Digital marketing is the use of digital tools and strategies to promote a product or service. Digital marketing has become increasingly important as consumers spend more time online, and social media has become an essential part of our daily lives.

Businesses use digital marketing to reach customers successfully and drive sales. The following article will take you through everything you need about digital marketing consultants.

What Does a Digital Marketing Consultant Do?

A digital marketing consultant is a person who helps businesses grow through digital marketing channels like digital advertising, social media, website optimization, and content creation.

They help businesses to improve their website and online presence by creating an effective strategy for their digital marketing.

A good digital marketing consultant will also be able to show you how to increase your online sales by improving your conversion rates.

Since digital marketing is a broad field and ever-changing, with new platforms and technologies emerging all the time, it can be difficult to keep up. Digital marketing can be broken down into many different sub-categories. For this article, we'll stick to the basics.

Most Common Types of Digital Marketing:

·        Search Engine Optimization(SEO)
·        Social Media Marketing
·        Search Engine Marketing(SEM)
·        Content Marketing
·        Email Marketing
·        Mobile Marketing
·        Affiliate Marketing

However, a digital marketing consultant can also help create a Youtube content strategy or a content download sales funnel. It likely falls under the digital marketing umbrella if it's digital and helps attract customers to your website or app.

Image of Digital Marketing Consultants reviewing ad spend.

Digital Marketing vs. Traditional Marketing

Just remember that one of the main differences between digital and traditional marketing is the medium used to market a particular product or service. Traditional marketing employs traditional media, such as magazines and newspapers, whereas digital marketing employs digital media such as social media or websites.

Traditional marketers tend to focus more on building brand awareness rather than focusing on specific metrics or KPIs (key performance indicators).

In contrast, digital marketers tend to be more targeted and measurable in their approach—but both are vital for brands today!

Just remember that one of the main differences between digital and traditional marketing is the medium used to market a particular product or service. Traditional marketing employs traditional media, such as magazines and newspapers, whereas digital marketing employs digital media such as social media or websites

Digital Marketing

Digital marketing, when done correctly, is data-driven and can often be directly attributed to customer acquisition. For example, if you're a B2B company, you could run Google Ads to targeted keywords.

You can gauge your success based on the number of clicks and form submissions you receive on your website.

Alternatively, you can run a social media campaign to an e-book that requires the lead to provide an email address to download the content. You can gauge success based on the number of emails you receive or the customers that convert from follow-up campaigns to their emails.

Traditional Marketing

Traditional marketing's goal is to spread awareness for a product or service. One of the best examples of this is a billboard on the side of the road or a commercial on TV. It would be difficult to tell exactly which customers came from which advertising channel.

However, the theory is that the more often you put the right message in front of the right people - the more customers you'll have.

McDonalds, for example, spends millions of dollars a year on brand awareness campaigns. With so many locations, it's nearly impossible for them to know which customer came from what commercial or billboard.

Artists rendering of marketing and sales funnel.

Digital Marketing Funnels

Another differentiator between digital marketing and other types of marketing is its complexity. Depending on the cost of the product or service or the type of customer, digital marketing campaigns may be multi-step processes or funnels.

A funnel is a process that guides your customers through the steps required to complete a purchase. A marketing funnel can be broken down into three parts:

The overarching goal of a digital marketing campaign is to move customers through each stage using different strategies and tactics.

An Example of a Marketing Funnel:

Awareness – Content marketing, SEO, and PPC campaigns to drive traffic to your website.

Consideration – Landing page optimization, email marketing campaigns, and remarketing ads to convince customers that they need what you're selling.

Purchase – Lead nurturing tools, sales follow-up emails, and purchasing process optimization.

A great digital marketing consultant can help you with multiple parts of your business' funnel though they may be experts in certain areas.

Some businesses hire individuals specializing in each step of the funnel, while others hire an agency or consultant who takes a holistic approach. No matter what you decide, it is our recommendation that you make sure there is a cohesive plan and that each stage of the funnel is working with the others.

Why Hire a Digital Marketing Consultant?

Most businesses will, at some point, hire a digital marketing consultant. The reason is simple: they don't have the time, energy, or expertise to do it themselves or to keep up with digital marketing trends.

They might not even know where to start when it comes to improving their online presence. A digital marketing consultant can give you expert advice on how to grow your business by leveraging the internet, social media, and other online channels.

Digital marketing consultants can also offer a fresh perspective on your business and advise on how best to use the internet to grow your audience. They will often have access to tools and software that is not accessible to most businesses, which means they can be more effective in their role. With new digital nomad visas like the one in Colombia, You may even be able to hire a consultant from anywhere in the world.

How to Hire a Digital Marketing Consultant

1. Find a Consultant.

There are various ways in which you can find a digital marketing consultant. You could ask other business owners for recommendations, search online or even contact your local Chamber of Commerce to see if they have any information on who they recommend.

Googling may also help you find different advertisements and digital marketing services.

Once you have found a number of potential candidates, it is important that you interview them all before making your final decision. You should ask them questions about their experience in the industry, as well as what they feel are their strengths and weaknesses when it comes to managing clients' online presence.

2. Choose the Right Fit.

If you're looking to hire a digital marketing consultant, there are a few things you need to consider. You should always look at the individual's experience and ensure they have the relevant qualifications for your business.

Some consultants may specialize in B2C marketing, while others may focus on the B2B space.

It's also essential that they understand your target audience and industry so they can advise you on how best to reach them. Advertising in the healthcare space is vastly different than clothing and apparel.

