What does a digital marketing consultant do?

This can be achieved through a number of different means, including through research, strategy, development and execution. Digital marketing consultants also address customer service-related issues related to the customers' use of digital channels.

The 5 step digital marketing consulting process

Digital marketing consultants must possess a wide variety of knowledge in order to provide the most beneficial service possible.

Knowledge of social media, search engine optimisation, e-commerce, the Internet and other digital technologies is crucial to their work. Additionally, knowing business management techniques can aid digital marketing consultants in helping clients set goals for their online business.A digital marketing consultant will go through a 5 step process:

1. Defining the client’s goals.

In this process, the consultant must define the objectives of the client. This is accomplished by asking questions such as:"What do you want to accomplish through your presence on digital channels?""What would drive more customers to your website?""Have you got any tracking and reporting currently in place?""What do you see as the direct benefit of digital channels for your business?""What are the long-term goals for this project?"Asking these questions will allow the digital marketing consultant to gain a good understanding of the client’s business and the projected benefits of digital channels for them.

2. Creating a strategy.

Strategies are developed based on the goals of the client and competition in the relevant marketplace. In this strategy, the consultant will make a plan concerning the development of traffic generation for the customer's website. The strategy will address many different issues including:1. What digital channels will be used?2. Who is the target audience?3. What will be the approach for the development of digital assets?4. How do we measure success?5. Who will implement the strategy?6. What resources will be required to implement the strategy (both human and financial)?7. How much will this effort cost?8. A final digital marketing strategy document.This will all be addressed in the strategy of the digital marketing consultant. The strategy document also contains an overview of any risks involved in implementing the strategies and how to mitigate them.

3. Implementing the strategy.

The strategies chosen by the client and consultant must be implemented according to their defined objectives and timeframes. The implementation of this strategy is often realised through the use of digital marketing tools such as Google Ads, Facebook Business Manager, Linkedin Ads, and Native Ads.

Also the use of a solid SEO and content strategy utilising a content management system (CMS). Implementing a CMS would allow for an organisation or company to control its content across multiple channels, such as the website and social media.

4. Monitoring results.

Though social media should be considered for its pure social benefits, it can be used as a marketing tool as well. A digital marketing consultant should monitor campaigns and define goals for such campaigns. Goals can include things such as:"Increasing the number of likes on the company’s Facebook page.""Increasing response rates to email campaigns."Important metrics to monitor include cost per visitor acquisition and conversion rate.Creating a dashboard or report which will show the performance of the digital marketing initiative will allow a client to monitor its progress.

5. Reporting results.

Once the strategies have been implemented, the consultant will report on them to the client. The reporting process should be timely so that both parties can adjust strategies accordingly.

A report could be as simple as a short email or presentation, or as complex as a full-length white paper discussing performance across various metrics and channels.

The report should also compare these metrics with those of other firms in the same industry to allow clients to benchmark their performance within their sector.

What does a digital marketing consultant do?

A digital marketing consultant has many special skills across the digital marketing space that are required to be successful in this industry. These skills can include things such as:

1. Marketing strategy

Marketing strategy is one of the most important things that a digital marketing consultant does. This strategy will be used to set goals for the development of digital assets for an organisation or company.

The digital marketing consultant will provide clear instructions on how to achieve this, as well as links to many sources where this can be achieved, such as content management systems (CMS) and e-commerce platforms.

2. Inbound Marketing

Inbound marketing is an aspect of online marketing that encourages consumers to come to the organisation's website. This will often be achieved through the use of the content on social media channels, such as YouTube and Twitter.

3. Content Marketing Strategy

Content marketing strategy is an important aspect of online marketing. There are many different kinds of content that can be used in digital marketing, including blog posts, videos and infographics.

4. SEO Strategy

SEO strategy is an important aspect of digital marketing because it uses search engine data to learn how customers interact with a client's brand and the client’s competitors.

This technique can help a client understand their strengths and weaknesses in customer service as well as how their competitors perform in comparison to them.

5. Paid search marketing

Paid search is an approach to advertising that involves placing ads on Google or other search engines, or through advert placement on third-party social media sites.

It is one of the most effective ways for an organisation or company to advertise because it can be measured thus creating an impact on conversions.

6. Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing takes social media, such as Facebook or Twitter, and uses it for marketing purposes. This strategy is often used to build a strong customer base through content creation and social media interaction.

