Life as a business owner has a way of oscillating between excitement and motivation, to stress and even fear. No matter how great your product of service is, it is almost worthless without it being marketed in the correct way. Results can only come from having an active audience, and in this day and age, that means being digitally active. Traditional marketing has faded to the background somewhat, leaving the hard work to those in the frontlines of the digital world.
Where to begin?
There is no denying that the world has changed, and that reliance on AdWords is unavoidable, no matter what type of business you run. A digital strategy that brings your product or service to the right people in the right way is your bread and butter, and not knowing where to start can be a terrifying feeling. This article is there to help you find the right person for your brand, who can communicate what you want to say in a way that you might not (yet) know how.
Many digital professionals sell themselves under the banner of being certified. A certification alone doesn’t mean much. It is evidence that work was done towards a goal, sure, but doing a course and writing an exam is no guarantee of work ethic, a dynamic style of working, or commitment to a project!
Look for a track record
Without any exception, experience in the field that you need help with is the most important thing to consider. Not only should your consultant know how to juggle several campaigns at once, they should also have a proven track record of experience behind them.
Look out for these aspects:
- Time spent at a digital marketing company. Someone who knows and understands the pressures of being in an agency full-time will grasp any sense of urgency. Although this is not set in stone, it is often the case that these candidates are stronger than self taught ones, although an entrepreneurial spirit also stands for a lot.
- Look at how long they have been active in the industry. The more time they have spent in the industry logically means more experience. However, do not consider this factor in isolation – always request work portfolios and references.
- Investigate their particular area of expertise, as this will help you to get a better understanding of the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses.
On the right track
You can start narrowing things down if you see that your candidate displays strong knowledge of how to drive and target traffic, how to narrow it down to the ideal audience for you offering, crafting a strategy around the audience, with bonus points for knowledge of how to maximise budgets.
AdWords “experts” are a dime a dozen, but the truly great ones are often hard to come by, and should be treasured when you find someone who can deliver on your company’s digital marketing requirements. Take care when recruiting, and you can look forward to a great future with your digital marketing consultant.
