What will you find if you search for “online marketing consultant”? Will you discover articles about affiliate marketing, Facebook ads, and YouTube marketing? Maybe you will even find some content about SEO (search engine optimization). While all of these are extremely important topics, they only make up a small part of what it takes to become a successful online marketer.
If you’re new to the field or you’re looking to change career paths, you might be wondering what exactly you’ll need to succeed. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered on this front. In this article, we’ll discuss everything you need to know about becoming an online marketing consultant.
The Basics
With every industry changing at the speed of technology, staying abreast of the trends is essential. This means constantly learning and adapting to the new ways of doing business. When it comes to online marketing, it’s almost impossible to avoid change as the industry is growing exponentially.
The good news is that while all industries are changing, the demand for inbound marketing and online marketing consultants is increasing. This indicates that there is still a place for practitioners who specialize in traditional SEO, PPC (Pay-Per-Click), and conversion optimization.
Before we begin, it’s important to note that Google Search, social media platforms, and online marketplaces like Amazon and PayPal are considered “commerce” platform where you can promote your products. If you’re looking to get your foot in the door with an SEO company or programmatic ad network, you might need to look elsewhere as most SEO agencies and programs don’t offer marketing services yet.
Curiosity
One of the things that makes up for the difficulty of staying up-to-date is curiosity. Sometimes, we want to know everything about something even if we have no intention of acting on it. This is sometimes referred to as “being curious” or “having an interest”. Most people are naturally curious and it’s a great way to learn. However, sometimes, this curiosity can take over your life and prevent you from living it the way you’re supposed to. In this case, it might be good to ask for help from those who understand what you’re going through and can direct you back to the right path.
Decision-Making
One of the things that separate successful consultants from those who aren’t is their ability to make decisions. It isn’t about having all the answers or knowing what’s going to happen, it’s about being able to make the right decisions in the right situation. Sometimes, this can feel like tough love and you’ll question whether or not you’re making the right choice, but at the end of the day, it’s your life and you’ll have to live with the consequences.
Analytics & Measurement
Another important factor that separates successful consultants from those who aren’t is their reliance on analytics and measurement. It’s impossible to put a number on things like curiosity and decision-making, but having the ability to track the results of your work is essential in determining your effectiveness as a marketer. Without careful measurement and analysis, it’s impossible to say whether or not your work is worth it. This is why you should always strive for the precision and diligence of your measurement when analyzing the results of your campaigns.
Skills
Last but not least, we have skills. Having the ability to execute what you know how to do is an important factor in being a successful consultant. SEO, PPC (Pay-Per-Click), and conversion optimization all have specific skill sets that you’ll need to acquire. In addition to this, you’ll also need to be able to analyze data and create reports. All of this is important because it allows you to prove to clients that you can do what you say you can do and shows them that you’re capable of providing a valuable service.
If you’re looking to break into the field or are already in it and want to know what it takes to be successful, then this article is for you. Keep reading and you’ll discover everything you need to know about making it in the online marketing world.