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The Essential Guide to Hiring a Digital Marketing Consultant for Small Businesses

Digital marketing plays an essential role in the success of modern businesses. E-commerce sales are expected to exceed an incredible $4.1 trillion globally in 2024. Additionally, Google reports that 83% of people will research online before they shop in a store, indicating that online results also play a critical role in in-store purchases.

The digital presence you build impacts your ability to attract these leads and turn them into customers. However, the industry changes quickly as technology and customer expectations shift. This results in brands often feeling as though they are falling behind the competition in their digital marketing efforts.

Hiring a digital marketing consultant for small businesses can be an excellent solution to this problem. Here is your guide to hiring a consultant who can help your business achieve your goals.

Signs You Need to Hire a Digital Marketing Consultant

If you have been wondering if hiring a digital marketing consultant for small businesses is the right step for you, here are five signs that it is time to look for the right fit:

  • You are struggling to keep up with all the changes in the industry. The strategies and techniques keep changing, requiring more and more of your resources to monitor.
  • While you have been implementing marketing initiatives, they do not produce the ROI you know they should.
  • You have been trying to manage all the different types of digital marketing yourself, like content creation, PPC ads, and social media, but you struggle to integrate them and see success. 
  • You don’t have the resources to invest in all the different types of digital marketing. Your marketing has taken on a haphazard feel as your team tries to throw different techniques at the various channels in an effort to see what will work, but it lacks a thorough strategy. 
  • You lack the tools you need to adequately monitor your campaigns and you don’t know where you should focus on improving to see the best results.

If you see your business having any of these five problems, then it is time to start looking for a digital marketing consultant to help your business.

What You Need to Know About Hiring a Digital Marketing Consultant

Digital marketing consultants will typically offer a wide range of services to help you manage all your digital marketing needs. However, your search will likely turn up the names of several agencies in your area that provide these types of services. So, your first task will be to sort through these choices and find your top candidates. 

Key characteristics to seek

As you start to look at your potential digital marketing consultants for small businesses, there are a few characteristics and factors that you want to focus on evaluating.

Success stories and case studies

Begin by looking for success stories and case studies. Reputable consultants should have a strong reputation in their field and plenty of references they can provide you with that illustrate the success they have had with past clients.

Research clients for whom a potential consultant has worked in the past. Ask for case studies that let you see how they approach different client scenarios and see the types of goals they have worked towards in the past.

Experience with comprehensive digital marketing

Next, look at the types of services this consultant offers. Seek options that have ample experience with comprehensive digital marketing. An agency that offers only limited services might leave you still looking for more assistance. Rather than trying to piece together different types of digital marketing help, you want to find one consultant who has the skills and experience you need to provide more comprehensive services.

Ability to create customized approaches to client needs

Research how your potential clients approach their different client situations. A consultant should understand how to evaluate different business markets and goals to create a personalized plan that reflects the specific needs of that organization. One that relies on a one-size-fits-all solution will likely not attain optimal results. 

Instead, seek a consultant who will help you evaluate the types of services you need and how these services can be used to reach your goals and build your business.

An emphasis on communication

When you work with a digital marketing consultant, you become partners in achieving your marketing goals. As partners, you will need to communicate regularly. You might have questions about the process or wonder how to shift your strategies in certain situations. You will also want to receive regular updates about the process and implementation of their strategy suggestions. 

Therefore, evaluate your potential consultants based on their communication skills. Businesses that are slow to respond or give overly vague answers as you ask about their services will likely continue with the same poor communication once you have become a client.

Importance of staying current

As we mentioned before, the field of digital marketing can shift quickly. Social media platforms rise and fall in popularity. Google might shift its algorithm, causing dramatic changes in your site’s rankings. Your consultant should have strategies in place for remaining on top of these changes and skills ready to help you shift as needed so you can keep your business pointed in the right direction.

Mindful of your budget

Digital marketing consultants can also vary in price and how they package their services. Therefore, you also want to look for a consultant who can fit within your business’s financial constraints and provide value for your budget. See what types of services you can afford and how this reflects your goals. 

Preparing for Your First Meeting

Now that you understand some of the most essential traits to see in your digital marketing consultant, the next step is to have a meeting where you prepare to work with your new partner. Preparing adequately for this meeting can go a long way in helping you get answers to any questions you may have and make sure the relationship gets started on the right foot. Here is how you should prepare for this conversation. 

Know your goals

Look at your current marketing rates and your ROI goals once you have your digital marketing working for you. You might consider goals such as:

  • Improve rankings on SERPs
  • More organic traffic
  • Improved conversions from organic traffic

Articulate these goals to your new consultant and ask them about how they plan to help you achieve them.

Prepare information about your brand

Your partner will want to design marketing plans that reflect your unique business. This means they need to become intimately familiar with your brand vision and voice. Bring the resources you need to communicate this to them.

Prepare your team

Finally, work with the members of your team who will communicate with your consultant. Make sure they have a plan for implementing the strategies the consultant offers and that they feel fully included in the entire onboarding process.

Build Your Business with a Digital Marketing Consultant for Small Businesses

If you are ready to take your marketing strategy further and see improved ROI, consider the value of hiring a digital marketing consultant. See the steps and tips above to help you find a consultant that can help your business thrive.

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