12 Ways to Achieve Success in Freelance Marketing Consulting Services
Freelance marketing consultants show exponential growth for a good reason. The freelance life is becoming more and more common, especially considering the freedom that comes with submitting proposal templates to the clients that you choose, and signing contract templates only with those that prove to be a good fit.
What does this mean for you? More job categories than ever before are available to work as a freelancer!
Marketing Consultant
Marketing consultants are in high demand, and it's easy to see why. In fact, the fastest growing industries are reportedly hiring a big chunk of their new workers as independent consultants, rather than traditional employees.
Marketing consultancy is an exciting career option for those who are looking to take their freelancing business to the next level! If you're ready, feel free to use marketing proposal templates, design contracts, or social media management templates available online in order to create a strong foundation for your new freelance venture.
Freelance Marketing Consultant Responsibilities
If you like marketing, enjoy working independently, are an excellent writer/editor (among other valuable skills), and can take initiative on your own projects without needing constant guidance or supervision then this might be a great career path for you!
It's important to note that this is not for everyone, but if you do have the skills to become a marketing consultant then now might be your time to shine!
While the job description for marketing consultants can vary widely, there are some common tasks that you're likely to find in most roles.
These include things like writing and editing content and campaigns, coordinating with designers and other colleagues on your team or in-house staff at your client's company, brainstorming new ideas and initiatives for expanding their company's presence, and more.
Freelance Marketing Consultant Career Paths
Freelance Marketing Consultants have any many career options  as they can imagine. Some of the careers include project manager, owner and senior director of marketing.
This is because as you move up in your career freelancers have many options to choose from when it comes down to work opportunities.
As a Marketing consultant , you are needed all across industries for various reasons. One reason being that every industry needs help with marketing and the work that comes with it.
Marketing became an integral service back in the 80's with companies starting to realize that marketing was a way for their business to improve.
As time went on and technology caught up, most businesses started using various forms of social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter which requires even more work from an expert consultant.
How to achieve success in Freelance Marketing Consulting Service?
1. Build a Strong Portfolio
Since marketing consultants are in high demand, you want to make sure that your portfolio is well-rounded.
This means having a strong presence on LinkedIn , which should include an up-to-date CV and cover letter, as well as past project references where applicable.
You can also build out an online personal website for potential clients to visit, complete with additional details about your skills and experience.
2. Digital Presence
As a marketing consultant , your objective is to provide services of value to potential clients in order to secure work and continue generating income through freelance projects.
The more time you spend building out your digital presence, establishing yourself as an expert within your niche or industry segment of choice (such as social media management for online businesses), and developing a strong portfolio, the more likely you are to secure new opportunities within your desired field or area of expertise.
Keep in mind that most freelance consulting opportunities are found online, so having a strong presence on multiple digital platforms is key.
This includes things like working with social media management tools to post content across all of your profiles and accounts, blogging regularly so you have additional portfolio pieces available for potential clients to view, creating presentations using Slideshare , etc.
3. Choose Your Niche
One option is to narrow your focus by choosing a specific industry or type of company that you will be serving.
For example, if you're an expert in marketing for online businesses then this might not matter as much – but if your experience and knowledge base are more broad than it can help to take on clients who fall within certain segments so that they can see that you're the best fit for their needs.
4. Statistics
Showcase your achievements through statistics and  make a strong case for your ability to generate results. Be sure to show how you helped drive the company's growth through digital marketing efforts, and be ready to provide details that prove you've delivered on ROI (return on investment) goals.
Many clients are likely going to want references from previous consultants they worked with in order to confirm that you're the right fit for their company.
Be sure to include this information in your marketing consultant resume and/or portfolio, as well as references from past employers (if appropriate) who can vouch for your skills and experience within a specific industry or type of role.
5. Expand your network
A part of the job is  also about who you know. It's not enough to simply get business by targeting potential clients; it's also important to find new opportunities through existing connections, referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations.
A large part of this comes down to building out your network of contacts within the industry or niche that you're working in (i.e., growing your professional network), as well as having a strong online presence that is accessible to friends, colleagues and past clients.
6. Search Engine Optimization
As far as SEO goes, you should definitely include this in your profile. This includes using keywords that are related to your niche or industry segment of choice wherever possible, so be sure to incorporate these into the title and description field(s) on LinkedIn, for example.
The same applies with other social media sites like Facebook Twitter, etc., where you can also add keywords within your profile.
7. Fix Your Rates
In the beginning freelancers tend to get confused and anxious when it comes to their rates. Be clear about how much you charge, and be flexible at first. Set an  hourly rate and a client will pay you per hour. Â
The benefit for the client is that they mitigate their risk since they can just stop paying you whenever they want if they're dissatisfied. The rate also stops clients from piling on work without paying you.
8. Designated Deadlines
The key is to make sure you have clear deadlines  for each client. Make it your goal to meet them all, even if you feel like they are pushing too far or being unreasonable with the time frame.
The reason this works so well is because clients will absolutely love working with a freelancer who can actually follow through on what they say they will do.
9. Decide on your priorities while you're working
It's easy to get overwhelmed when it comes to the number of projects that come at once, so be sure to manage expectations with each client and decide which ones are most important in order for them not to overlap.
Don't let new prospects push out existing clients who've had your back for a while.
10. Create Consistency in Work Quality
It's important to create consistency in your work quality. It's easy for clients to become unhappy if you're not giving them the same level of service that they got before or after accepting other projects, so it pays to be consistent with your client base and make sure this is understood up front.
There will always be times when things get busy and you have to adjust your workflow, but if this is a common problem with clients then it's time for a change.
11. Establish Your Credentials and Expertise
There are countless ways that freelancers can establish their credibility within the field or industry segment of choice they're working in.
This includes creating informative blog posts on LinkedIn, for example, or guest blogging on popular sites with an audience that is closely related to your niche.
12. Market Yourself
The benefit of this approach is that it puts you in the position where you are in control instead of the client being able to make these decisions themselves.
When they come back looking for more work, they'll be grateful and more likely to pay your rates.
Conclusion
There are many benefits to freelancing, but it's important for you to decide whether this is the correct path in life for you before committing. If so, then take these tips into consideration and start applying them today.
While there will always be ups and downs with any type of work, hopefully they'll become fewer as time goes on if you keep at it and keep learning.
Just like any other type of business, you'll make mistakes along the way but that's okay as long as you learn from them to become a better freelancer in the future.