You might have a solid general idea as to what a digital consultant does for a business and what digital consulting is. What you might not know is what they shouldn’t do.
Why is this important? Well, you don’t want to assume anything from your digital consultant and be disappointed later. Learn what a digital consultant shouldn’t do below. Keep reading to figure out how to handle each bullet point.
Digital Consultants Shouldn’t Assume
A good digital consultant isn’t going to make any rash assumptions. They shouldn’t develop campaigns without asking many questions.
As a business, you don’t want to assume your digital consultant will ask every question, either. Make sure you let your consultant know every detail. Put your concerns out on the table.
Make sure you let your consultant know what’s important to you in a campaign.
Maybe you want your campaign to gain more followers. Maybe you want to see sales go up by 25% during a promotional time period. Maybe you want to spread awareness during a rebranding.
Regardless of your goals, what is important to your business will be important for your campaign. No digital consultant will be able to assume what your priorities are. Let them know upfront.
Digital Consultants Shouldn’t Over-Promise
Remember when we said you need to tell your consultant what’s important to you? No doubt, this will help set expectations.
When it comes to your business, it’s good to have high expectations. However, be wary if someone promises to meet every single one. If someone is promising you the moon, you might be a little disappointed when they aren’t able to deliver.
If it seems too good to be true, it just maybe.
When you sit down with your consultant, make sure (s)he understands what your expectations are. Ask them what the real possibilities are in meeting those expectations.
At the end of your meeting, make sure there is a clear goal in mind that you can agree on.
Digital Consulting Shouldn’t Include All Aspects of Marketing
It’s a common misconception that digital consultants will help in all areas of advertising. A digital consultant will help a business come up with a marketing strategy. An advertising agency will put those plans into action.
As mentioned above, a digital consultant shouldn’t over-promise by saying they “do it all.” Good digital consulting will focus on the one thing they’re best at coming up with a campaign that will work with your business’s framework.
Don’t expect them to be able to tackle every aspect of your advertising needs. If they did, they would be spreading themselves too thin, delivering a less than par product.
Let your consultant jump start you on a great marketing idea. From there, you can contact an agency that will help carry out that plan.
A Digital Consultant Shouldn’t Be a Master of All Trades
Even the best digital consultant isn’t going to be a major expert in every digital aspect. There are simply too many corners to actually be a master in everything. However, a digital consultant will have a solid understanding of how it all works together.
They may not be utilizing SEO in their day-to-day work. They will, though, be able to analyze SEO and perform audits.
You can probably name several social media sites. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are the most common. If your business is global, there are several you may have never even heard of.
A digital consultant won’t be an expert in each and every one. They will be able to decide which platforms may work best for you and give you a campaign outline on how to use them.
There are too many areas for a digital consultant to be an absolute master of them all.
A Digital Consultant Shouldn’t Design Your Website
A digital consultant won’t sit down and build your website from scratch. No, that’s a web designer’s job.
What you should expect from a consultant is to analyze how users experience your website. A good consultant will be able to create a strategy to keep user experience front and center.
Some things a digital consultant may ask when auditing your website:
- Is there a mobile responsive design to the website?
- Is the website accessible on all types of devices?
- Is it also accessible to the blind and visually impaired?
- Is the website intuitive?
- Is there a clear purpose?
- Is there a clear path for a user’s eyes to follow?
- What content should be present on the website and when?
These are big concerns for a digital consultant. Chances are, many people will only ever see your business online. This is especially true if you’re global.
Don’t expect your consultant to build your website from scratch. They will, however, create a plan for your website to deliver the best user experience possible.
What a Digital Consultant Should Do
The digital consulting world is vast. The second you power on your computer or turn on your phone, you’re in the digital universe.
There are a lot of things a digital consultant doesn’t do. They don’t build your business from scratch. They won’t create a new website for you. They won’t carry out every piece of their plan.
That being said, their job is important and there is a lot they will do for you. They’ll create a strong strategy that aligns directly with your company.
While they may not handhold you every step of the way, they will guide you to improve your business in every digital aspect they can.
If you’re still looking for the right consultant for your business, contact us today for more information on how we can help.
