What Does A Digital Marketing Consultant Do (and How To Become One

Have you imagined becoming a digital marketing consultant or entrepreneur here in Nigeria? The last two blog posts specifically addressed the issues of unemployment and how it could be tackled by acquiring digital marketing skills.

I also pointed out that digital marketing is entrepreneurial by nature. What that means is that you can earn some cash without being answerable to any superior. However, this can happen when you must have acquired and become vast in digital marketing for you to become a consultant.

With many businesses proliferating, searching for customers online the demand for digital marketing consultants becomes necessary. At least the majority of companies need experts in digital marketing who would give them the necessary advice in digital marketing.

Meanwhile, I will highlight some essential qualities that will make clients see you as an expert in digital marketing and have the confidence that you can transform their business.

Ready? Let’s get started!

What is a Digital Marketing Consultant?

A digital marketing consultant specializes in helping businesses improve their online presence through various digital marketing strategies and tactics. They provide expert advice and guidance to help companies achieve their online goals, such as increasing visibility, generating leads, improving conversions, and strengthening social media presence.

What does a digital marketing consultant do?

• Conduct market research and analyze competitors
• Develop customized digital marketing plans and strategies
• Implement and manage campaigns across channels (social media, email, search engines, etc.)
• Optimize website design and user experience for better engagement
• Manage and analyze data to measure campaign performance
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices

Digital Marketing Consultant Qualities and Skills 

Before you can start thinking of becoming a consultant you must have been well grounded on the following:

Online Advertising

Online advertising is very vast ranging from Google, Facebook, and Twitter. At least becoming good in using platforms like the ones I mentioned is one of the prerequisite to becoming a digital marketing consultant.

There are various online advertising platforms yielding billions of impressions daily.  Therefore, every digital marketing consultant needs to understand the fundamentals of online advertising.

It is not enough to set up a campaign for a client. As a digital marketing consultant, you have to figure out the best metrics to optimize and maximize your advertising budget to drive results.

Social Media Marketing

Social media platforms are very powerful tools that you can use to in creating awareness and rebranding the image of a company. You have to understand the ins and outs of social media and be able to advise the clients on the best metrics to adopt.

Content and Search Engine Optimization

Content is one of the most effective ways to generate leads and sales, by having the proper understanding of Search Engine Optimization.

Before I started developing content, I had to acquire some level of skills both in content development and Search Engine Optimization.

It is not enough to learn the skills; it has to be put into practice. A real digital marketing consultant has to be proficient in how to drive quality content that would generate traffic, sales, and conversions.

SEO and content marketing are a far slower-paced form of marketing. It usually takes months before you can start seeing, and optimizing the key pages of your website for search engine results.

“Despite the slow pace of results, the traffic and sales achieved by a highly optimized are impossible to argue with. Many online businesses achieve nine-figure sales every year from nothing more than highly targeted search engine optimization”, Nick Dickson, a writer, Udemy noted.

Capacity to Developing Marketing Strategy

Selecting Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and coming up with a tested and proven marketing plan for a client is also an essential quality any digital marketing consultant should Select KPIs. There have to be measurable goals that need to be properly defined.

Not just measurable, as a digital marketing consultant you have to explore different options and come up with quantifiable Without measurable goals, even the smartest marketing strategy will devolve into an expensive disaster.

For instance, before I come up with a digital marketing game plan or strategy for my clients, I do have an initial conversation with them to discover their KPIs. We review together their entire marketing plan after which I come up with a digital marketing game plan tailored towards their business objectives.

Understand How Marketing Influences Brands

There is usually a synergy between marketing and brand. The brand needs to be affected positively through marketing and a digital marketing consultant needs to understand that.

The brand of a company is the image of that company, and I try as much as possible to understand how digital marketing with influence each brand. The way marketing works for brand A might be different from the way it works for brand B.

According to Nick Dickson, “Not every profitable marketing campaign is good for business. Many companies are less concerned about maximizing their net profit and more interested in building a lasting brand that customers trust and depend on”.

