What is a Marketing Consultant, and Why do You Need One?
Have you found yourself wondering why your current marketing efforts just aren’t working?
You know you have the expertise, yet your business isn’t thriving the way you know it could be. You put your time, your money, and your energy into creating an ad for your business that you’re just sure will be a game changer.
And … CRICKETS.
Are you missing something? What are you doing wrong? Are you tired of spinning your wheels?
Start by asking these 3 questions:
“Is my message clear?”
“Am I reaching my ideal client? Do I have more than one?”
“Is my current marketing plan supporting my overall goal?”
If you feel you’ve done everything you can and still aren’t growing, you have probably reached a place in your business where it’s time to consider hiring a marketing consultant. Why? Because You are an expert at what you do, and they are the experts at conveying that for you. The truth is, there is magic to be found between those closest to a project, and those who can bring an objective eye to the table.
Picture this. Developing a plan for marketing is like following a road map. You have a destination, or ultimate goal, you just don’t know the best route to take to reach it. Usually, when you need a little help with direction, you fire up your trusty navigation tool where you’ll get your route mapped out for you, alerts to accidents and speed traps, detours, and shorter routes. This is the role of a marketing consultant in your small business! A marketing consultant will not only be able to identify the ideal plan or route for your business but will also be able to map out each pitstop you’ll need to take along the way to ensure you reach your end goal, as well as redirecting if ever your efforts hit a roadblock!
If your business has hit a roadblock, don’t be discouraged. There are lots of ways that marketing can feel overwhelming, and think about all you’ve learned in the process!
You’ve likely already completed one of the most difficult parts of business ownership – Identifying your ideal client, or target market. Now, let’s explore the roadmap to successful marketing!
1st Stop: IDENTIFY the overall marketing message
Now that you’ve determined that your current marketing strategy just is not working, you can take the steps to find a method that will. For starters, we need to identify what will catch the attention of your ideal client. What speaks to their pain points? Why should they trust you? What makes you an expert? How is your approach different from others in your industry? These are a few things we want to convey in your marketing message. The intention of your marketing message is to speak directly to your target audience(s). When a potential client comes across your site or business page, you have a matter of seconds to grab their attention before they move on to something else. The best way to do this is by sharing something they can relate to, leaving no question that you are talking directly to them, and doing it in an impactful way. So make it short and sweet, but realize it can take a couple of tries to resonate, so being concise and consistent is key!
2nd Stop: CREATE marketing strategies and a detailed marketing plan
As a business owner, you are constantly inundated with questions and decisions to make that can have significant effects on the success of your business. How do you decide which marketing strategies are best suited for propelling your business forward? If you’ve ever struggled with that question, a marketing consultant may be just what you need.
Now that you’ve determined what your story is, who you are telling it to, and what methods you are currently using to tell it, it is time to start looking at which aspects have been working for you and which ones haven’t so you can stop wasting time and money on ineffective marketing practices. Whether your business needs to focus on Social media marketing, Email marketing, Content marketing, or another marketing strategy, your marketing consultant will help you analyze and identify which direction is best for the success of your business. To do this takes research. From determining where the target market is, to figuring out how to reach them organically — these are all things that require time. How much time do YOU have to devote to that research?
With the expertise of your marketing consultant, here are just a few areas that will be addressed as you progress in your marketing roadmap:
Assessment of the business’s current situation
Determine milestones and apply deadlines to reach them
How/Where to find your ideal client
List your marketing goals
Research tactics
Perform a content audit to identify coverage and gaps
Budget
3rd Stop: IMPLEMENT the marketing plans and strategies
This is where we turn our plans into actions and your new & improved marketing strategy is brought to life! Before you can do this, though, you will need to ask yourself if you have all the necessary tools in place for scaling. For example, is your team properly trained and equipped to handle the growth once your marketing strategies start working? How much additional business are you prepared to take on? What is your plan once you’ve reached your capacity?
Marketing requires planning for effective execution. Your marketing consultant will take the plans that were created in the previous step and will develop a clear path for proper execution. Your job will simply be to follow the path that is laid out for you!
In other words, what good is an idea if you don’t put it into action? You know you have a product or service that could benefit any number of people, but if you don’t take the time to plan and map out your idea and actually put it into action, then how many people are going to benefit from it? Zero. Zilch. Nobody. No matter how amazing your business idea is, it won’t help anyone if no one is hearing about it.
Another important factor in marketing is to consistently monitor the results. There is a variety of analytics software that can help track performance, but do you have the time to analyze the results from these tools consistently? The ability to assess these results on a regular basis will be crucial in determining which of your marketing efforts have been effective and which ones haven’t.
Ultimately, pivoting and adjusting is a huge part of the marketing journey. As we analyze the results, we must find ways to adjust our focus and strategies to continue to best reach our ideal client. Yet another task that takes your time.
Why Should I Hire a Marketing Consultant?
Adding a marketing consultant to your team allows you to save time and money, while also having the added expertise from a professional on your team. Much like any other tool you utilize in keeping your business running smoothly, a marketing consultant is an investment, but one of the wisest ones you could make as a small business owner.
Not to mention, the world of marketing is constantly changing and evolving. The use of social media for advertising has increased exponentially over the past decade, and the methods of doing so continue to evolve as the platforms grow and demographics change.
Think about how much Facebook has changed since it first launched back in February of 2004. Did you know that it started as a platform to unite Harvard students through an online community? Today it is the most influential social platform, with BILLIONS of users from all over the world. With the marketing efforts through Facebook changing drastically over the years, Facebook is now a primary marketing tool for businesses to stay connected to their ideal customers.
As Facebook and other popular platforms realize how much they’re being utilized for advertising, they see those opportunities and turn them into their own profit by changing their algorithms, which in turn affect the visibility of EVERY ad on their platform. How many small business owners do you know who have the time to re-learn the most effective methods for advertising once these algorithms are changed? That’s just it, they don’t! Those are the ones throwing away money by putting more and more funds into ineffective paid ads, and likely getting little to no ROI. If you are lucky enough to already have a marketing consultant on your team, then you get to relax and let them work their magic!
Why Should I NOT Hire a marketing consultant?
If you are not willing to invest in other parts of your business - With a new marketing strategy in place, it is likely that you will see an influx of new leads or a change in the way you’ve been doing business, which can bring to light any areas where your business structure is lacking. Do you have the infrastructure in place to nurture and convert those new leads? If not, this will impact the return you will see on your marketing investment.
If you are not willing to commit to the marketing journey - Marketing IS a journey that makes pivots and detours along the way. As mentioned earlier, ‘Consistency is key,’ and it couldn’t be more true when it comes to marketing your business. Developing a sense of trust and establishing a relationship with the client is key to the success of your business, and your marketing plan will be crucial in conveying that for you in the long run. Committing to marketing long-term is when you will see the most success!
If you believe shortcuts are the way to the top - Believe me, I would love to snap my fingers and see your business cruise to the top! But alas, as with many things, shortcuts in marketing strategies can lead to short-term results. If you want to build something sustainable and effective, this takes time, strategy, and commitment.
Why More Meaningful Marketing?
The focus of More Meaningful Marketing is on Digital marketing. I use this as my primary strategy for advancing my clients’ businesses. Why a digital focus? Now, more than ever, amplifying your digital presence means authenticity. It means talking to your audience the way they want to be talked to. I'm really passionate about transforming everyday B2B and B2C company offerings into thoughtful, strategic marketing pieces that are proven to perform.
As a marketing expert for many years, I believe in the power of a solid strategy and the implementation of that strategy. Book a 15-Minute Fit call to see if we’re a good fit to work together.
