WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A MARKETING CONSULTANT
You’ve finally reached a point in your business where you need to hire someone for marketing so you can focus on what you love doing. Congratulations. Hiring someone to delegate this undertaking to will help free up your time immensely and ensure your business and brand are being promoted without the added work on your plate. If you are not able to hire someone full-time yet (or you do not want the expense of doing so), then a consultant is a great way to go.
Before you start your search, it’s important to determine what your goals and expectations are in hiring this person. You should go into your search knowing exactly what you’re looking for and be able to iterate that to the people you are interviewing. This will help save you time and possibly the trouble of hiring the wrong person and having to end that relationship and start a new one. Here are some important things to look for when hiring a marketing consultant:
BACKGROUND
The consultant you hire should have experience in the industry in which you operate. For example, if you work in the foodservice industry, you should look for marketing consultants who have worked with clients in that industry in the past. Not everyone will have this experience, so looking for a background in business or sales should be equally as important. For example, I did not have a background in some of the industries of my clients when I first started working with them, but I had a background in analyzing business’ financial statements as well as in sales, so the fact that I knew how to create the ROI (return on investment) of my marketing efforts and ideas made up for this.
Knowing the laws and regulations of your industry is also important. Certain industries, like alcohol and cannabis, have special marketing regulations that need to be followed in order to avoid penalties and legal action. If a marketing consultant is not familiar with these, it could cost you more in the long run and damage the reputation of your business. A common example that I see often, is social media managers who are not familiar with copyright laws and use photos they shouldn’t in their clients’ content. This will hurt the client more than the social media manager and can be avoided if these types of questions are asked in the initial consultation.
Professionalism is extremely important in a marketing consultant. If this person is in direct contact with your customers and they don’t have excellent grammar or customer service skills, it can reflect poorly on your brand.
TEAM OR NETWORK
How does the marketing consultant work? If they have a built-out team or network that they utilize to assist with your marketing efforts, it means they have experience and are organized. For example, I have a network of photographers, graphic designers, and virtual assistants that can help with various areas of my clients’ marketing plans. I’ve vetted my network and am in touch with them often, even when I am not using them for a client. This allows me to match them properly with the various brands I work with and have confidence that my clients are getting the best work for their investment.
How does the marketing consultant handle multiple clients? This is a great question that I recently received from a client in the consultation process and I encourage you to ask it as well. If they don’t really have an answer for how they balance their work and client load, then they might not be organized and timeliness could be an issue.
OPERATIONAL ACUMEN
To get a good idea as to how organized a marketing consultant is, take a look at their process. Was it easy to book a consultation with them? How responsive were they? Feel free to ask about their process for onboarding a new client and what systems they use in their business.
In terms of marketing systems, someone with experience using multiple systems can be helpful. For example, have they used Mailchimp, HubSpot, Constant Contact, and Klaviyo for email marketing? Are they proactive about suggesting new systems if you are using one that might not fit your needs as you grow?
COMPATIBILITY
Nothing compares to personality compatibility when looking for a marketing consultant. If you don’t get along or they are not friendly, the other things I’ve outlined will not matter. Your business is your baby and this person must understand and love your brand in order to market if effectively.
If you think that I would be a good fit for your marketing efforts, please feel free to contact me. You can also book a complimentary consultation or take a look at my services.