3. Align Your Budget.

The cost of hiring a digital marketing consultant will vary depending on the individual or agency you hire. It's important to note that some companies will charge an hourly rate while others may offer you a fixed price quote.

There are many different types of consultants, each with its pricing structure. You can expect to pay anywhere from $2,500 to $12,000 per month, $50 to $500+ per hour, and $1,000 to $7,500 per project. Prices for services depends on the experience and expertise of a digital marketing consultant.

What Type of Work Would a Digital Marketing Consultant Do For You?

A digital marketing consultant will be able to assess your current online presence, including your website and social media accounts. They will then be able to offer advice on how best to improve this.

This could include anything from helping you create a new website or blog to improving your SEO ranking so that it is more likely that people will see what you have to offer.

They'll also work with you to define your goals and objectives and develop strategies for reaching those goals. Here are some of the things a digital marketing consultant will do for you:

Advertising

Digital advertising is another area where a digital marketing consultant can benefit. They will be able to assess your current advertising campaigns, including any online ads you have running.

This includes social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram and search engines like Google. They will then be able to help you improve these campaigns by offering advice on which types of advertisements work best for your business and how often they should run.

Great consultants will also be able to help you get an accurate return on investment calculation (ROI) for your advertising campaigns. They will be able to tell you what percentage of visitors to your website are converting into sales, leads, or subscribers and how much profit you are making from each customer.

This will help you decide whether the cost of running these campaigns is worth it or not.

Social Media and Content Creation

A digital marketing consultant may also be able to help you with your social media and content creation. They can manage your social media platforms by creating compelling content that resonates with users.

In addition to posting updates about the company or product(s), they might also provide links to your website where people can learn more about what you offer or take advantage of any sales promotions that are running at the time.

A consultant may also be able to assist in creating videos for YouTube channels (or other video-sharing sites), which could be used both in conjunction with other types of digital advertisements as well as standalone campaigns on their own merit (e-commerce stores often use video ads).

Website Design

Digital marketing consultants typically don't design websites themselves.  Instead, they work closely with web developers with these skillsets, so there is less overlap between tasks being performed by both parties here—which means less confusion about who does what job when working together towards common goals related specifically toward online marketing efforts!

What Skills Do You Need to be a Digital Marketing Consultant?

To be a successful digital marketing consultant, you need to have an in-depth knowledge of digital marketing. You must be able to communicate with clients and work well within a team. You must also be able to manage your client expectations, which can be tricky for anyone working in the industry for some time.

Understanding SEO, content creation, and online advertising will help you provide your clients with more value when it comes down to optimizing their existing websites or designing new ones from scratch.

You also need excellent project management skills because multiple projects will be going on at any given time. Your ability to manage multiple tasks without losing track will make all the difference between getting things done on time or failing to complete them altogether!

How Much Does a Digital Marketing Consultant Make?

A digital marketing consultant can make anywhere from $33,530 to $120,460+ depending on their experience and the type of agency they are working for. Independent consultants who can prove their worth and have great case studies and references are likely to earn more than digital marketing consultants working for an agency.

It's important to note that these numbers are averages, meaning that some people will be paid more or less than this.

For example, suppose you have worked as a digital marketing consultant at Google, Uber, or another tech company. In that case, you may make more than these numbers suggest because of your experience and connections.

On the other hand, if you haven't been working in this field for very long, then there is a good chance that whatever company hires will want someone with more experience than what you bring to the table initially.

Therefore, it is possible that your salary would fall somewhere $29.41 an hour instead of being closer to either end of that spectrum, where different companies would offer up higher salaries based on how much work they value from their employees.

How Do I Become a Digital Marketing Consultant?

Becoming a successful Digital Marketing Consultant requires hard work and dedication. You will need to build a portfolio of successful campaigns and client stories that you can use to sell yourself.

To become an expert in the different aspects of digital advertising, you'll need to learn how they all fit together, including SEO, PPC (pay-per-click), email marketing, and social media.

You'll also need to invest in your own time so that you can keep up with changes in technology or industry trends, as well as refine your strategies for success as they evolve. You should always be willing to learn new things about digital marketing by taking courses or reading books if this interests you!

Build a Portfolio.

It's not impossible to become an independent consultant without experience working full-time, but it's challenging. Potential clients want to know that you have been at successful companies or have helped similar companies accomplish their goals.

If you don't want to work full-time for a corporation, you can build a portfolio by doing free or low-cost projects for friends, family, or even yourself. Start small with one project and then expand as you become more experienced.

If you are looking for full-time work, make sure that you keep track of all your successes and failures. Small companies often allow you to have a more diverse role that helps you build skills in multiple areas instead of just one.

To further increase your portfolio, consider volunteering your services to non-profit organizations that need help with their online presence.

Get Client Testimonials.

Get testimonials from successful clients, so people know what results they can expect from working with someone like yourself! This is a great way to build trust and attract new clients who want to be sure that they'll get results. If you don't have any testimonials, you could always ask past clients for permission to use their words on your website or social media pages. You may even consider offering them a discount on their next project if they agree to do this!

Conclusion

Digital marketing is a rapidly growing field that can offer many opportunities for career growth. If you're interested in becoming a digital marketing consultant, the first step is to understand what it takes and whether or not this career path is right for you.

Our article has outlined some key points about what it means to be a digital marketing consultant and how much these professionals make on average annually. We hope this information will help guide your decision-making process!