5 Reasons to Engage a Marketing Consultant for Your Business
One of the most common questions we get from entrepreneurs is: "How do I know if it's time to hire a marketing consultant?"
While there's no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, there are some telltale signs that you need help. If you're feeling overwhelmed by your business or if you're struggling to see progress in your marketing strategy, it may be time to bring in an outside resource. An experienced marketer can assist your business in developing a strategic marketing plan and provide advice on how to grow.
Let's look at five reasons why engaging a marketing consultant is a smart choice for your business.
1) To Get an Outside Perspective
If you're like most SMB business owners, you probably don't have much time to think about how best to market your business. You're busy running the show and keeping everything afloat. Engaging a marketing consultant can provide you with an outside perspective to your organization, shedding light on new opportunities to support your business growth.
As an expert in their field, a marketing consultant has the knowledge, skills and experience to help businesses of all sizes develop effective marketing strategies. By removing the guesswork, they help develop an effective marketing plan by analyzing each phase of their sales funnel: from lead generation through conversion and customer retention. The goal is to ensure that all aspects of your marketing efforts work together seamlessly as part of a holistic strategy. They will also provide guidance on how to measure the success of each component so that they can be improved upon over time.
2) To Create or Evaluate Your Marketing Strategy
The first step in any successful marketing plan is a comprehensive assessment or audit of the current state of your business and marketing efforts. From there, the consultant will seek to understand the desired end state for your marketing goals, and then craft an approach to meet those objectives. This is an increasingly popular approach to support the business at a fraction of the cost of a full-time executive. The consultant should also be able to help with developing an actionable roadmap for achieving success in all areas of marketing. This may include optimizing marketing channels, such as email, social media, and search engine optimization (SEO); generating leads; crafting effective copy; and tracking performance metrics. They should be able to provide you with data-driven insights and best practices to help ensure that your marketing efforts are efficient and effective.
3) To Get Help with Implementation
Once you have developed a strategy, it’s time to start implementing it. Many business owners and entrepreneurs feel overwhelmed when it comes to implementation, which can lead them to make poor decisions or not implement their strategy at all. A common mistake is hiring someone who doesn’t have the skills or expertise needed to get the job done.
An effective marketing consultant can help bridge this gap by providing valuable project management, prioritization, and accountability to help move your marketing efforts forward. This is especially true if you don’t have a full-time senior leader like a chief marketing officer (CMO) or vice president of marketing in your business. By leveraging the skills of a marketing consultant, you can make sure that your plans are executed quickly and efficiently. This approach offers you the ability to keep the train on the tracks while being able to step back and evaluate the best way to scale the team, develop processes and maximize budget for the long-term.
4) To Take Advantage of Their Expertise and Experience
Marketing consultants are experts in a variety of areas, but it is important to note that they typically specialize in one area or another. For example, some specialize in marketing strategy, while others focus on web design or public relations. Others may have experience with social media marketing, email marketing, branding, search engine optimization (SEO), and more. Understanding your primary needs or gaps can help you in your evaluation process.
In addition to their technical expertise, they may have a network of other professionals they can draw on to help your business grow. Moreover, they may have a deep understanding of marketing trends and be able to provide insight into what will work in your business’s current environment.
5) To Save Time and Money
As your company grows, so does the need for a dedicated marketing team to support your growth. Understandably, many growing businesses don't make hiring a senior marketing resource their first leadership investment. As the business gains momentum, there may be budget for a junior marketer to help with tactical efforts, taking direction from the CEO or perhaps a sales leader. There is a tipping point where up leveling both the strategy and resource becomes critical to the next level of growth.
Engaging an outside expert can help close the gap when time is of the essence, helping you stay focused on your business and customers. It is also an appealing option if you are still assessing the strategy and need for hiring a full-time, dedicated marketing leader. A fractional CMO is an increasingly popular type of marketing consultant who offers strategic support to businesses at a fraction of the cost of a full-time executive. They can also help with team design and mentorship of greener resources. As the title infers, they usually work on a part-time basis, for a defined period of months. By taking advantage of the fractional CMO model, companies can get the expertise and guidance they need without having to make a long-term commitment or take on additional staff.
Bottom Line:
Engaging a marketing consultant can be extremely beneficial for any business looking to increase sales, awareness and market share. If you’re struggling to craft, execute, or maintain an effective marketing strategy, a marketing consultant can be a great asset. This type of guidance is invaluable and can make all the difference in preparing for long-term success.
If any of these reasons resonated with you, please get in touch.