7. Analytics

Analytics is the process by which an organisation or company makes decisions about what works for them in their business online.

Analytics can be used to learn about clicks, page views and website visits. It can also be used to make decisions about what sort of content to create for different channels (such as videos, pictures or text).

8. CRM Strategy and Implementation

A CRM is a software system that allows an organisation or company to collect information from their customers, employees and vendors.

It can be used for a range of different things including customer service, sales activity and internal management.We are big fans of Hubspot CRM. We recommend it because of its robust options, ease of use and scalability. In saying that we do work with what is best for you and your budget. It's important to look at what your goals are with your agency, and break down what you’re really looking for.

9. Website Requirements Analysis

A website is an online presence for an organisation or company, and it is the primary way by which they interact with their customers.

A website can be designed in many different ways, and its design will determine whether or not it is successful. The best designs will use the latest technologies such as responsive web design (RWD) and accessibility.Choosing the appropriate CMS for your digital marketing campaign is crucialWhen choosing a CMS for your campaign you need to ask the following questions: The most important thing to think about when choosing a CMS is what is the budget? If you have a small budget then it may not be worth going with a very expensive system that might be overkill for your needs. Similarly, if you just have a few bucks, there are inexpensive options that still do the job.

10. E-commerce Strategy

An e-commerce strategy utilises a lot of the above but is not just restricted to digital marketing techniques.E-commerce tools can be used to build websites that focus on selling products that already exist rather than creating them from scratch.

The most popular e-commerce software is Shopify. Shopify provides you with online storefronts and apps for desktop, mobile, and server-side processing.E-commerce tools are very useful because they can monitor any information related to your customers or sales. This information can then be used for many different things, including creating marketing strategies and keeping track of which products are most popular with customers.

It is also used for managing marketing campaigns, ensuring that the most appropriate products are being promoted to specific groups of people.

11. Lead generation

Lead generation is a very important part of any digital marketing campaign. This is because it ensures that an organisation or company can get in touch with potential clients and customers.There are many different ways that a lead generation campaign can be run. These campaigns take many different forms including email campaigns, content marketing campaigns and Google AdWords campaigns.

The best way to create a lead generation campaign is to analyse the information that was gathered in step 1 of the digital marketing process. This analysis will determine which kinds of leads an organisation or company are looking for, and what media they are most likely to be consuming.The most important thing that a digital marketing consultant does is choose the appropriate tools for their client.

Digital marketing consulting for B2C vs B2B business models

There are very big difference when choosing your desired digital marketing consulting agency for your business:

Business-to-business (B2B)

Refers to sales made by companies to other businesses rather than individual customers. For example, a division of a large company might purchase materials or services from another division or external vendor. The division purchasing the product usually seeks to resell the product in its own division making money off both its direct cost and mark-up.

Business-to-consumer (B2C)

Refers to sales made by companies to consumers, usually individuals. For example, a food company might sell its products in supermarkets or restaurants. A consumer is an individual acting alone and not in the course of business. One of the biggest differences between B2B vs B2C digital marketing strategy is the buyer persona:

Buyer persona – for business to consumer (B2C)For a business to consumer, their target audience is a potential customer that can be influenced by their digital marketing strategy.

This person is often called a buyer persona. It is usually the name of an actual person who could successfully make a purchase from your business. Buyer personas are often broken down into gender, age, geographic location and psychographic attributes.Buyer personas – for business to business (B2B)For B2B digital marketing campaigns, their buyer personas are people who the buyers of the product are trying to influence.

It is usually not necessary to have any specific demographic information about their buyer personas because the purpose of these campaigns is more about driving sales for existing customers within an organisation rather than cultivating new customers.

When developing a B2B digital marketing strategy, it is important to focus on increasing sales for existing customers.

When should you hire a digital marketing consultant?

