What are your thoughts on hiring a freelance marketing consultant for 3 months?

My experience as a freelance marketing manager

While many marketers claim to be “consultants” at some point in their careers, most don’t start out that way. Consultant work is usually the byproduct of a career spent working in a variety of different areas of marketing — typically with a great degree of success. This is where i find myself. I’ve been in business since the age of 15 and have developed experience in a plethora of aspects of sales and marketing across a broad range of industries. I’ve been heavily involved in networking and have had a window into the growth ambitions of lots of different business’. If you are seeking a safe pair of hands for marketing please connect with me on linkedin, view my testimonials and drop me a call.

Why would you hire a freelance marketing consultant instead of adding another marketer to the payroll?

1. Outside perspective

The number one reason to hire a freelance marketing consultant is for the outside perspective. You may have assembled the most talented team of marketers on the planet, but you’ll always be blinded by some level of bias. A consultant, on the other hand, can come in and see things clearly without being affected by the issues that weigh you down. I can work with your current web company or blogger.

2. Specialized skill set

Freelance consultants always have a general background and knowledge of how to handle a variety of different needs, but most have a specialized skill set to offer. I specialise in social media for sales and lead generation. When you work with me, you can quickly target a specific area without wasting time, money, or resources. I don’t work on my own and know other consultants I can draft in where necessary.

3. Short-term commitment

Many business leaders — perhaps you included – find themselves in a dilemma between hiring a new full-time marketing employee or bringing on a freelance marketing consultant. The biggest benefit of doing the latter is that a consultant is short-term. You can use their services for a period of time — perhaps to help with a seasonal campaign — and then cut ties without any questions. This saves money and prevents over-hiring. I have worked with a company recently where I helped train up a marketing girl to do my work full time for the company and i’m just contacted for the occasional piece of advice. This is fine with me. Hire me for 3 months to make a long term difference.

4. Saves time

Hiring a freelance consultant is quick and easy. This allows you to spend less time focusing on logistics and more time taking action. As a result, you can address problems much faster and prevent small issues from becoming massive problems that will eventually require additional resources that you don’t have. The best marketing consultants are self managing. You can make money for someone by saving them money.

5. Evades office politics

In my experience, when companies are working on a challenging problem or a controversial project, it can be hard for them to make decisions or take the necessary actions without getting wrapped up in emotions, or politics. So, they bring in consultants to provide an unbiased eye and do some of that work for them.

This may seem like a minor issue, but it’s actually a major problem for a lot of organizations. There are so many personal factors in play that nothing ever gets done. People are too worried about job security, future positions, relationships and other factors that they become paralyzed. A marketing consultant doesn’t have to worry about any of these things and can get to work with minimal interference.

6. Increases accountability

It’s easy for business owners and CEOs to lose focus and veer off track, especially at particular times of year; the summer months, Easter, Christmas….This is typically the result of a lack of accountability. When an individual finds himself in a position of power, accountability dissipates and the ability to act autonomously often clouds judgment and decision making. When a consultant is hired, accountability suddenly reenters the picture. I will establish meetings, set goals and provide objectives that have to be satisfied by certain checkpoints. This is good for everyone involved.

Can you afford not to hire the right person?

At the end of the day, hiring a marketing consultant is all about finding the right fit. There are a lot of consultants in the industry, but you won’t be successful if you can’t find one that fits your needs. This means accounting for their area of expertise, budget, time frame, and other important aspects like location, current workload and more. This is why we ask you to fill out our discovery form above.

One particularly important issue to consider is the fee. Be realistic about how much you can spend.

You can dig a deeper hole for your company either by hiring the wrong marketing girl, or by not hiring the right marketing girl. Hiring the right person could well be the best money you will ever invest in your business. Once you decide, ask about our fee structure. We can be flexible. Do you want to be billed on a daily or hourly basis? We do bill up front though and payment is requested before work takes place.

Once you determine that you need a consultant, immediately focus on details like these. The right fit will make all the difference in the world.