We’ve teamed up with fellow Marketer, Melissa How, to share her top tips of things to have in place before you hire your Marketing Consultant.
Effective marketing is the backbone of any successful company. Brands that are doing it right hire a marketing consultant as early in the journey as possible. Whether you are a budding entrepreneur who is just starting up, an established small business, or an international firm, without a robust marketing strategy, you won’t be able to taste sweet success.
A marketing expert knows how and where to break through. They can navigate your business needs and help you get your products and services to market in the best and fastest way possible. Hiring a marketing consultant is a smart move.
Here are 5 major things to consider before you bring on that Marketing Gun
1. Business goals
A business that is running without any goal to accomplish is just like a ship floating on the sea without any steering support. Chart out your short term as well as long term business goals. Then depending on what your business target is, you can bring in a marketing expert who can take your marketing game to the next level.
2. Marketing objectives
Do you want to market your product/service to a specific group of the target audience? Are you in need of a marketing mentor who can revive your brand? Are you planning to launch your services globally? There are so many questions that you need to ask yourself. Before you connect with a marketing professional, get clear about your marketing objectives. What exactly do you expect your marketing strategies to achieve? Once you are clear about the objectives, you are good to go!
3. Budget for hiring the consultant
From the very beginning, set a realistic budget. Although you will be tempted to hire the best marketing experts, it is better to cross check your budget before you spend a bomb on hiring someone and make sure you are allowing enough for both your consultant’s fees and your marketing activities. You should be well aware of what you can actually afford. That said, marketing is an investment and how much you invest will determine your results so do not underspend. Your marketing consultant will focus on strategies that align to your business goals. They may help you set a feasible budget and realistic timelines based on where you are at in your business journey.
4. Period of engagement
Assess your business marketing requirements thoroughly and then decide whether you want a marketing consultant for a long term or short-term basis. You need to be vigilant enough and should have a clear vision of all your marketing necessities. This will help you decide about the period for which you wish to hire the professional.
5. Gap analysis
Internal capabilities is something that often gets overlooked in a business. You are hiring a marketing expert because you do not have all the expertise you need in-house. Analyse what’s missing and your areas of weakness, then bring in an expert that will help fill the gaps. This means analysing the difference in the competencies of your in-house team. You will then be able to understand the areas in which your team is lacking. This gap analysis is highly essential as it will serve you with your future marketing needs as well.
Final thoughts
Once you have considered these 5 aspects, you will be ready to hire a marketing professional to supercharge your business. Analyse both the pros and cons of outsourcing to marketing experts. Make a well-informed and smart decision by planning things way ahead.
About the author
Melissa founded Marketing Wise in 2010 to demystify digital marketing and support businesses in their digital transformation journeys.
After helping to establish digital marketing programs, Melissa remains an advisor to many of those organisations. She can translate complex technology into digestible sound bites and lead the constant cycle of improvement.
As a highly regarded mentor, Melissa enjoys empowering others. Knowledge builds confidence and bringing expertise to the team improves marketing competencies and accelerates results.