Digital Marketing: How To Choose A Good Consultant

An expert digital marketing
consultant will be able to help an SME grow its online business and achieve the
goals set by the company. Whether it's a company that doesn't have an internal
marketing department or instead there is an established team, an external
consultant will always be an advantage: it allows you to define marketing
strategies from scratch, help in the digital transition and provide a new point
of view, also the result of the experience accumulated in the sector.When you decide to hire a consultant,
you also need to understand how to evaluate him to find the most suitable
person for the SME's needs. Among the factors to consider, there is certainly
the final objective of the company, which will have to understand its own needs
and expectations. Furthermore, both the technical and personal skills of the
consultant will have to be assessed so that a relationship of trust can be
established: sharing the same values with the SME will be essential to achieve
the objectives set. Here are some tips.Digital Marketing: Why Hire a
ConsultantBefore choosing a good digital
marketing consultant, it is necessary to understand why it is important and if
the company needs it. SMEs that do not have an internal marketing division will
need to integrate this lack with an external consultant.The consultant will be able to
design a digital & revenue
marketing strategy that will help companies understand how to invest their
resources, for example, increase the generation of leads and conversions, start
a digital transformation, and understand if there are market sectors in which
it would be better to expand. In reality, even a company that already has an
internal digital marketing department can benefit from an external consultant,
who will bring added value and will be able to offer new digital marketing services thanks
to his experience with other companies, even those not in the specific sector.Choosing the best digital
marketing consultantEstablish needs and expectationsSMEs intending to choose a
digital marketing consultant will need to determine their online business needs
and expectations. To do this, it is necessary to establish how long you intend
to use the consultant, defining short, medium, and long-term objectives.Furthermore, it is necessary to
define what the priorities are, for example, to increase online sales and lead
generation or implement inbound marketing strategies. It is also important to
understand any limits relating to the final objective, such as the budget to be
allocated and the tools to be adopted.The area of expertiseOne of the most important
criteria for selecting your digital marketing consultant is their area of
expertise. Digital marketing is rapidly evolving, and the consultant must know
all the news, know how to align with the market's needs, and keep up with the
times.In order to understand the area
of expertise, in addition to the curriculum, it will also be possible to
evaluate what are the previous jobs and the results that the consultant has
achieved with other companies for which he has carried out a job similar to the
one requested.Transversal skillsTransversal skills are also
important in choosing a collaborator, especially if it is a consultant to
entrust with your company's digital marketing. Through a telephone conversation,
video chat, or in person, it will be possible to establish an initial approach
to understand if it is possible to establish a relationship of trust.
Furthermore, a consultant who shares the same values as the company will be
able to make his contribution more effective.Among the qualities that a good
digital marketing consultant must have, there are certainly curiosity and
adaptability in order to be able to follow the evolving nature of the subject.
Transparency and integrity are also two non-technical factors to evaluate in
order to understand whether the consultant is willing to commit to the
assignment. It would then be better to choose a consultant who does not work
for the company's direct competitors and who is willing to sign a
confidentiality clause to protect the brand.The budget to allocateThe last question that an SME
must ask itself is the size of the budget to be allocated to digital marketing
consultancy. After establishing whether the price requested by the consultant
corresponds to the expertise offered, the digital marketing services included
in the estimate can be evaluated. For example, if the costs are calculated on
the basis of working days or a flat rate that includes certain services for the
entire agreed period.In the first case, the days to implement the
strategy and achieve the objectives could increase, and the compensation to be
paid. Second, you need to carefully evaluate everything that is included in the
offer and what the extra costs will be.