Working for oneself as an independent digital marketing consultant is set to be a fantastic career option in the years to come. It’s a career that is in high demand and one that you may work on either from the office or remotely—which makes the profession one of the top choices for individuals who want to live and work as digital nomads.
Moreover, by providing digital marketing consulting to already existing marketing agencies or businesses that want assistance from a qualified and experienced expert, successful online marketing consultants can make anywhere between $70,000 and $150,000 per year, depending on their business model and clients.
This article will help you discover what is expected of digital marketing consultants, how to consult on different digital marketing strategies like a pro in order to expand your digital marketing career, and how to acquire the abilities that are required to become a successful professional in the industry.
Set Your Niche
The first step in the process of becoming a digital marketing consultant is to decide which area of expertise you would want to focus on. You should be familiar with all of the digital marketing channels that are now accessible, but as a digital marketing consultant, you should put most of your attention on a single one. In most cases, this is determined by the level of professional experience and accomplishments that you already possess.
Find The Tools You’ll Need For Success
The next move is to select your digital marketing instruments. You’ll require these tools to manage your job and provide client recommendations.
There are several options when it comes to tools. It’s advised to employ as few tools as possible. It is more efficient (both in terms of time and money) to become an expert in a select few tools rather than utilizing a select few capabilities of many tools.
Make sure your clients create accounts with the tools you propose using their payment information. Conversely, you can also set up your account and bill your clients monthly for the membership, but because this option can quickly get messy, we advise you to let them set the accounts themselves and then add you as a manager of the tools.
Start Working On Your Personal Brand
This step is directly connected to what we stated in the introductory part of this article. In order to get more clients and increase your business’s bottom line, you must build your brand from the ground up and position yourself on the market as a genuine industry expert.
Because clients seeking consulting services are interested in learning more about the qualifications and expertise of the individual who will manage their marketing strategy, having a strong personal brand is more effective than having a solid corporate brand.
They need to know who will handle the task since they don’t want to work with an individual or company that may give their assignment to any team member or subcontractor.
Increase Your Professional Network
There are two strategies to expand your professional network to boost your reputation and generate new clientele for your consulting firm at the same time:
Connecting With Other Consultants In Your Field
Social media platforms are an excellent place to build your brand further, connect with industry professionals, and even seek new customers. Finding and connecting with other consultants in your niche can help you progressively expand your clientele. LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are the most valuable resources for this endeavor.
It’s beneficial to your reputation and branding to have a respectable number of followers and to be followed by influencers in your industry.
Become Friends With Your Clients’ Friends
Furthermore, word-of-mouth advertising is a fantastic method to generate new leads, and one way to do this is through making connections with your clients’ “friends.”
LinkedIn is the appropriate tool for this endeavor. Include connecting with them on LinkedIn in your onboarding checklist when you have a new customer. From there, you can connect with their friends, coworkers, and business partners by visiting their profile pages.
By doing this, you have a better chance of being seen by their friends and coming to mind when they want digital marketing services. People are more inclined to trust someone they have worked with before than someone they have never heard of.
Maintain Your Education And That Of Your Colleagues
Learning about digital marketing never ends. You can never claim to be an expert in everything, and marketing strategies continuously evolve. You may employ a variety of digital marketing training courses to support your and your team’s skills development and increase the overall productivity of your operation. When speaking with your clients, you may even push them to obtain certification and utilize it as another selling factor.
Final Thoughts
The landscape of digital marketing is ever-evolving and changing, with new trends emerging from time to time. It pays to keep your ear to the ground and always be up-to-date with what’s on the horizon for your next career move.
Be strategic about where to focus your efforts and develop a plan for success. Much is still up in the air—but that gives you plenty of room to grow and expand as a consultant so that you can secure a solid financial future in this field!
