Marketing
Social Media marketing can help increase brand awareness and thought leadership, expand your reach by promoting content, drive traffic to your website, and help manage your reputation. A good social media strategy must include the platforms your target audience uses regularly, a way to engage influencers in your industry, and a way to measure success. Often social media is used to support and impact content marketing and SEO efforts.
This internet marketing consultant should be able to showcase their success in reach, engagement, and growth of audiences via social channels with detailed reporting.
TIP: Any type of business can take advantage of social media, from a small local florist to a manufacturer of precision metal cutting.
Email Marketing
Is email marketing dead? That is the $100K question. Many say they ignore or divert emails that are “marketing like”, I do the same. However if your email puts the right message in front of the right people, it will likely gain their attention. Long gone are the days of sending out a newsletter to a contact database and hoping that it provides interest or keeps you “top of mind.” Email marketing can be highly effective if you start with the right plan that includes knowing your audiences, segmenting your lists and sending only what they need and want to see.
This internet marketing consultant must have extensive knowledge around email marketing tools from A/B testing to the data and analytics, as well as some creativity and strong communication skills.
TIP: Like social media, email marketing can benefit most any type of business.
Important to repeat is the WHY! No internet marketing consultant can be successful without first developing a plan, and a smart plan cannot be created without knowing the goals or objectives.
Start with the end in mind
Where to go from here?
How to hire a marketing consultant should come second to knowing what you want to accomplish.
Now that you have a sense of the options, create your own plan of action:
- Define your objectives. A reputable internet marketing consultant will ask about your goals and show how they can help you reach them (or not).
- Interview for fit. Every organization has a personality, you need to find the right digital marketing consultant to work with your team.
- Be clear on expectations. Know what you are buying, understand the deliverables and when you can expect to start seeing results.
- Make sure there is accountability. How will the work impact your goals? How will the consultant measure and report to you?
Put a stake in the ground
Here’s the hard part. You must believe and commit!
Don’t go in with the attitude of “I’ll give it 3 to 4 months and see what happens”… this is the kiss of death and a waste of resources. Make the decision to invest in marketing your business and creating a valuable partnership.
For any internet marketing consultant to be a success, they must be integrated into the whole of the company and be supported as a part of the organization. The leadership must be involved and champion the efforts. If you set the right plan and choose the best internet marketing consultant for your needs, you will experience many years of a positive relationship and successful outcome.
If you want to know more about the experience of working with a marketing agency or the results you can expect, just ask one of our longtime clients: Mike Rosone of Arista Air or Josh Jablons of Metal Cutting Corporation.