Working in isolation can be hard. Trying to wear all the hats, keep the plates spinning and not drop the ball is one part of the struggle.
But perhaps the biggest struggle I see business owners face is being responsible for all the decisions.
This often leads business owners to invest in coaching. But have you ever considered a consultant as an alternative/addition?
Coach Vs Consultant
Coaching and consultancy are two different ways to get help and support within your business.
A coach works with you to identify your goals, holding you accountable and helping you to unhook from the challenges standing in your way. A coach comes alongside you to help you see the unseen so you can progress towards a happy and fulfilled life and business.
A consultant provides expert advice, usually on one key area of your business. A consultant provides you with a clear plan of action, devised by an expert in their domain. The consultant will look at your goals, the data, and strategise a plan of action to implement.
Think about what type of support you need most – with coaching you’ll be guided along an ongoing journey, while Consultancy offers clear cut and tailored advice to reach specific goals.
Both services can be used together, or you can choose the one that fits your needs best.
What if you didn’t have to make ALL the decisions?
Coaching will help you get better at making decisions and will work on your confidence. A Consultant will guide you directly towards the next best actions to drive your business forwards.
The decisions that often weigh heaviest are the ones you have to make with little expertise or understanding of the arena.
For example, planning out a marketing funnel without having a full understanding of how they work or what each segment of the funnel is supposed to do is HARD.
Or maybe you struggle with deciding what area to focus on with so many options at your fingertips. Should you run ads, do a free challenge, focus on lead magnets or something else?! It’s all so overwhelming. Wah!
A marketing consultant can make sense of the data and deliver strategic advice to get you to your desired destination.
What does a marketing consultant do?
A marketing consultant is an expert in marketing. They’re experts in their field and can help you assess and understand your customer base, the market and the best places to focus your efforts.
They’ll create winning strategies that will help you better reach your target audience and grow your business.
You can bring a marketing consultant onboard to help with a specific problem or goal, or work with one to develop an overarching marketing strategy so you’re no longer flailing around in the dark.
7 things a marketing consultant can help with
- Lead generation
- Devising a complete marketing funnel
- Customer retention and progression
- Improving life of customer value
- Creating campaign ideas
- Making sense of your data so you’re making informed decisions
- Finding quick wins as well as long term growth strategies
This list isn’t exhaustive but it covers the 7 typical areas that I focus on when working with my clients on their marketing strategy.
Why lead gen alone isn’t enough
A lot of us get fixated on lead gen, and it’s an important part of any business… but, it can be expensive!
Do it without a solid strategy behind it and it’s even more expensive. You don’t want an impressive email list that’s serving your ego but converting to nothing.
Maximising ROI
To maximise the ROI of your marketing activities, you need to look beyond lead generation to retaining customers and taking them on a journey with you.
That might sound a little money grabby,of course this makes each client spend more with you. But it’s about a lot more than the money.
The longer a client spends working with you or using your products, the more value they will reap.
For example, compare someone who attends your 6 weeks of puppy classes and nothing more with someone who progresses through to adolescent classes, scentwork and workshops.
Which individual do you think will enjoy better results with their dogs?
The same is true for a lot of product based businesses. Depending on what you sell, repeat customers are likely to get more out of the solutions you offer when they commit to your products and know how to use them to their advantage.
Who doesn’t love a quick win?
When I start working with a client on their marketing strategy, the first thing I look for is quick wins. Typically this will be email sequences, SEO and edits to existing content to improve conversions.
If you’ve been in business a while and have a decent foundation, there will undoubtedly be quick wins right in front of you that you just can’t see.
You’ve been working in your business so long that you can’t see the opportunities staring you in the face. That’s totally normal by the way!
If we work together, we’ll hit those quick wins first before progressing onto meatier stuff.
Ready to get purposeful about your marketing?
I love getting all data geek and digging into businesses untapped growth. If you want some help getting your marketing strategy mapped out or your next steps planned, book in for your first session with me here.
You’re not tied into a membership or ongoing payments. You simply book in for a consultation whenever you need one. After an hour together you’ll have plenty of focused plans to put into action – and crucially, you’ll know WHY you’re doing them and how they compound into results.
If you want a full marketing strategy mapped out, get in touch and I can give you a bespoke quote.
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