The Benefits of Hiring a Freelance Marketing Consultant

When I was employed by a company, I was asking this question a lot - do we employ a freelance marketing consultant to support us as and when required, or do we get another member of staff? 

The usual instinct is to expand the team and expand your team. After all, you cannot buy loyalty, and an extra pair of hands will always come in handy. 

However, it is good to ask yourself these questions before posting a job ad and starting a recruitment process: 

  • Do you have a genuine need to employ someone, or could you work at streamlining your processes instead?

  • Will you have enough work for the new recruit after the initial ‘busyness’ has died off? Even part-time?

  • Can you afford to hire a specialist? If not, will it be viable to employ someone who does not have enough skills or experience ( thus, meaning that you will have to spend time and resources to train them up)?

  • Can you find an alternative solution and get some help without going through an expensive recruitment process?

If your business is thriving and you have enough work - then absolutely go for it and grow your team. But if you are not quite there yet, or if you cannot afford to recruit a member of staff, but desperately need help - hiring a freelance marketing consultant could be just the right solution for you. 

What is the difference between freelance and consultant?

The main difference between employee and freelancer or a consultant is that the latter are generally not employed by the business. They are contracted to work/provide service for a business, but essentially, they are self-employed ( or run their own company). This means that the business has no liability to pay for their Tax, National Insurance contributions or pension ( which can be taxing on a small business finances).

What is a Freelancer? 

A freelancer is someone who works for themselves, rather than a company. They will work on a variety of projects with multiple clients over the course of a year. Some work will be one-off projects, whilst others will be performed on an ongoing basis. 

Essentially, freelancers lend their skills and talents to several clients on a flexible basis. 

What is a consultant? 

consultancy.uk defines a consultant as ‘ a person who provides professional or expert advice in a particular field of science or business to either an organisation or individual.’

A consultant will come into a company to evaluate the business and provide feedback and suggest ways to make improvements. For example, a marketing consultant will evaluate your business marketing strategy and performance and then will work WITH YOU to provide the guidance and tools for you to make necessary changes to your business; where’s freelancer will be able to come in and create the marketing strategy FOR YOU

Advantages of working with a freelancer or a consultant 

Flexibility 

Freelancers and consultants are particularly attractive for businesses who require a great deal of flexibility. They can work on a short-term basis, specific hours and sometimes, even in a specific location. They can manage their own workload therefore, they can accommodate client-specific needs and requirements. I see freelancers as a helping hand when you are overwhelmed and need support, quickly. 

Fresh Perspective

So many business owners can get blind-sighted with their short-term goals that they sometimes can not see the bigger picture. Or it could work the other way around - a client has an overall vision, but needs help in planning it out and creating a step by step plan on how to achieve the desired result. A pair of fresh eyes on the business can be useful because as an ‘outsider’ your marketing consultant will not be emotionally attached to your business and will be able to clearly see what obstacles you are facing and how to overcome them. 

Expertise 

To recruit a very experienced marketing manager can be very costly ( although it is a great investment if you choose the right person, they will be worth every penny!). Hiring a marketing consultant can provide you access to someone who has many years of experience and training, for a fraction of the cost. Especially if you are looking for someone to work on a short -term project, such as creating your marketing strategy and content plan. 

TIP: if your team is not very experienced in strategy and planning, why not bring in a constant to either create the strategy for you or support your team as they work through it? This way, you will get access to the specific expertise, which will allow your team to learn from it, and will have a clear plan for them to follow daily. 


Efficiency 

Freelancers are the experts of their field. They will know how to get the job done really well, and quite a bit faster than you could. It is a great advantage for business owners who lack time but need stuff done fast and to an excellent standard.

Cost  

The cost of hiring a freelance marketing manager or a marketing consultant will vary. It will depend on their field of expertise, experience, time that it will take for the task to be done and other individual client requirements. 

However, do remember that whatever their cost is - it is equivalent to the value which it will bring to our business. If you were to attempt and employ them as an employee, you would, most likely not be able to afford them. Instead, you can hire them for your project and access their expertise for a fraction of the cost, but with great benefits. 

Final thought: a need for flexibility

The nature of supply and demand for marketing resource is likely to continue to evolve beyond the current UK employment conditions. Especially right now, in the midst of the worldwide pandemic, when businesses are struggling to offer continuous employment for their staff, yet the demands are still ever-present. 

Working with a marketing professional in a freelance or consultancy capacity offers an attractive way for businesses to ensure that they are on top of their game at all times - especially when the unexpected happens. 

The events that unfolded over the last 6 months or so, has allowed us to learn that despite the uncertainly, we can be more flexible and adapt to the new ways of doing business. It has pushed us out of our comfort zones and made us think out of the box - despite the circumstances - that is good news fr building resilience. Perhaps, I should write another post about that… 

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Marketing vs. Advertising: What is the difference?