The internet is a dynamic environment in which to work; it is constantly evolving and people with online businesses often have a lot of trouble keeping up. Their area of expertise is their core business, not the internet, so the smart ones enlist the help of an internet marketing consultancy to ensure they remain up to date with techniques and strategies.
As we enter the 2010s even offline businesses realize the importance of having an online presence – these are the lawyers, dentists, bakers and hairdressers who know that people are no longer looking to the yellow pages for their services. They are turning to Google and Yahoo to deliver the right product or service to their computer screen, fast.
So if you are thinking of setting up an internet marketing consultancy, there is a growing client base just waiting for you, and they are willing to pay you a recurring monthly fee to manage this side of their marketing.
Do I Need A College Degree?
No! There is no college degree that will equip you with the skills you need to become an internet marketing consultant. Even if you were to undertake a marketing degree which incorporates an internet marketing module, chances are that
(a) the lecturers will not know what they are talking about – you have to be an internet marketer to ‘get it’, not a teacher, and
(b) what they are teaching will be out of date if it is old enough to be part of a formal curriculum.
How Do I Learn?
You need to learn from someone who is already operating as a successful internet marketing consultant (and the keyword here is ‘consultant’ not ‘internet marketer’) – and who is willing to teach you. It is important to understand that this is will be your consultancy business, and it needs to be approached as such. You need to invest in your education to ensure you reach your long term goals.
Is It Easy Money?
Becoming an IM consultant takes work. If making money is your only motivation, you may enjoy short term success, but having a passion for really helping small businesses is perhaps the most vital element.
Do I Need To Be Technical?
No – but it helps if you are willing to learn as you go. Eventually you can outsource a lot of the technical aspects, but in order to understand what you are outsourcing, it is good to be able to learn how easy it is to set up a simple WordPress site (it IS easy!), and an opt-in form (easy too!).
Simple things like this can see an Internet Marketing Consultant get excellent rankings for small businesses.