Your friendly guide to hiring a small business marketing consultant

What is a small business marketing consultant and how can they help you?

If you’re a small business owner, freelancer, or start-up founder, chances are you’ve already Googled your way through dozens of marketing tips. Maybe you’ve tried a few, only to feel overwhelmed when the results didn’t match the effort. If you’re not from a marketing background, it’s hard enough trying to understand and learn marketing tactics let alone apply them to your small business. This is where a small business marketing consultant can make all the difference. Instead of piecing together advice from YouTube or TikTok, you can gain a clear, tailored strategy from someone who knows what actually works.

But what does a marketing consultant really do, and how do you know if you’re ready for one? In this blog post we’ll be providing you with all of the details to save you time searching around and getting lost in Google rabbit holes so you can focus on well… your business.

What does a marketing consultant do?

A marketing consultant is essentially a strategic partner for your business. They don’t just tell you to “post more on social media” or “run some ads”. Instead, they look at your business and marketing efforts as a whole, identify what’s holding you back, where there’s potential opportunities, and create a plan to help move you forward.

This can include:

• Reviewing your website, social media, and customer journey to find gaps and areas of improvement
• Creating a strategy tailored to your goals (more leads, more visibility, stronger brand presence, greater community etc)
• Helping you choose the right marketing channels so you’re not wasting time everywhere at once
• Providing you guidance on how to action recommendations rather than you wasting time trying to figure things out for yourself
• Tracking results so you know what’s working – and what’s not

Think of them as a mix of coach, strategist, and accountability partner, giving you the clarity you’ve been missing whilst saving you tonnes of time (and potentially money!).

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When and why to work with a marketing consultant

Hiring a marketing consultant doesn’t have to be a luxury reserved for big brands or big budgets. In fact, small businesses often see the biggest impact because even small tweaks can unlock growth. Research from Clutch, shows that almost a quarter (24%) of small businesses owners said the main reason they chose to outsource tasks was to boost how efficiently things got done. They found that tasks get completed quicker and smoother when outsourced. Digital marketing was listed in one of the top areas outsourced for expertise and support.

At The Business Tea we love the analogy of brands being like ships. Think of big brands like cruise liners – you need a fleet of people, long timelines, and massive effort just to change direction. But small businesses? You’re more like a nimble rowing dinghy. You can pivot on a dime. A marketing consultant is like hiring a seasoned sea captain – someone who helps you chart a smarter course, navigate challenges and drive efficiency.

You might benefit from a marketing consultant if:

• You feel stuck and aren’t sure what to focus on
• Do-it-yourself marketing is draining your time without delivering results
• You’re struggling to understand marketing concepts and tactics
• You’re pre-launch, or you’re about to launch a new product or service 
• You’re spending money on ads or tools but aren’t sure they’re paying off
• You want to ramp up your marketing efforts in the most effective way possible

Marketing consultant don’t just “do marketing” for you. They give you a clear plan so your efforts (and budget) finally make sense. 

It’s important to note that there’s also a big difference between marketing consultancy and marketing execution. Often marketing consultants will do just that, consult. They will not ‘do the doing’ so to speak, but rather guide how you can action any recommendations. If you would like your marketing consultant to go one step further and take care of the ‘doing’ side of things, be sure to discuss this at the time of enquiry to avoid misaligned expectations.

How to work with a marketing consultant effectively

If you’re investing in a marketing consultant, you want to get the most out of the relationship. Here are a few ways to make it work:

1. Be clear on your goals.
   Do you want more leads? More consistent branding? More visibility in Google? The clearer you are, the better your consultant can help. Giving goals like “improve my marketing” can often be a little too vague to really drive impact. This is why at The Business Tea, we have our clients fill out a comprehensive onboarding form to really dig into the detail and provide us with all of the context we need to drive as much value as possible.
   
2. Expect strategy, not just tactics.
   Consultants shine when they guide you toward long-term growth, not quick hacks. If you’re looking for a marketing plan, this is something many consultants can execute – and this will give you a step by step breakdown of what you should focus on in what order. However, without clear strategy in hand, this is where many businesses fall down – as they do not have that clear ‘overarching picture’ clearly defined. Excellent marketing consultants will provide you a good mix of strategic and tactical advice – but it’s imperative solid strategy is established first.
   
3. Agree on deliverables.
   Make sure you know what’s included so you know what to expect. Based on your goals are you happy with their outputs? Are you expecting a strategic plan, audits, competitor research? Will they check in with you once they’ve delivered their output or is it a ‘one and done’ type of deal?
   
4. Stay involved.
   Even if they’re doing the heavy lifting, your input ensures the plan reflects your brand and audience. Now we’re not saying send them an email every 24 hours, but moreso make yourself available. Open communication to allow your consultants to fire over any quick questions or thoughts can really help their strategic research and planning. For example, a consultant may ask you “Have you looked at this competitor?” or “Have you looked into your analytics on this platform?” if the answer is yes – you may be saving them time and empowering them to invest their focus in uncovered areas rather than giving you information you already know.
   