Understanding when you should hire a digital marketing consultant depends on a few questions you should ask:1. Do I have a clear path and understanding of my companies digital marketing requirements and efforts? 2. Do I have all of my resources (time & money) allocated to the proper areas?3. Do I have full buy-in from senior management?4. Have I exhausted all of my resources to build a solid online marketing foundation?5. Is there a budget for a sound digital marketing strategy and execution?Choose wisely the digital consulting company you will hire, this is because experience matters and also understand that these consultants can be expensive. But this should not be seen as an expense but as an investment because if the consultant you hire produce $10 for every $1 you invest in them, then its worth every cent. You should always ask for references and details of the work they've done before, do not just hire anyone who says they can help you. This will help guide your decision making if the team has good references for the work they have completed.When you know what you want and need to achieve, it will be easy and simple to choose and choose the best service available in the market. The size of your company should also be taken into consideration when choosing a digital marketing consultant.

What you should consider when hiring a digital marketing consultant

When looking for a digital marketing consultant, you should consider things like your budget, the types of work they do and the time it will take to get your goals accomplished. You can also consider how long they have been around in this field, what kinds of clients they have worked with in the past and whether or not there are referrals. Here is a list of questions you should ask when vetting your possible consulting agencies:1. What kind of experience do you have?2. What kind of clients have you worked with in the past?3. How many people will be working on my project? 4. How much time will it take to complete the project, start to finish?5. What is your process for getting started and what is our timeline for completion of results and delivery of the final product?

Should you consider a digital marketing agency or a freelancer: The pros and cons.

Agencies are usually the best choice when you are looking for someone to take care of your online marketing strategy. They can offer a wide range of services at a very reasonable price. Pros:- They have a staff of professionals to help you with your marketing. – A breadth of skills across many people on their team.- They have experience in the field, which makes them a safe bet. – They do a lot of research about your industry and the competition. This kind of information allows them to construct a strategy that could work for you.Cons: -Compared to freelancers will be more expensive but provide greater value.-They tend to be very large companies, which could limit the number of services they provide for you. -Can sometimes take quite some time before they get started on your project.Freelancers are great because you can hire them on a per-project basis and get exactly what you need to be done without having to pay for other things you do not need or wantPros:- They are very good at finding the cheapest and most cost-effective solution. -They can be times when it comes to getting the job done. -Great for niche marketing problems that require special expertise.-They can take on many different tasks for you, depending on their skillset.Cons:-Freelancers may not be able to offer all of the services you need in one place (this is why it's important to choose someone with a variety of skills in your field).-Freelancers might not be as experienced in all aspects of digital marketing.-They may not be able to provide the necessary manpower that an agency could.S o depending on your budget and the breadth of skills you need for your digital marketing campaign, you should choose accordingly.

Taking the next step in future-proofing your digital marketing with a digital marketing consulting agency

Step 1: Have a commitment to a considerable amount of your budget to digital channels. If you don't have this, don't start.

It is becoming increasingly more important that your online presence is large and visible compared to your competitors. It is essential that you maintain a strong digital presence, even if you are an offline business. This means that you should devote a significant amount of money to your digital marketing campaigns, approximately 60% of the total budget for all campaigns.

Step 2: Measure your digital marketing on an ongoing basis.

It's important to keep on top of what has worked and what has not. This will help you learn which strategies are working best for your company. You will be able to track the success of digital marketing campaigns through the use of web analytics, social media management tools and conversion tracking.

Step 3: Learn from your digital marketing experiences.

It's important to learn from past mistakes and successes. You can then apply this knowledge to future campaigns, saving you time and money in the long run. Use the information that you gather during each campaign to plan for future campaigns so that you can keep on top of your competition online.

What's next – Take the next step in your digital marketing

The digital marketing landscape is ever-changing. There are no set rules or regulations that will allow you to know what works best for your business. That is why it's important to stay open to new ideas and technology, as this may be the key to standing out from the competition on the digital stage.The beauty of taking on a digital marketing consultant is that you can rely on them to provide you with the tools and insights that will help your business to succeed online. Whether or not you decide to hire a digital marketing agency or rely on a freelancer, it is important to keep abreast of the latest tools and technologies that are being used by other businesses in your industry. In order for digital marketing campaigns to be successful, there has to be a strategy in place. You should not assume it will all come together without any preparation. Step aside from the digital marketing experts who are providing you with panache, but are providing no solutions to your business’s needs. Digital marketing is all about testing, learning, adapting and implementing new strategies or ideas that help you to grow your online presence. This is why you need a consultant who is experienced in this area and the team at Honest Fox Digital can help you achieve your marketing goals. Our Digital marketing consulting team will help deliver a digital marketing strategy that will drive your business growth.