Small Business Marketing Consultant – Is Hiring One Worth it?

We’ve all seen multi-million-pound marketing campaigns arranged for huge corporations such as Coca-Cola or Apple, but can you find a small business marketing consultant that can provide similar help for SMEs?

Luckily, there are. In fact, we even offer a comprehensive marketing service ourselves at Forbes Burton with qualified marketeers, but does using the services of a marketing consultant make sense for your company?

What does a marketing consultant do?

You may have something specific that you’d like them to do, but in general, a small business marketing consultant will look at your business in depth to see how they can help. They can offer help with campaigns, brand awareness, digital strategies, and most importantly, generating leads.

A small business marketing consultant can either act as an outsourced marketing department for your company, or help you establish the knowledge you need to maintain a strategy that they have implemented for you.

Is my company too small to hire a consultant?

All businesses can benefit from expert marketing, and small businesses, in particular, are ideal for marketing consultancy help.

This is because smaller businesses are less likely to have their own marketing departments. Without an in-house marketeer, business owners often try to tackle the company’s marketing themselves.

While some business owners may even have a natural flair for marketing, they can’t always be expected to have the time, resources, and up-to-date information to implement effective strategies though.

Are there any businesses that wouldn’t benefit?

Some micro-companies that already operate close to their capacity may not get much from any marketing changes.  For example, if a window cleaner is already turning away new customers because he can’t fit them in, he’s unlikely to have any need to attract yet more possible customers.

For most companies though, marketing is an essential element of a successful business. A furniture maker may manufacture the finest wardrobes in the world, but without a way to communicate that to the public, they’re likely to go unnoticed.

What can I expect a small business marketing consultant to do for my firm?

Identify your ideal target market

If you’ve got a great product or service but it isn’t gaining the traction you expect, it can often be the case that it’s not being put in front of the right people.

Bubble Wrap was being sold as a textured wallpaper before eventually being marketed as a packaging solution, and while most companies don’t need radical pivots such as this, there can be different routes that your business can take.

Find a USP that resonates with your target market

Being so close to your service or product can sometimes obscure the differentiators your business has to other companies. A fresh eye from an outside party can often identify the factors that make your business stand out best.

Whether it’s price, quality, customer service, or something else, it pays to shout about how you’re different from your competitors and why customers should choose your company. Small business marketing consultants will also look at how each characteristic resonates with your company’s target market. For example, being cheaper than your rivals is great, but if your target market is looking for exclusive, premium products, you may be better off focusing on the quality aspect instead.

Devise tailored campaigns to achieve specific outcomes

A small business marketing consultant can work alongside company owners to decide upon what it is they’d like to market. While a campaign can be aimed toward simply making the public aware of the brand, others can advertise a specific product, sales event, or other element of the business.

Each will require a different approach, which a good marketing consultant will be able to implement.

Put analytical solutions in place to measure the performance of marketing initiatives

Whether it’s increasing leads, sales, or visibility, it’s important to have metrics in place that allow you to monitor how effective any marketing plans have been.

Good marketeers are aware that business leaders are looking for a strong return on investment, and as such, realise the need to measure the success of their actions. They should be able to provide statistical evidence of their strategies having a positive effect.

Access to specialist tools

Marketing tools can be expensive purchases, especially if you don’t know how to use them. Small business marketing consultants are likely to have access to useful tools such as SEO software that can help boost your company’s website visibility. These tools often require monthly subscriptions and a steep learning curve which many business owners don’t have time to tackle.

Which businesses would benefit the most from a marketing consultant?

As marketing benefits almost every business, the ones that would benefit the most are those that currently don’t have the time to devote to marketing or have struggled with their own efforts.

In fact, for smaller businesses without an in-house marketing department, a marketing consultant can perform a similar job for them, but without having to hire a permanent member of staff.

Can’t I just do my company’s marketing myself?

Absolutely. Although to ensure that it’s done effectively you may need to devote another set of full-time hours to it. Obviously, many business owners are already working around the clock, so this may not be feasible for your situation.

It can also be risky. A poorly executed marketing campaign can paint a picture of your company that’s difficult for customers to shake off.

Marketing is an ever-changing field too, and marketing specialists ensure that they’re always up to date with the latest trends and developments in the sector.

In general, marketing is a little like cooking: anyone can put a ready meal in the microwave, but only a specialist can whip up a gourmet meal worthy of a Michelin star.

Thinking about hiring a marketing consultant to take your business to the next level?

Hiring a small business marketing consultant can have a transformative effect on your company.

We understand though, that in the current climate, business owners are keen to understand exactly what every penny of their investment will bring them.

That’s why we provide free initial consultations that give directors a flavour of how we work, and the boost that we can provide your business.

Give one of our credited marketing specialists a no-obligation call today to discuss what we can do to get your business flying. Call us on 0800 975 0380, or email [email protected] for your free consultation.