Planning to become a digital marketing consultant? Here’s all that you need to do

Looking to jumpstart your career as a digital marketing consultant? There are several steps you will need to take to be successful, including obtaining certification of digital marketing, developing work experience, and building a solid customer base.

While there is no shortage of digital marketers looking for full-time jobs, those tired of climbing the corporate ladder are considering consulting as an alternative.

The need for consultants with experience and certification in digital marketing is growing due to many business’ hesitancy to hire large, expensive marketing agencies. Hiring a highly skilled professional to train a team or manage the workload themselves is deemed more cost-effective.

The exact role of a digital marketing consultant varies depending on the company, industry and products and services being marketed. But essentially a digital marketing consultant advises a company on the most optimal ways to increase web traffic, search engine rankings, and manage social media and paid advertising campaigns.

In this blog post, we provide you with a rundown of the traits and skills you will need to be successful in digital marketing consulting.

What is a Digital Marketing Consultant

A digital marketing consultant is a skilled professional who advises a company on its digital marketing plan and strategies. They must have exceptional analytical, problem solving and organizational skills. As well, they are required to be fluent and knowledgeable in more than one area in digital marketing (e.g., social media marketing and SEO). Most business owners who look to hire a digital marketing consultant also look for someone with documented success and at least 5 years of experience.

Some of the Responsibilities of a Digital Marketing Consultant

• Evaluate the current digital marketing plan and suggest ways to improve current strategies being used

• Find new opportunities for companies to grow their online brand and increase sales

• Improve a website’s rankings on major search engines through search engine optimization or revised keyword list

• Develop an online brand and corporate voice and ensure the right message is being conveyed to customers

• Oversee all advertising campaigns, both paid and organic

• Manage social media accounts by scheduling posts across multiple platforms and engaging fans and followers

• Analyze data from different sources (e.g., Facebook Analytics and Google) and draw insights.

Qualifications for a Digital Marketing Consultant

The following is a list of qualifications that today’s businesses look for in a digital marketing consultant:

• An undergraduate degree in marketing, communication or another related field

• A portfolio that demonstrates a track record of marketing success

• 5-10 years of established experience as a marketer

• Marketing expertise in a wide range of areas

• Commitment to professional development and up-to-date certification of digital marketing

• Experience with wide range of web tools, such as Hootsuite, Google Analytics, Google Keyword Planner, Facebook Analytics etc.

Areas of Digital Marketing in which Consultants are Required to have Expertise

• Content Marketing

• Paid Search (PPC)

• Online Reputation Management

• Social Media Marketing (SMM)

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

• Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

• Email Marketing

• Web Analytics and Reporting

• Online Branding

3 Things to Know Before Starting a Career as a Digital Marketing Consultant

A career as a digital marketing consultant can be a rewarding one. However, it is not for everyone. Many consultants fail within the first year because they are unprepared for the complexity of the role. To help you determine if the career choice is right for you, have a look at the following 3 facts to consider:

Act out of passion

Most companies looking to hire a digital marketing consultant require an all-rounded expert. They look for a person with a passion for digital marketing and not just someone who sees it as a mere career option. Preferably, this will also be someone who works with the company over a longer period and is willing to share their knowledge and expertise with others.

Know something about everything, and everything about something

We know we said this before, but it is worth highlighting again. It is important to be well-versed and have a basic knowledge of all the areas of digital marketing. However, it is nearly impossible to be an expert in everything. We recommend choosing a niche (e.g., social media marketing) and becoming an expert in that specialty.

Make sure you know something about all of these services, and everything about one of these service (source: webfx)

Stay up to date with the latest Digital Marketing best practices

While having an undergraduate degree in communications or marketing is an asset, learning does not stop there. Professional development is the key to digital marketing consultant success. Staying up to date on digital marketing best practices through online digital marketing courses or training programs. is highly recommended.