Consulting and strategy
Hire a Digital Marketing Strategist/Consultant/Specialist
A digital marketing strategist plans how your online channels work together. I decide the role of search, paid, email, social and the website, set budgets and targets for each, and write a roadmap your team can follow. It suits businesses with many options and no clear order of priority.
Pricing is scoped to each project. Book a call and I will tell you what yours involves.
- 10 yearsin digital growth
- 4 marketsUK, Australia, USA and Bangladesh
- 30-60-90day plan with a written checkpoint
- 1 callto scope your project
The role
What a digital marketing strategist does
As your digital marketing strategist, I set channel roles, budgets and KPIs from your margin and goals, plan the site structure and offers that channels send people to, and report on cost per acquisition by channel, revenue against monthly targets and share of budget on proven channels. I work as an adviser: I diagnose, set the direction and hand you a plan your team or agency can execute, with me reviewing the output.
Before
You are active on several channels but nobody has decided which should get budget and which should wait.
With me as your digital marketing strategist
- Set channel roles, budgets and KPIs from your margin and goals
- Plan the site structure and offers that channels send people to
- Write the quarterly calendar of campaigns and content
- Review results monthly and move budget to what pays back
Process
Process: audit, strategy, roadmap, execution
The work follows four steps: audit, strategy, roadmap and execution with reporting. The first 90 days look like this, with checkpoints agreed in writing before work starts.
- Days 1-30
Audit channels and set economics: margin, target cost per acquisition.
- Days 31-60
Deliver the channel plan, calendar and budget split.
- Days 61-90
Review the first month against targets and rebalance.
Pricing
How pricing works
The cost of hiring a digital marketing strategist depends on the number of channels and markets in the plan, whether you want the plan only or ongoing review, the number of channels or platforms involved, the size of the team I work with, how long we work together and how quickly you need results. I scope every engagement to your situation and do not publish rates, so you pay only for the work your business needs.
What changes the scope
The number of channels and markets in the planWhether you want the plan only or ongoing reviewThe number of channels or platformsTeam size and who needs to be managedLength of the engagementHow fast you need results
- Project
A defined piece of digital marketing strategist work with a start, an end and agreed deliverables.
- Monthly retainer
Ongoing digital marketing strategist work with a fixed monthly scope, reviewed every month.
- Fractional or part-time
A set number of days or hours each week, with me working inside your team.
Freelancer vs agency vs in-house for digital marketing strategist work
| Option | Speed | Control | Accountability | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer (me) | Starts within days of agreeing scope | Direct access to the person doing the work | One named person answers for results | Scale up or down by month |
| Agency | Slower to start; account and delivery teams | Work passes through several people | Shared across a team and account manager | Fixed packages and notice periods |
| In-house hire | Slowest: recruiting and onboarding first | Full day-to-day control | Direct line manager, but one person covers many tasks | Long-term commitment, harder to change |
Proof
Case studies with numbers
These are real projects from my own records, with the first number shown exactly as it is reported in the full case study.
Case study
Xnexz
0 → 125
URLs live from a blank page: 2 products, 24 pages, 8 collections, 98 articles
Read the case studyCase study
Guesthouse.co.uk
168
keywords in the 12-month organic plan
Read the case studyCase study
JAK’s Laundry
116
URLs on jakslaundry.com: 44 area pages, 9 sector pages, 30 item pages and 11 blog URLs
Read the case studyFit
Who it is for and who it is not for
You are active on several channels but nobody has decided which should get budget and which should wait. That is the situation where digital marketing strategist work pays back fastest.
Choosing well
How to choose a digital marketing strategist: criteria and red flags
A good digital marketing strategist shows their reasoning, not just their results. Check these points before you sign, and treat vague answers or guaranteed outcomes as red flags.
- 01
Ask for a channel plan they wrote and the target it was built around.
- 02
Ask how they set a budget when there is no history.
Tools
Tools and methodology
My method is audit first, then plan, then execute and report. For digital marketing strategist work I rely on GA4 and Search Console, Google Ads and Meta Ads, Ahrefs and a plan template with targets by month, and I record every change so results can be traced to decisions.
The stack
GA4 and Search ConsoleGoogle Ads and Meta AdsAhrefsa plan template with targets by month
Before the call
What to prepare before the call
Bring these to the call so we can scope the work in one conversation.
What to prepare before the call
- Gross margin per product or service
- Spend and results by channel for the last six months
- Your target customer in two sentences
- Any channel you already know does not work
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Straight answers on scope, timing and fit. Pricing is always scoped to your project.
What does a digital marketing strategist do?
As your digital marketing strategist, I set channel roles, budgets and KPIs from your margin and goals, plan the site structure and offers that channels send people to, write the quarterly calendar of campaigns and content and review results monthly and move budget to what pays back. I diagnose, set the direction and hand your team a plan to run.
How much does it cost to hire a digital marketing strategist?
Cost depends on the number of channels and markets in the plan, whether you want the plan only or ongoing review, the number of channels or platforms, team size, engagement length and how quickly you need results. I scope each project individually instead of quoting a standard rate. Book a Call for a scoped quote and I will tell you exactly what your situation involves.
Freelance digital marketing strategist vs agency: which is better?
A marketing consultant looks at the whole business including offer and sales; a digital strategist concentrates on how the online channels fit together and fund each other. A freelancer gives you direct access and flexible commitment; an agency adds a larger bench. Tell me what you need on a call and I will say honestly which suits you.
When should I hire a digital marketing strategist?
Hire a digital marketing strategist when you are active on several channels but nobody has decided which should get budget and which should wait. If that sounds familiar, a short call is enough to confirm whether the role fits or whether something simpler would do.
What should I ask before hiring a digital marketing strategist?
Ask for a channel plan they wrote and the target it was built around. Ask how they set a budget when there is no history. Their answers matter less than whether they answer plainly, with specifics you can check. Book a Call and I will answer this for your specific situation.
How long until I see results from a digital marketing strategist?
Timing depends on your starting point and the channel. In the first 30 days I audit channels and set economics: margin, target cost per acquisition. By day 60 I deliver the channel plan, calendar and budget split. By day 90 I review the first month against targets and rebalance. We agree these checkpoints before work starts.
Last updated:
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