Good marketing isn’t easy. To be successful, you need to have an in-depth understanding of your audience (including their lifestyle and buying behavior), your offerings, and the current marketplace. You must also set realistic goals, create and implement various marketing strategies, track and measure results, and make adjustments wherever necessary. 

There’s a lot to keep track of — no wonder many entrepreneurs and small businesses struggle with marketing. If this scenario resonates with you, hiring a marketing coach might be the solution to get your business’s marketing back on track. 

What Is a Marketing Coach, and What Do They Do?

A marketing coach is a marketing professional who puts their skills and experience to work by educating marketing employees, business owners, entrepreneurs, and others. Their goal is to equip their clients with the skills to overcome marketing challenges and ensure their businesses continue to thrive and scale. 

Marketing coaches will use their expert marketing knowledge and work closely with you and your team to develop marketing strategies to achieve your goals. 

Contrary to popular belief, a marketing coach is different from a marketing consultant. Marketing consultants help you with specific marketing tasks, like designing an ad campaign or creating a website, but are out of the picture the moment the project is complete.

On the other hand, marketing coaches will help you develop marketing skills that you can use even after the coaching relationship ends. They’ll work with you to help you understand marketing concepts, set goals, and create strategies. In short, marketing coaches are focused on teaching clients how to approach marketing goals and the task themselves. 

What Are the Pros and Cons of Hiring a Marketing Coach?

Without a doubt, marketing is vital to the success of every business. But the question is, do you really need a marketing coach to realize your goals and address marketing issues?

We’ve explored the pros and cons of hiring a marketing coach to help you make a sound decision. 

Pro: More Cost-Effective

Hiring a marketing coach is more affordable than hiring a marketing agency. According to IMPACT, an inbound marketing and digital sales training community, a certified coaching program for individuals costs $1,750 per month. 

Marketing agencies usually price their services per project — the more extensive the project is, the more expensive the costs are. For instance, PPC advertising can cost anywhere from $9,000 to $10,000 a month, while website design is around $2,500 to $100,000 per site.  

A marketing coach is cheaper because you’re going to do most of the work yourself, and you’re not paying for the salaries of the entire marketing staff. 

Pro: Guarantees Knowledge Retention

When you work with a marketing coach, expect to do, if not most, all of the work. As a result, every successful campaign with them is a new learning opportunity for you and your team. 

As you continue to work with a marketing coach, your marketing expertise and knowledge continue to grow. Over time, you’ll become an expert in that area.

Pro: Lesser Risk of Relationship Breakdown

Relationship breakdown when working with a marketing agency is common. This happens because of missed deadlines, lackluster results, and broken promises. 

Your relationship with a marketing coach will be different from that of an agency. Your relationship with a marketing agency is more adversarial in nature as you compare the results of their output with the investment you make every month. A coaching relationship is all about working together to achieve a common goal beneficial for your business. 

A marketing coach is there to help, mentor, and guide you. An agency is there to justify its retainer every month. This is one of the biggest reasons a coaching relationship creates better and longer-lasting results. 

Pro: You Can Take Control of Your Marketing

Some businesses lose control of their marketing when they work with an agency. They enter an unhealthy codependent relationship where they can no longer live without the agency. New businesses are often at risk of getting into this situation.

When agencies and businesses decide to part ways, businesses are often left with no choice but to work with another agency. But because different agencies have different strategies, businesses might have to relearn once they start with a new agency. 

Working with a marketing coach is less frustrating as you’ll have full control over the levers you need and want to pull to grow your business. 

Con: Time Commitment

Because no one else will do the work for you, working with a marketing coach will require more time. Remember, they’re just there to coach you to master certain skills.

If you’re time-poor or don’t have any plans to learn marketing, coaching might not be the best option for you. 

Con: Results Might Take Longer

Marketing coaching usually takes longer to see results as you’re doing all the work. But this isn’t always the case, depending on how fast you learn and the issue you want to address. According to Huichai Zhang, a business and money coach, clients can get results from coaching in one to three months. 

What Skills Should You Look For in a Marketing Coach?

Just because someone says they’re a marketing coach doesn’t mean you should immediately hire them. Yes, a marketing coach can get your business off the ground, but only if you hire someone with the right skills. 

When searching for a marketing coach, pay attention to the following skills. The marketing coach you hire should possess all of these to ensure positive results from your investment. 

A Likable Leader Who Likes People

Marketing coaches work with a variety of people, from clients and partners to other coaches and influencers. Because of this, choose a likable marketing coach who makes people around them feel comfortable. 

According to Forbes, these are the habits of exceptionally likable individuals:

• They ask questions
• They balance passion and fun
• They don’t seek attention
• They greet people by their first names
• They put away their phones
• They smile
• They use positive body language
• They’re consistent

Are you talking to a coach who has all of the habits? If so, you’re on the right track. But if you can’t find any of these qualities in your marketing coach candidates, look for other options.  

An Innovative Thinker

Great marketing coaches are early adopters of new platforms and technologies and are always looking for new ways to use tools to help your business grow. This means they can think outside the box, present innovative ideas, and make them happen. 

An Inquisitive Analyst

A marketing coach must be able to assess the results of a campaign without solely relying on the number of dollars that the campaign brought into the company. Instead, they use a variety of marketing metrics or key performance indicators, which allow them to look into other areas, such as brand awareness, online conversions, and SEO metrics. 

A Passionate Brand Champion

Marketing coaches are promoters who understand your product, service, and project and are always enthusiastic about finding new ways to share your brand with people interested in your offers. They create and implement strategies to further your brand.

A Skilled Communicator

Marketing coaches must understand what you and your target audience are looking for, which is why they need to have excellent communication skills, both oral and written. 

The best marketing coaches can ask questions that draw out information and get to the point. They’re also good listeners who can understand the meaning behind your own or your target audience’s words. 

Where Can You Find Your Next Marketing Coach

Convinced that a marketing coach is a smart investment? If yes, then start looking for one. We’ve listed some of the best sources to find high-quality marketing coaches. 

• Word-Of-Mouth: Ask for referrals from your network, especially from individuals who previously hired a marketing coach. People who have success working with a marketing coach will brag and gladly recommend someone to you. 
• Social Media Channels: Harness the power of social media when looking for a marketing coach. LinkedIn is an excellent source for finding great talents — and with 930 million users and counting, it’s easy to see why. Don’t forget to use Facebook and Instagram, too!
• Google Search: Type in “marketing coach for [your business niche]” on Google and see what pops up. You’ll be surprised by the number of marketing coaches accessible in your location. 

Find the Best Marketing Coach Today

Hiring a marketing coach is a big decision. You want to choose someone who possesses expertise and experience in your industry, and you can connect at a personal level. By committing to working with a marketing coach, you can improve different areas of your business.

Follow the suggestions mentioned here to find the perfect marketing coach for your business. The information here is you’ll need to hire a marketing coach who understands your business’s mission and vision and has the essential skills to bring your vision to life!