“Many digital marketing consultants mistake profit margins for success and design ads and offers that maximize revenue at the expense of trust. This is a short-term win, but it’s often damaging to a client’s brand over the long term”.

Achieving Long-Term Sales Growth with Client

Getting clients in your funnel is tough; keeping them for a while can be even more of a challenge. Therefore helping your client achieve long-term sales growth would be of enormous help.  To maximize your client retention rate, focus on helping your clients achieve their long-term goals as a business.

“From increasing their market share and outselling their competitors to hitting their target annual sales figures, coordinating your marketing strategy’s goals with your client’s goals is the best way to make sure your work translates into value.

This requires more than just a focus on key performance indicators. If your target market is mid-sized or large companies, you’ll need to constantly coordinate your marketing tactics with their management to hit their long-term targets”, Nick Added.

How to Become a Marketing Consultant

Gain an Educational Foundation

Obtain a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, or a related field is the minimum qualification to become a marketing consultant. You can build on this foundation by gaining hands-on experience through internships or entry-level positions in marketing departments. Also sharpen your skills with specialized certifications in digital marketing, SEO, and analytics to stand out in the field.

Get Practical Experience

After gaining a certification or obtaining skills through your digital marketing training, you have to seek out experience by working on marketing projects to gain a broad range of knowledge about valuable channels and industries. You can try to get Internships, graduate school opportunities, freelance work, work on real-life projects, or work with a senior colleague in the field to get more marketing insight.

Certification

Getting certified in digital marketing can be very helpful for professionals in this field. While some people may succeed without a certification, many choose to get certified to show their expertise and prove they are qualified for a job. For example, the Digital Marketing Certification from Digital Marketing Skill Institute is a good place to start. They teach you about digital marketing strategies and tactics. Additionally, getting certified in specific areas of marketing can be especially helpful. This is because they help you understand online platforms and how to market effectively on them.

Reasons To Become A Digital Marketing Consultant

Benefits of hiring a consultant for your businesses to enhance your online presence and marketing strategies.

Expertise and Specialization

Digital marketing consultants possess in-depth knowledge and expertise in various digital marketing disciplines, such as search engine optimization (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, social media marketing, content marketing, email marketing, and analytics.

Objective and Fresh Perspective

As an external consultant, you bring new objectives and fresh perspectives to your client’s marketing strategies. You will be responsible for identifying areas of improvement, potential opportunities, and gaps that internal teams may overlook.

Time and Resource Efficiency

Digital marketing campaigns and strategies require significant time and resources to plan, execute, and monitor. As a consultant, you can take these tasks off their hands, allowing their internal team to focus on core business operations and responsibilities why you sort things out for them.

Industry-specific Knowledge

Many digital marketing consultants specialize in specific industries or niches. But as a consultant, it is advised to be familiar with industry-specific knowledge, it can benefit you to understand your target audience, competitors, and unique marketing challenges within your sector.

Finally

To be a marketing consultant, you need to learn, work, and keep learning. Digital marketing is always changing, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest ideas and tools. Digital Marketing Skill Institute is a great place to learn about marketing, we offer a complete course in digital marketing strategies and tactics to help you increase your sales and customer base online faster. Click here to find out about the course.

FAQs

How do I gain practical experience as a marketing consultant?

You should seek out internships, entry-level positions in marketing departments, freelance work, and career coaching opportunities to gain hands-on experience. You should also develop expertise in analyzing market trends, crafting strategic marketing plans, and executing campaigns with measurable outcomes.

Should I specialize in a particular area of marketing?

Specializing in a specific area of marketing can help you stand out in a competitive field. You need to identify your passion and strengths, then deepen your expertise through continuous learning and targeted projects. Establish yourself as an authority by sharing your insights through blogs, social media, and networking.

How much does a digital marketing consultant cost?

The cost of hiring a digital marketing consultant varies depending on the scope of work, the consultant’s experience, and the business’s specific needs. Consultants may work for a fixed cost over some time or bill by the hour for individual meetings. The cost can range from a few hundred dollars per month for basic services to several thousand dollars per month for comprehensive strategies and campaigns.