By approaching it as a partnership rather than a simple outsourced project, you’ll avoid the common trap of paying for advice you never implement, receiving information you already know and obtaining inaccurate recommendations that are way off the mark.

Not in the position to hire a marketing consultant?

That’s okay. Many small businesses aren’t ready for outside help straight away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start making progress. At The Business Tea we’re tired of marketing consultants and agencies gatekeeping information that’s already readily available online if you spend the time doing the research. So, to save you time we wanted to share with you some things you can do for yourself if you’re not ready to invest in a marketing consultant.

5 things you can do today before hiring a marketing consultant

1. Audit your brand message and offering. Can you explain what you do and who you help in one sentence? If not, simplify until you can. Having a really clear brand positioning is key to creating successful marketing activities. Without this, your message can be muddy, confusing and overwhelming for your target audience. Which on that topic, is also really important – the target audience piece. Who are you serving, what do they look like, how can you reach them – and so forth.
   
2. Check your online presence and customer journeys. Google your business – are your website and socials up to date? You can use tools, or do this organically – regardless, experiencing what your customers do is super important to spot any potential opportunities or points of friction.
   
3. Review your competitors. An area that often feels a little ‘naughty’ when you start out, but it’s a really important way to keep your fingers on the pulse of your market. What are your competitors doing well, what gaps can you fill? Is there anything you can take as inspiration to apply to your own strategy?
   
4. Hone in on one channel. Something we see time and time again when we’ve worked in marketing agencies, with clients and even in-house at large brands – is seeing brands spread themselves too thinly. We always recommend picking one platform to focus, and once that is working well and you’re seeing good results, then look at moving on to the next thing. Trying to post a video on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, whilst juggling emails, paid advertising, cold outreach and so on – can be paralysing. A common mistake smaller businesses make is thinking you need to do everything to see success, rather than focusing on doing one thing really well.
   
5. Measure one thing. Similar to our previous point around channels: whether it’s leads, sales, or email sign-ups, track one key metric so you can focus on improvement. Small businesses often consist of one-man-bands or small teams – and if you spend too much time reporting and looking at the past, you’ll struggle to see what’s in the future. Pick one core metric (we often call this the ‘North Star Metric’ in the industry), and seek to drive improvement. We would recommend using a tool like Google Analytics to set up a clear goal, and measure success.

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What to expect when working with a marketing consultant

A good consultant won’t give you a cookie-cutter strategy. They’ll listen to your goals, audit your current efforts, and then create a tailored action plan. You might receive a growth roadmap, competitor analysis, or even hands-on help with your marketing setup depending on the scope of work and package. They’ll layer best practice with their own expertise. 

The relationship works best when you see them as part of your team – guiding you but also holding you accountable to take action.

5 smart questions to ask your marketing consultant (before you hire them)

When you bring in a marketing consultant, you’re essentially inviting someone to have a big influence on how your business grows. Asking the right questions early on can help you make sure they’re a good fit, set clear expectations, and avoid expensive guesswork later down the line.

“Have you worked with businesses like mine before?“

Every industry has its quirks. A consultant with relevant experience can hit the ground running and avoid suggesting strategies that don’t fit your world.

“What kind of results can I realistically expect in 3 – 6 months?“

This question helps cut through vague promises and gets the consultant talking about measurable outcomes. You’ll quickly see if they’re grounded in reality or just selling you hype.

“Can you show me examples of strategies or campaigns that worked in the same industry?“

Seeing real-world examples gives you confidence that they know how to get results for businesses at your stage, not just large corporations with big budgets. Even if it’s not work that they have personally completed, aligning on this step is crucial to establish if they truly understand what your brand does at its core.

“How will you measure success and keep me updated?“

Consistency is everything. The right consultant will have a clear system for tracking progress and making sure you’re never left wondering what’s happening behind the scenes. Establishing communication frequency is imperative to align on expectations from the jump – rather than suddenly feel like you’re being left in the dark, anticipating a ‘big reveal’.

“If I only have a small budget, where should I focus it first?”

A good consultant won’t tell you to “do everything at once.” They’ll help you prioritise the actions that deliver the biggest impact for the least spend after doing the research on your brand.

These are just a handful of questions we recommend asking when you start working with a consultant – or even before you sign up to a package. You can also use those first conversations as a mini “interview” by asking things like “What about my brand stands out to you?” or “Do you have any first impressions from looking at my current marketing?” Their answers will reveal not only their expertise, but also how much effort they’ve put into understanding your business.

Key takeaways for hiring a marketing consultant for your small business

Marketing doesn’t have to feel like guesswork. A small business marketing consultant gives you the clarity and confidence to take focused action. Whether you’re ready to hire now or just starting to put the pieces together, the key is direction. Start with small, consistent steps, and when you’re ready, bring in expert support to fast-track your growth.

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