Marketing Consulting as a Career
Description of the Job
Marketing Consultants are outside advisors who work with companies to create and implement marketing strategies. They create a detailed marketing plan, determine a business's marketing message, and identify the appropriate marketing mix to get the message out to the target market. Most are also involved in implementing the marketing strategy. They often help monitor results and tweak campaigns as they go to ensure that companies get the best results from their marketing efforts.
Many will also specialize in specific areas of the marketing process, such as Online marketing, Social media marketing, Nonprofit marketing, Copywriting, Print or TV advertising, Public relations, Direct response marketing.
Fast Facts
- Number of hours per weekAbout 40-50, depends on client/firm
- Average starting payAvg: $61k. $38k-10 percentile. $104k-90 percentile
- Amount of travel requiredGenerally little to none
Roles & Responsibilities
- Evaluate current marketing efforts and make suggestions for improvements
- Plan and implement social media or other marketing campaigns
- Train other marketers on best practices and suggest new content, workflows or methods for reaching consumers
- Track the success of marketing strategies using analytical tools
- Developing and implementing a marketing strategy according to objectives and budget
- Conducting marketing research to identify industry trends and commercial opportunities
Skills Needed
- Being goal oriented: marketing consultants should always understand the purpose or goal and ensure that all actions are aligned with it
- Understanding strategy versus tactics: understanding the difference between the two will ensure that all your actions serve your goal
- Empathy and active listening: must actually listen to learn the current situation, goals and troubles involved as well as have the ability to empathize with both the brand marketer and the customers the clients are trying to reach
- Data analysis: Collect data, organize and clean it, extract insights and present recommendations based on the insights
- Wide range of knowledge: should have a range of skills and knowledge in marketing, business, communications, and psychology
- Consumer behavior: must be familiar with the consumer behavior of the client’s target audience and willing to work collaboratively to achieve the best possible results
Steps to Enter The Field
- A bachelor’s degree is generally required for marketing consultants. The best major is marketing, but other business majors may also be helpful
- Putting together a portfolio of your past marketing efforts, such as social media or event marketing, can help you display your knowledge. A guide to put one together is here
- Past internships in marketing can be very helpful for landing full time roles. Many startups & small businesses look for social media interns, which may be an easier role to get with no experience
- While not necessary, the American Marketing Association offers Professional Certifications, which could help to land roles or increase knowledge/confidence in the field
Landscape of the Field & Companies in the Field
- A marketing consultant can work as an independent contractor or within a marketing firm. Many marketing consultants are entrepreneurs that have started their own businesses
- There are also large consulting firms who have marketing consulting practices, and some of the best include: Accenture, Bain & Company, EquiBrand Consulting, L.E.K. Consulting, Nielsen, ZS Associates, CMG, PwC Digital
External Resources to Learn More & Develop Skills
- In-depth description of marketing consulting: Blog post on a detailed description of of what marketing consulting is and what marketing consultants should be aware of
- Video on how to become a marketing consultant: This video includes a person’s experience as a marketing consultant, including his path, mistakes, and keys to success
- Top 9 software tools for a marketing consultant: Discusses various software that are helpful to marketing consultants
- How to gain clients for an independent practice: shows strategies and tips for how to build a business when you’re operating as an independent consultant
Related Careers
- Digital Marketing Consultant, Sales And Marketing Consultant, Marketing And Communication Consultant, Marketing Specialist, Marketing Analyst, Digital Marketing Specialist, Marketing Associate, Consultant/Marketing Director