brand marketing blog

With the explosive growth of social media and keyword search, there is no question that it has, and will continue to become, an essential element in the marketing mix.

Marketing consultants have to get their heads around social media and keyword search and become expert at it if they are to remain in control of their clients marketing efforts. As specialist social media consultants and search engine optimisation experts pop up everywhere, traditional marketing consultants are being threatened by the new skills and knowledge requirements of online marketing.

So how do you know if your marketing consultant cuts the mustard? Firstly I'd look at whether they are actively involved in the online and social media space. Do they use social media and keyword search for their own brands? If they run a blog, read their posts. It's never been easier to check if they can 'walk the talk'.

Ask them about projects that they have worked on (or are working on) that employ social media and keyword search. There's nothing better than real life examples and client feedback to cut out the pretenders.

I'd also find out how much time they devote each day or week to reading, researching and participating in social media and keyword search. I can tell you that it's incredibly time consuming to keep up with the play, but if you are committed to providing expert advice, you have to invest the time on a daily basis.