How to become a marketing consultant

Video: HOW TO BECOME A DIGITAL MARKETING CONSULTANT | My Path, Mistakes and Keys to Success

Content

Steps
Method 1 of 2: Become a Marketing Expert
Method 2 of 2: Get Started as a Marketing Consultant
Tips
What do you need

Marketing is the ability to tell a compelling story about products and services through words, pictures, films, and branding. Marketing consultants (marketers) are experts in marketing who, after many years in the industry, are able to sell their knowledge on an hourly or per project basis. Companies and private company owners often hire contract marketing consultants to rethink their marketing strategy. After years of successful marketing experience, you might want to try becoming a consultant. This job involves a variety of projects, and you will be able to work with companies from different market sectors at the same time. This article will guide you on how to become a marketing consultant.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Become a Marketing Expert

1 Get a degree with a major in marketing or business. A business education will give you the opportunity to find a job in a competitive market. Consider getting further education in graphic design, copywriting, or journalism to have the added benefit of applying for your resume.
2 Start building your portfolio while learning. By graduation, you should already have press and online publications that show that you are capable of promoting products and creating compelling marketing messages. Whenever possible, include samples of your articles, graphic designs, product descriptions, and marketing strategies for print and the web.
- Most employers require copywriting and / or marketing examples when hiring. You can host your portfolio on a free blog or create your website on an inexpensive hosting. Your site should look professional and have easy navigation. This will give you an edge over candidates who attach documents to their applications.
3 Specialize in a field that interests you more. Marketing is a fairly broad field, consisting of online and press marketing, television and radio marketing, graphic design, copywriting, sales, and so on. You should study all of these areas, but knowledge in the most advanced areas of marketing will be especially helpful.
- Marketing ideas go in and out of fashion. It is important that you graduate with experience in the latest forms of marketing. Once you find a job, you can explore new ideas at work and on your own.
4 Apply for entry-level marketing positions. You may need to focus on finding a job in the big cities because this is where most of the marketing firms are located. Pay particular attention to jobs that offer training and career advancement.
- Make sure that each resume and cover letter looks professional and matches the specific set of qualities required for the position. There are no such resumes that fit all the vacancies in the modern job search market.
5 Develop your marketing career for 7 years or more. Many sites recommend not trying to start consulting until you have ten years of experience. Look for career opportunities and higher paying positions that offer more prospects because you need to become an expert in marketing to become a successful consultant.

Method 2 of 2: Get Started as a Marketing Consultant

1 Continue to work in your main job by starting and developing your new business as a consultant. Working as a full-time consultant does not mean that you will be immediately successful. Develop all your business plans, find consulting contracts where you can work part-time, and gradually start starting your own business.
2 Consider building your business around your existing clientele. Decide how long you want to work as a consultant. You can choose one of the following options:
- Become a consultant to spend more time at home or work from home. In this case, you may not want to work 40 hours a week. You can use your name and work as a sole proprietor and take on job contracts as needed.
- Create your own business. Create a name, brand and competitive marketing strategy. In this situation, you might decide to rent an office and hire staff. Then you should create a business plan before you start working on your own.
3 Obtain all the necessary licenses required in your country or area where you intend to consult. You may also want to consider obtaining specific qualifications from marketing organizations so that your clients can feel confident about the legality of your business.
4 Invest sufficient funds and think through your marketing. If you are able to sell your company to customers through your own branding, it is more likely that they will trust you with marketing their brand. Create a trademark, slogan, logo, branding and advertising that matches the demographics of your target audience.
5 Set a reasonable hourly rate. See how much other consultants in your field are charging and then analyze the cost of doing business plus your qualifications. This figure should be slightly higher than your last job.
6 Learn to manage people. If you have held a leadership position in the past, this is a big plus. You must be able to effectively manage the staff of the company that hires you, as well as the staff of your company, if you have your own employees.
7 Get ready for a stressful lifestyle. If you've worked in the competitive marketing industry, you already know how to function in times of stress and impending deadlines. If you plan to work as a consultant not from time to time, but constantly, this pace will not change, and it can even become more stressful with the weight of your own business on your shoulders.
8 Expand your business relationships constantly. You must be prepared to meet with the business leaders of your city and region. You must consistently sell your services personally and through your branding.

Tips

Get organized if you want to be a consultant. This means being able to organize your own schedule with multiple deadlines that must be met. If you are not overly organized, you may not want to become a consultant.