Entrepreneurs are always full of big ideas – that’s why I love working with them. However, entrepreneurs don’t always know the best angle of attack when it comes to their start-up’s marketing efforts. Most entreprenurs lack the experience that it takes to put together a truly effective plan. This isn’t their fault–marketing is a hard nut to crack in this rapidly-evolving digital era. It takes considerable experience to know which traditional channels continue to work and which new channels are worth pursuing.
That’s why I firmly believe every early-stage company needs a strategic marketing consultant. Here are ten compelling reasons.
1. Strategic Marketing Consultants Help You Avoid Costly Mistakes from the Start
If you’re just starting a business, it’s easy to throw money at what looks like a golden ticket to expansive brand awareness and marketing success. You may think you have the solution to building a positive brand, reaching your target audience and delivering a really compelling message.
But the truth is there’s never been a time quite like the present for marketing failure. Everybody promises engagement and conversions, but do they actually deliver? Sadly, most do not – not without a careful, seasoned leader at the helm of a comprehensive marketing strategy. You can’t put all your eggs in the basket of Facebook advertising or Google Adwords. By doing so you’re almost guaranteed to waste money – money that’s particularly precious during the early stages of any business.
A strategic marketing consultant knows when to pull the trigger on certain channels and how to combine platforms for greatest ROI. He’ll tell you when it’s time to spend or when it’s time to save up for a real blockbuster. You’ll save money, and I don’t know a single entrepreneur who’d turn down that opportunity.
2. A Good Strategic Marketing Consultant Knows What to Do – So You Don’t Have To
Marketing is a demanding task, and you’ve already got a business to run. In order to create, execute and monitor a quality marketing strategy you need someone whose job is solely to keep an eye on your marketing and make changes when necessary. A strategic marketing consultant is just that person.
A good strategic marketing consultant not only has years’ experience in the field, but continues to keep an eye on trends and new channels to know when to throttle up or throttle down accordingly. This is incredibly valuable to a busy entrepreneur who simply doesn’t have time to watch out for the next big thing in marketing.
3. Strategic Marketing Consultants Keep Their Eyes on the Prize
An outsourced strategic marketing consultant maintains unbiased focus on the ultimate goal: the success of your start-up. Whether success is defined by securing venture capital, selling a million units, opening a second location, selling your business entirely or something else, he knows how to tailor marketing strategy to help achieve your goals.
He also comes to the table with no personal agenda, something that can’t always be said of in-house employees (who may have the company’s interests in mind, but also care about job preservation and upward mobility) or freelancers (who are ultimately successful if they can secure long-term engagements and income). A strategic marketing consultant enters an engagement as a blank slate, soon to be filled with exciting and profitable ideas for your business.
4. Strategic Marketing Consultants Define Their Success by Your Success
And speaking of success, an outsourced strategic marketing consultant emerges triumphant when you realize your defined goals. For as long as his tenure lasts, he won’t stop working toward that end goal. At Shared CxO, we pride ourselves in the deep investment our CMOs have in our clients’ best interests. They’re not concerned with their next paycheck or renewing a contract, they’re just there to tend to your company’s marketing strategy and to help you achieve what you need from it.
5. An Outsourced Strategic Marketing Consultant is Flexible
One of the best things about Shared CxO’s outsourced strategic marketing consultants is their flexibility. We are able to scale our efforts according to the level of involvement your business demands. If you find your start-up requires heavy marketing in one phase of growth, your Shared CxO CMO will be there driving your marketing engine full steam ahead. If you find you don’t need as much emphasis on marketing at some point in the future, your CMO can take a step back and be available on-call.
This is not something you’ll experience with a full-time in-house CMO or marketing team. Employees are employees and expect a set number of hours regardless of whether your business benefits from their constant involvement. Even freelancers will often require a certain number of hours weekly or monthly as part of their contract.
6. Outsourced Strategic Marketing Consultants Are Seasoned Veterans
With a Shared CxO strategic marketing consultant you can rest assured you’re getting advice and leadership from a true marketing veteran. There’s no substitute for experience when it comes to marketing strategy and tactics. At the same time, our CMOs don’t rest on their laurels. They are constantly looking to improve their skills and knowledge of modern marketing practices, so you’ll benefit from their continued growth, as well.
7. Outsourced Marketing Consultants Are Leaders and Teachers
Your outsourced marketing consultant isn’t a dictator, even though he may entirely direct strategy and oversee its execution. He will happily work alongside you and your team to ensure that you not only receive the guidance you need to succeed, but that you actually emerge from the engagement knowing much more about marketing than you did before.
This means that you’re better able to make informed decisions and understand marketing concepts and nuances. If ever necessary, you’ll be able to take the wheel, even temporarily, and maintain your company’s marketing much more easily than before.
8. An Outsourced Marketing Consultant Helps You Hire Well
As your business grows, chances are you’ll need to staff your marketing team with long-term talent. Whether it’s a full-time CMO or a marketing copywriter, social media manager or public relations representative, your outsourced marketing consultant can help give you second opinions before you commit. You’ll receive valuable input about candidates, and your outsourced CMO can help vet them. This means you can make smart hires, and reduce the likelihood of employee unrest or turnover at a critical time in your company’s growth.
9. Outsourced Marketing Consultants Work Well with Others
While an early-stage company is not likely to be staffed with a full executive suite from the onset, if you do have leadership in place (and this includes you as owner!), your outsourced marketing consultant will be happy to complement their leadership, rather than compete. If you have a permanent CMO but find he’s overwhelmed with the task of marketing a brand new company, an outsourced marketing consultant can lend a helping hand. If you have no CMO but have other leaders like a CIO, your outsourced CMO will make sure his plans mesh with theirs, so that the company functions cohesively.
10. Outsourced Marketing Consultants Are Always Thinking
Of all the reasons early-stage companies need an outsourced marketing consultant, this one may resonate most with entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurial minds are always whirring with ideas and plans. The same can be said of marketing professionals. They’re always looking for a new way to brand, a new channel to explore or a way to improvise on a proven tactic. In the same manner that the active minds of entrepreneurs keep business fresh, the mind of a marketer keeps strategy strong, adaptable and ultimately effective.
If you think your early-stage business could benefit from an outsourced marketing consultant, find out more about what we offer on our CMO Outsourcing and Advisory page, view our packages and rates or contact us to talk about your needs.