Before hiring a digital marketing consultant for your business, you should consider these factors first.
Marketing Consultants can’t guarantee any numbers
It’s absolutely impossible to predict any kind of price per result or volume for any industry at any location, at any given period.
There is a good quote that I like “No marketer can guarantee results because marketing isn’t science”. There are multiple articles about this topic.
Social media marketing or search engine marketing is super dynamic, and it’s impossible to guarantee any solid numbers. Marketing experts can provide you with a marketing strategy, conduct market research, or help you define your target audience. As for results prediction, it’s possible to get only a price range or volume range, without any solid guarantees.
Market research will provide you with a general idea about how your product or service will do on the market.
Target market or targeting audience will help you to understand who will likely purchase from you.
But there is no such thing as “Let me tell you how much money will you make this month if you spend $1,000 on your Facebook ads. Because we simply do not know.
A marketing plan has a lot of variables and it takes time to test them all, to realize what’s working and where you should concentrate your efforts.
A marketing consultant isn’t a magician
In addition to guaranteeing results and business growth, it’s also not wise to trust a marketing consultant who can guarantee fast growth. It’s absolutely impossible to predict that change is going to happen within hours, or even days. It takes time and a lot of effort to see the results. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in, or how long you’ve been doing business, no marketing expert can guarantee you that growth will happen within 2 days.
You can receive a marketing strategy plan following the marketing calendar to understand when it will be executed, each step and each activity will represent growth but if you expect to see an exact date for a miracle, this is a wrong approach.
Ask for a marketing strategy
In order to move forward you should have a plan, as for your business, it should be a marketing plan. Otherwise, you won’t be able to understand if you are growing or will be able to grow as a business.
Each marketing expert should know that. Expect to receive a solid marketing plan from your marketing consultant. It should look like a short story, to have a beginning, middle, and end goal. Good marketing strategy should show a time period and tools that you need to use in order to execute it.
A strategic marketing plan relies on data analysis and feedback. By continually monitoring the performance of your marketing efforts, you can make informed decisions, refine your strategies, and optimize your campaigns for better results.
A marketing strategy is not just about short-term gains but about laying the groundwork for sustained growth. It involves creating brand loyalty, nurturing customer relationships, and expanding your market reach over time.
It’s not enough to have a plan for social media content or Facebook advertising. You must see the bigger picture, to understand how all the elements will work together and to know exactly why are you going to start with Facebook or not LinkedIn, with email marketing and not with paid ads.
A comprehensive marketing strategy is the blueprint for your business’s success. It ensures that your marketing efforts are purposeful, targeted, and data-driven, all while helping you differentiate your brand and create a competitive advantage. With a well-crafted marketing strategy, you’re not just promoting your products or services; you’re forging a path to long-term success in the ever-changing world of business.
Check out what a marketing strategy should look like.
Your marketing efforts should be consistent
In order for trees to grow, they should be taken care of constantly. You can’t water three just once a month and expect to harvest apples each day. The same thing is true with marketing. You can’t grow if you have a plan just for a short period or just when you are not getting enough profits. You must have a solid plan from January until December.
Evaluate that plan on a weekly and monthly basis and renew it each year, to understand what are your strong points and where you should invest more.
There are no guarantees in marketing, not for PPC and not for SEO
There are no guarantees, whether in Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising or Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Both PPC and SEO strategies are subject to a multitude of variables, from changing search engine algorithms to shifting consumer behaviors. While these tactics can yield impressive results when executed effectively, no marketing professional can promise absolute outcomes.
If you have ever been told by an SEO marketer that you’ll rank on the first page of Google, don’t engage in any more conversations with this “marketing expert”.
Google, the dominant search engine, employs a highly sophisticated and constantly evolving algorithm to determine search rankings. This algorithm takes into account numerous factors, including website content, user experience, mobile-friendliness, backlinks, and more. No one, not even Google’s own engineers, can predict with certainty how the algorithm will behave in the future.
Competitive Landscape:
SEO is a competitive field, and countless websites are vying for a place on the first page of search results. The rankings are a zero-sum game – if one site moves up, another may move down. The competition, as well as the search landscape, can change rapidly, making guarantees nearly impossible.
Ethical Practices:
Ethical SEO professionals follow industry best practices to improve your website’s ranking. However, shortcuts or unethical tactics, known as black-hat SEO, can lead to penalties from Google and harm your website’s reputation. No reputable SEO provider will risk your online presence by guaranteeing a top ranking through unethical means.
Ever-Changing SEO Strategies:
SEO is a dynamic field where strategies and tactics must adapt to algorithm updates, industry trends, and changing user behavior. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. SEO professionals focus on delivering results through a combination of on-page optimization, content quality, and backlink strategies, but they can’t predict when or if your site will reach the first page.
The Importance of Realistic Expectations:
Instead of seeking guarantees, it’s crucial to collaborate with an SEO provider who understands the complexities of the field and can set realistic goals and expectations. Success in SEO involves continuous improvement, data analysis, and a commitment to providing value to your audience.
Bottom line,
When marketing is work, it takes time and it takes effort. It doesn’t matter what approach you are going to choose, your end goal is to get to the numbers that you desire. There are no shortcuts, no tricks, or hacks. If a marketing consultant promises you something that sounds too good to be true and requires only a few clicks or dollars to make it happen, don’t hire this marketing consultant, since he or she will ruin your business.
For more marketing insights and campaign management – Read my blog