Can I become a digital marketing consultant?

[newplan]

Without any direct experience of digital marketing?

I've name changed for this, just in case someone recognises me.

I am relatively good with computers - have my own blog, prolific on twitter/facebook etc and fairly savvy on digital trends. I am (without wishing to blow my own trumpet) a good writer and presenter.

My background isn't directly in marketing but I was involved with those departments to some extent when I was with a big corporate.

As my children are still very small, my main focus at the moment is to work part time, I thought I would set up in business offering my services to local businesses at first. Explaining how social media works and how they can set up their own blog, twitter feeds etc and also offer to manage these for them if they don't feel they have the time or the know-how.

My main fear is that it's actually much more complicated than I think it is and I'll be ousted as a fraud the minute I try to sell myself

Do you think I can do it or do I need some further training/qualifications etc.

Do you think there is a market for this?

Any advice people doing it already can give me would be great.

I suppose 'social media consultant' would be more accurate!

I think there are a lot of people doing it already, some of them are great, some of them not so much. I'd look into trade organisations - like the Chartered institute of Marketing - to see if there's any training or advice you could get from them. They should be able to help about fees, etc.

I think there is a market but you have to cost your business development time carefully - how are you going to find clients? If it's cold calling - for example - then you're going to take X amount of time and expense to make Y amount of money, so I'd think carefully about your business plan.

You also (freelance copywriter here) need to have skin as thick as a rhino and an unshakeable belief that you're the best person in the marketplace in order to be able to look a client in the eye and say 'that will cost you £X' so you might want to work on the 'ousted as a fraud' thing

I do a bit of social media consulting/managing as part of my (marketing) services. There is a market. I also think that having done it for yourself is a great experience base to start from - you understand it and can demonstrate that to others.

Personally I have found sweeping statement coming up local business owners tend to have blank faces when you talk about this. They need lots of hand-holding and don't always have the money to pay. Or course that could be my sales skills! But I am trying to replicate a previous salary with my freelancing, if I was willing to work for less I am guessing they'd be more up for it!

However, my marketing "buddy", who I met through MN, has been very successful at developing a social media offering for a niche type of local client at a good rate.

As WilsonFrickett says if you wanted to do a course the CIM or IDM will do them. However, I personally wonder how long term training courses on social media work, as things keep changing. But I haven't looked at their courses in-depth.

If you don't have marketing experience, I would think about is there anything in what you currently do personally (so topic or audience) that you can do for others as it might be an easier transition than starting tweeting for a local car garage etc? However, having said that I am sure you can get into the mindset of a local business.

Or can you sell your experience as the offer, so if you are a "mummy blogger" or a food blogger as an eg, can you teach people how to do that?

Not sure if that helps. Good luck.

That's really helpful, thank you.

Yes, I was considering approaching pubs and restaurants in the area first, or child related businesses, to see what they say, as I think that's probably where I have the most knowledge.

Can I ask how you charge people? Do you have an hourly/daily rate or do you just charge them a flat service fee?

Sounds like a good plan!

With my regular clients I charge hourly, with some vague framework of how long I'll spend on things, so a budget a month or per campaign. I'd definitely opt for that, rather than a fixed fee. What if something takes off (a campaign/offer/competition) and you are tweeting like a good 'un and you get the same money.

Personally I take the approach that clients need to trust me about how long things take, it not it isn?t going to work. I use a free online tracker ? www.paymo.biz/ to track my time and help me with my invoicing each month. You can schedule auto tweets using tweetdeck or hootsuite etc to help them have a presence inexpensively.

HTH

I have a meeting with a business development officer next week.

Hopefully it will prove useful. Thanks for all your advice.

Hi newplan, how did it go?