What Is a Digital Marketing Consultant? (With Job Duties)

Updated November 11, 2022

A digital marketing consultant is a professional who focuses on creating promotional and advertising campaigns for digital platforms. These professionals often have a strong understanding of marketing and excellent proficiency in modern technology. If you're interested in a career in marketing and enjoy using digital platforms like social media, you might consider becoming a digital marketing consultant. In this article, we discuss what being a digital marketing consultant can be like, including their typical job duties, education and training qualifications and average salary.

What is a digital marketing consultant?

A digital marketing consultant is an expert in the field who advises companies about how to enhance their digital marketing efforts. Many digital marketing consultants work for marketing agencies where they can connect with companies that want to hire a consultant. They can also work independently on a freelance basis, which involves finding their own clients and promoting their own services. These professionals are typically very skilled in areas like marketing strategy, content creation and search engine optimization (SEO), as these concepts all contribute to developing effective marketing campaigns for digital platforms.

What does a digital marketing consultant do?

Here are a few of the most common job duties for a digital marketing consultant to have:

Meeting with company leaders to discuss digital marketing goals
Reviewing a company's digital marketing strategies to identify areas for improvement
Developing new marketing campaigns for publication on digital platforms
Using SEO to identify successful digital marketing methods
Keeping track of data analytics to remain aware of a company's progress in improving digital marketing
Helping a company establish brand awareness through digital marketing
Conducting extensive market research to identify trends and effective strategies
Updating existing marketing campaigns for use on digital platforms
Planning content for company social media accounts
Researching different marketing channels and online platforms to determine which a company might benefit from using
Finding clients to work with when operating on a freelance basis

Digital marketing consultant qualifications

Here are a few qualifications that a digital marketing consultant typically needs to fulfill:

Education

The minimum education requirement for a digital marketing consultant is usually a bachelor's degree. This is because completing a bachelor's degree can give candidates a few years to learn about their chosen industries and develop key skills they can use in the field. The most common undergraduate major for aspiring digital marketing consultants is typically marketing, as this can allow them to explore complex concepts and promotional techniques in-depth. Some schools might also offer minors in digital marketing, which can be especially beneficial for these professionals. A bachelor's degree in marketing often takes around four years to complete.

Training

Digital marketing consultants usually complete training once they secure a job, as many agencies prefer to train new employees in their own marketing techniques. For additional training, candidates can also complete a marketing internship during their undergraduate study to practice the concepts they learn in their course, such as developing marketing strategies and creating promotional materials. As digital marketing consultants use online platforms, it can also be beneficial for these candidates to ensure they learn about different channels that they can use for advertising later in their careers, such as social media platforms and lifestyle websites.

Experience

As digital marketing consultants often work for marketing agencies or on a freelance basis, building experience in the field can be key to developing a career. One of the best ways to gain experience in marketing is to find an entry-level job in the industry where you can learn from established professionals, such as a marketing assistant or entry-level marketing associate. It can also be important for candidates to ensure they get experience using digital marketing strategies so they can use that knowledge when guiding clients in their own marketing efforts.

Certification

While some digital marketing consultants can find work without having specialty certifications, many choose to pursue them. This is because getting certified in particular skills or programs can help showcase a candidate's expertise and verify to potential employers that they're qualified for the job they want. For example, one certification that can be helpful for digital marketing consultants is the Social Media Marketing Certification from HubSpot. These professionals can also benefit from having certification in search engine optimization (SEO), as knowing about SEO can inform marketing strategies for online platforms.

Please note that none of the companies mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.

Digital marketing consultant skills

Here are some key skills for a digital marketing consultant:

Copywriting
Digital proficiency
Knowledge of marketing
Creativity
Research skills
Communication skills
Collaboration skills
Attention to detail

Digital marketing consultant salary and job outlook

While Indeed doesn't offer salary information specifically for a digital marketing consultant, they provide salary data for a digital marketer, which is a very similar job title. The national average salary for a digital marketer in the United States is currently $61,235 per year. Some digital marketers can also earn higher salaries, depending on where they live. For example, digital marketers in Denver can earn an average of $65,968 per year, and those in New York City can earn an average of $69,768 per year. Digital marketers also typically receive employee benefits, such as health insurance and paid time off.

Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't provide job outlook data specifically for a digital marketing consultant, they do offer information for advertising, promotions and marketing managers, who often have very similar responsibilities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of people employed in these positions is expected to increase by 10% from 2020 to 2030. The BLS states that this growth can likely result from a growing trend in companies expanding their promotional efforts and creating more new marketing campaigns. They also cite innovations in digital media that can increase the popularity of digital marketing.

What Is a Digital Marketing Consultant? (With Job Duties)