In a previous blog I’ve discussed ‘Why do you need a Marketing Consultant?’ and here’s the follow up of all the benefits that you can gain from working with a freelance marketer.
- Outsourced marketers can ‘do’ a lot of the marketing themselves, on behalf of your business with very little input needed. It’s worth checking whether your consultant specialises in strategy – but can’t deliver the plan or whether they can do both.
- A marketing consultant can help you to create marketing campaigns, work on a dedicated project or just pick up some of the overflow work that you may have on – this can be on a regular basis or totally ad-hoc.
- Most freelancers don’t leave the desk when the office lights go out and the cleaners come in. Had a project come in with a ridiculously tight deadline? If agreed, most marketing consultants can change their working pattern to accommodate – even if it means working later into the evening.
- Hiring an outsourced marketer can save the business a lot of money (and time). Have you tried recruiting a decent team member recently? It’s a total minefield! Hiring a consultant can save you the recruiting time and give you immediate access to higher levels of experience, a wider skillset and often a wider network of tried and trusted freelancers whilst you find that perfect permanent team fit.
- Need some help or concise user guides for updating your website or finding your way around to make quick text edits? Many marketing consultants are hired to upskill and educate staff on best practices across a range of disciplines.
- When you outsource, you choose how little or often you use somebody. Have a busy project on? Hire in some additional brain power and a capable pair of hands! Having a quiet time? Hire in someone to help you get the enquiries flowing. Maternity cover or regular advice needed? You choose when and how. Hire on an hourly, daily, retainer or project basis – so there’s no surprises.
- No management required – when you hire an external member of your team, it’s easier for them to avoid office politics and bitching. There will be no need for performance 1-1’s, inductions or additional company training.
- New opinions and a fresh set of (unbiased) eyes are what a freelance marketer can bring. When you work in the business day in and day out, it can be easy to get lost in how ‘nice’ something looks but are you speaking to your customers and addressing their pain points?
- Test the water. It is easier to start off giving a freelancer smaller projects to see how well they do and how you work together. It’s a lot easier to dip your toes in then go in for a full on hire – that you may regret later, and causes more of a HR headache that necessary!
- Researched trends – the marketing cycle is ever-evolving and keeping up with the latest trends, software and technology can be a role of its own. Marketing consultants are paid to advise and implement on current, proven marketing strategies, leaving you to get on with the running of your business.
- Trying to keep up with the latest trends, new features, and strategy adjustments is a full-time job outside of your usual day-to-day work responsibilities.
- You may have only worked within one or two companies, or grown yours from the ground up, consultants have the knowledge of working with many different businesses across a range of industries and can share real working knowledge of what works well and what doesn’t.
- Similarly to the above point, freelance marketers have a wide bank of customers and suppliers. Perhaps you offer corporate gifts, they may be working with a company who are on the lookout for a business to provide them with gift solutions for an event. The referral network should never be overlooked – especially one so cross sectioned!
- Consultants will often have many tasks on the go at one time, this just means they need to be extra precise and project manage. This results in you never missing a deadline and always receiving work when it is agreed.
- Are you battling with pitch decks and proposals and they never look quite the same? Consultants can take your branding and create a master template for you to duplicate time and time again to give that consistent, polished feel.
Typical marketing projects that I am hired for include;
- Reviewing current marketing activity and making recommendations for improvement
- Working with my bank of associates to devise first class digital marketing strategies and tactics
- Working on a fixed retainer basis with general marketing efforts
- To put together strategy pieces for specific campaigns or media
- Content planning, creation, scheduling and engagement for a multitude of social media platforms
- To tidy and cleanse CRM systems and integrate them into email marketing lists
- For website updates and coding issues
- To track the successes/pitfalls of current campaigns
