If you want to improve your company's marketing and outreach, working with a marketing strategist can help substantially. But what should you expect from these professionals?
In this article, we explore what a marketing strategist does, how they work with you, and the expertise they offer. We'll also run through what to expect when hiring a marketing strategist.
What Does an Outsourced Marketing Strategist Do and How Do They Work with You?
Companies hire outsourced marketing strategists in Sydney and across Australia on a contractual basis to help them flesh out their marketing strategies. The idea is to hire professionals who know what will work and what won’t, particularly online.
Marketing strategists work with you to understand your business goals and develop outreach plans to fulfil them. Professionals also engage in implementation planning – discussing with you the precise approach they will take to get the word out.
Monitoring, optimisation, reporting, and analysis are critical components of these services. Marketing strategists will implement recommendations and provide reports and data proving their effectiveness.
For example, a strategist may measure KPIs and calculate ROI from marketing efforts like Google Ads or electronic direct mail (EDM) campaigns. Incoming data determines which campaign types they will focus on in the future in a process of continual feedback.
What to Expect From a Marketing Strategist in Sydney
So, let’s get down to the details: what should you expect from your marketing strategist?
A Marketing Plan That Fits Your Goals and Budget
The first task of any marketing strategist is to develop a marketing plan that fits your goals and budget. Spending too much could derail your enterprise and prevent you from reaching your objectives, while too little could prevent you from having the desired impact.
The best plans are concrete. That is, they have a:
Measurable milestones or objectives
Budget
Resourcing plan
Calendar showing the phasing of each activity
Marketing strategists will provide a rationale to each activity and the phasing of campaigns, based on the operational context. For example, you may require speed to market of a new product, or to capture seasonal purchasing behaviour.
In-Depth Expertise
Outsourced marketing strategists should also offer in-depth expertise on how to manage and implement an effective marketing strategy. Professionals should back up words with actions.
Ideally, they should bring a fresh perspective. Instead of continuing with your current strategy, these professionals should inject new life into your campaigns, showing you how you could execute them better or differently.
For example, a marketing strategist could provide new thinking on:
Product positioning
Social media marketing
Content marketing
Outreach
Partnerships with third parties
Any advice they provide should feel compelling and cohesive. Strategies should complement your business in unexpected yet plausible ways.
A Schedule for Achieving Your Marketing Objectives
You should also expect marketing strategists to implement a schedule to achieve your objectives. As such, their role should go beyond advice.
For instance, strategists should ensure your business is:
Regularly posting informative, helpful or entertaining content across platforms.
Optimising domain, service pages and product pages SEO with backlinks and keyword optimisation.
Managing your online reputation and ensuring public sentiment remains favourable.
Keeping your website relevant and up to date, including fulfilling Google’s Page Experience criteria.
Implementing new strategies to reflect algorithmic or platform changes.
An Objective Opinion
An objective opinion is another thing you should expect from your marketing strategist. You want a professional willing to tell you the truth, no matter how brutal. Providing you with external, objective feedback on what your firm is doing well and where it is struggling is essential.
The best marketing strategists challenge your biases and assumptions. These individuals can see the forest for the trees, enabling you to rethink how you approach outreach from the ground up. Furthermore, they sell their ideas to stakeholders effectively. You don’t need to convince colleagues they are on the right track.
Broader Perspective on Wider Marketing Trends
Outsourced marketing strategies also provide you with a broader perspective on:
Industry best practices
Emerging marketing trends
Consumer tastes and preferences
Again, these professionals can help by critiquing conventional thinking and opening your team to the possibility of new approaches and solutions. This advice can prevent your firm from appearing generic and help you stand out.
Greater Access to Resources
Finally, outsourced marketing strategists in Sydney often have access to more resources, enabling you to scale your outreach efforts faster and in more directions. For example, at The Change Starter, we can field teams of copywriters, web designers, ad creators, and search engine optimisation experts to help you achieve your goals.
In summary, the success of your business hinges on crafting the most effective marketing strategy. Therefore, an outsourced marketing strategist who can deliver is essential.
Assess The Effectiveness Of Your Marketing With The Change Starter Scorecard!
Are you curious about how effective your marketing efforts are? Take our quiz to find out! Our 7-minute, online quiz will help you discover your relationship with marketing and determine if your marketing strategy is driving the results you want. Whether you're a small business owner or a marketing professional, our quiz is a great way to assess your current marketing efforts and identify areas for improvement.
The Change Starter® is a boutique marketing consultancy that builds outsourced marketing teams for established businesses who are committed to growth. Apply for a FREE Marketing Accelerator with Stevie to get crystal clear on the next steps you can take to promote your business to the right audience, at the right time, in the right place.