Digital Marketing Consultants: Who They Are and Whom to Follow in 2017

Digital Marketing Consultants: Who They Are and Whom to Follow in 2017

BrandingSocial Media Marketing

In case you ever run out of ideas or inspiration, these digital marketing consultants will surely help – not always for free, though.

Whenever people had problems with business in the ancient times, they would go to a priest. Having spoken to gods, the priest would then announce the gods’ will to the asker. The latter would have to proceed from then without much questioning, second thought, or an alternative opinion.

As times went by and Middle Ages came, people had grown up to learn more about the world and found out that not everything was in the hands of gods. There were people who possessed enough knowledge not only to sustain themselves but also to share it with others.

A man who had been overseas once would automatically become a foreign relations expert. A man who had successfully mixed a few substances, would inevitably become an expert in all things chemistry and so forth. People would go on to trust them because there was no other option really other than to do it yourself.

Now we’re here in 2017 with all these modern gadgets and technology at our hands. Whom do we go to when we need a digital marketing advice? Digital marketing consultants and their websites, blogs, or YouTube channels.

Now, who is considered a digital marketing consultant?

A digital marketing consultant is a person who is a well-versed marketer, has experience in digital marketing, SEO, SMM, contextual advertising and other kinds of Internet promotion; he/she provides consulting services on a free or paid basis.

How Do People Become Digital Marketing Consultants?

There are a few ways to do that but most digital marketing consultants would identify themselves with one of these two ways below.

1. They Have Had (or Still Have) a Successful Business or a Used to Work For One

This one seems quite logical – if a person has achieved some feats in a particular field, that person will be credible enough to teach the others. Axiom? Not always.

People would often get caught up in the «my way is the only right way» trap.

For instance, a blogger becomes successful after releasing a funny video about cats, which goes viral and amasses 1 billion views. That blogger is able to capitalize on the success of the video, sell merchandise, and run ads. Then the blogger writes a book titled «How to become a successful blogger», which basically says «shoot funny videos about cats and that’ll do you good».

After reading the book, thousands of people go on to shoot funny videos about cats ending up nowhere or even farther than that ( guess where 🙂 ).

As you can see, not everyone who became a success can teach others the same. One has to realize that any victory in business is a combination of several factors, proportions between which can differ depending on the case.

These factors are:

  • hard work
  • knowledge
  • talent
  • luck

Apply this logic to any prominent businessman, entrepreneur, or their business – you’ll get the picture. Knowledge alone won’t get you too far – you will still need the three remaining components, which no digital marketing consultant can give you.

2. They Have Studied Tons of Materials Regarding Digital Marketing

They Have Studied Tons of Materials Regarding Digital Marketing

Well, «bookworms and geeks won’t tell me how to do business the right way» you may say. And you’ll be right – partly. Just like we’ve just mentioned in the section above, people often get caught in a trap – this time it’s a «coach who’s not played professionally can’t train» trap.

If you think for a minute, you will probably remember a time when you were stuck in some process and couldn’t find a way out but then a sudden outside person came and popped up the solution in a jiffy.  How does that happen?

Well, people tend to lose the right perspective and sometimes neglect the obvious solutions when they are IN the process. Their mindset is stale and limited to whatever possibilities are immediately at hand.
However, the best solutions may be the one that’s less obvious and that lies outside the current state of things (and mind). That’s why outsiders can often get a better grasp of the situation and come up with the seemingly outside-the-box solution even though the solution may not be all that inventive.

Hey, think about it this way – you don’t have to be a world-renowned physicist to teach physics well. Likewise, Albert Einstein wouldn’t have made a great school teacher.

What Can Consultants Bring to the Table?

A lot of, actually. You’ve got to be aware of one thing though – they’re not there to do your job for you. They can only guide, direct – the rest is on you.

  • run an analysis and see potential weaknesses
  • help you formulate the strategy or break down a complex marketing piece into fewer, meaningful, and doable tasks
  • give you a ready-made solution or a «plug-and-play» template to follow
  • recommend a relevant case to study and use as an example
  • finally, suggest ideas!

Just don’t them expect to do your job, alright? 🙂

You can also benefit from reading what these people post on their websites, blogs, and social network pages – these materials are usually free and are there to drive traffic and attract potential clients.

Top 20 Digital Marketing Influencers Worth Following

These people are there to share the marketing knowledge and assist those in need. The list is arbitrary and is not meant to be taken as some official chart – just a bunch of great marketers together!

1. Grant Cardone

Grant Cardone

There’s just no way you haven’t heard of this guy before. One of the most prominent online business gurus and an accomplished entrepreneur himself with $500 million worth of real estate.

Grant Cardone Website

2. Neil Patel

Neil Patel

Bright, eccentric, and talented – Neil Patel became a huge success before he was thirty. His articles are entertaining and useful at the same time. Patel co-founded KISSmetrics, Hello Bar, and Crazy Egg.

Neil Patel Website

3. Chris Stoikos

Chris Stoikos

The self-proclaimed «serial entrepreneur», Chris Stoikos is known for his viral videos and modern, hip approach to business.

Chris Stoikos Website

4. Branden Hampton

Branden Hampton

The king of social media, this man has grown from zero to over 33 million followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in a matter of few years. If you need a social media advice, this is the man to go to.

Branden Hampton Facebook Page

5. Nathan Allen Pirtle

Nathan Allen Pirtle

Another social media guru. Nathan and his team have helped send the likes of Nick Minaj and Lil Wayne into the social network stratosphere. His agency WorkWithTheCoach specializes in digital media campaigns for high-profile artists and celebrities.

WorkWithTheCoach Website

6. Pat Flynn

Pat Flynn

An entrepreneur, speaker, and blogger – Pat’s podcasts are listened by millions of people monthly. He helps people earn money with a variety of unorthodox techniques.

Learn more at Pat’s website – SmartPassiveIncome.

7. John Rampton

John Rampton

A serial entrepreneur, investor, connector, and one of the top influencers on the Internet currently (#3 to be precise, according to the Entrepreneur Magazine). John is a go-to guy when it comes to creating and launching a new product.

John Rampton Website

8. Ann Handley

Ann Handley

Finally, a woman on the list! Ann Handley is the Most Influential Woman in Social Media by Forbes. She is a content guru and currently works at MarketingProfs as a chief content officer.

Ann Handley Website

9. Bryan D. Evans

Bryan D. Evans

An Inc 500 entrepreneur, Brian D. Evans most notably owns Influencive, which is a hugely popular online resource for online marketers.

10. Leonard Kim

Leonard Kim

An expert in personal branding, Leonard helps out upcoming bloggers and entrepreneurs establish their personality as a firm brand.

InfluenceTree Website

11. Mari Smith

Mari Smith

Another high-profile social media influencer on the list, Mari has had the privilege to work with none others than Richard Branson and the Dalai Lama. How’s that of a clientele?

Mari Smith Website

Conclusion

Digital marketing consultants are rampant these days – there are thousands of them out there. However, as with many areas, there are very few really decent ones, and those are definitely on the list.

There’s also one more person I forgot to mention, which is me – Viktor Mikhyeyev, the manager of VG team and this blog. Not saying that I’m as good as those guys but I do have a lot of knowledge and experience in marketing and branding in particular.

So why not give it a shot and contact me if you ever need an advice? I’ll be glad to work with.

The right thing to do would be share this article with your friends on the social networks – just click on one of the icons of social media, it’s that easy.

If you have further questions on the subject, please write them in comments – I’ll be glad to answer.

Meanwhile, be sure to check these other great articles from my blog:

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