It is crazy how time flies and soon we’ll be celebrating our 20th anniversary guiding cool people and projects around the world, and while thinking about that one question came up that has been a recurring theme since the beginning: Does your company need a marketing consultant? This post dives in more.
To preface everything being said after this and to provide context, influencing real change is difficult enough at small companies then when looking at large companies (Fortune 500s, Global 2000s and others) there’s a weird balance in which the bigger you become and the more people you hire the culture shifts to simply showing up, make your boss happy and that goes up the chain.
And because of that, it’s hard for high performers to speak up and even more difficult for those at the top (C-level) to recognize things that must change and be open to bringing in someone from outer space (outside marketing consultant) to help shape the future.
Below are some of the most common questions we’ve been asked over the years around this and our feedback:
What can an outside consultant do that the internal team cannot?
This question in particular is absolutely critical and relates to having an experienced, fresh set of eyes that’s outside of your company – doesn’t operate with blinders focused on one specific product/industry – and has the power to deliver feedback/insights that turns the tables on your competitors. You gotta think outside of the box and that inherently comes from someone or a team that’s not in the box.
What are the benefits of hiring a marketing consultant?
Marketing agencies/consultants come from all walks of life and some may be great at digital marketing (ads, SEO, social) yet are totally clueless about blogging, PR and other mediums that help tie the whole marketing strategy together into a bundle of love/$. The benefits of hiring a top marketing consultant are bringing in an outsider with no stake in anything, no boss they’re afraid to piss off, and freedom to use their experience to speak freely with the intention of getting the ship on course.
Does the location of a marketing consultant matter?
While thinking about how to frame the answer to this question Milton from Office Space and his special stapler came to mind, and even though he was placed at a different location (in storage) he still believed in himself and his job. The location of a marketing consultant matters if what you’re hiring them to guide requires knowledge of your specific area and/or demographics yet for large companies the ability to perform outweighs location. Get it done.
How can you find the best marketing consultant?
This all ties back to the classic saying “don’t tell me what you’re going to do; show me what you’ve done” and that’s the litmus test to finding the best consultant. Do you want some goofball opening their jacket on Hollywood Boulevard in LA trying to sell you a Folex watch? Probably not.
What are the costs for a marketing consultant?
We have shared a variety of posts around the costs for marketing consultants of all types (e.g. social media) and as the world continues to evolve it’s magical how everyone is now a social media guru, food influencer, lizard trainer, etc. and that carries over to companies getting into bed with the wrong consultants.
Key thing here: You get what you pay for and it really boils down to your budget and goals. For some projects a consultant on the lower level at maybe $50 per hour can get simple stuff done but when getting into the big leagues for consultants with a proven track record you should expect to pay $300/hr or more. And for very specialized projects like expert witness testimony related to marketing our founder, Aaron Schoenberger, guides some of the largest cases and rates are typically $1,000/hr.
In the end, does your company really need a marketing consultant? That’s something you’ll have to decide.