Freelance Online Marketing Consultants

Finding freelance online marketing consultants can be like finding a needle in a haystack. It is not that there are not enough freelancers to go around, the problem is who you should choose? Sorting through the masses can be a tedious, and often disappointing task. But we will provide one solution to make the job easier and quicker.

One of the best ways to find freelancers is by referral. If you know someone who has worked with a consultant before, it might be wise to contact that freelancer. But be forewarned that your requirements might be different than your friend’s and thus, that freelancer might not be the ideal solution for you.

Assuming you know of no-one to ask, the next best way, and in most instances, clearly the most productive method of finding online marketing consultants, is by searching through forums. Forums are online communities where similar people hang out. For example, people who love poodle dogs all have something in common, so they will talk about their lives with their dogs. They will discuss things like, what kind of food is most popular, where to get a particular sized coat, and what constitutes good health in the animal. And of course, webmasters do the exact same thing. They congregate in the same online communities and this is where you are going to find freelance online marketing consultants.

Once you have one or two good forums, lurk for a while to get the tone of the forum. Lurking means read and browse the posts and the rules of the forum. Nothing like jumping in as a new person and getting lambasted for breaking one of the rules. Once you have “eased” yourself into the community, look for a section called “Buy and Sell”, “Marketplace” or “Services to Hire”. People selling might start their post titles with “WTS”. This means they have something to offer you and the other members.

Read the post and see if it is something that can be of value to you and if it generally meets your needs. BUT, before contacting the seller, check to see if the forum has a “feedback” feature. This tells prospective buyers who and how many good or bad reviews the seller has received from real buyers. If you see a lot of negatives, reds or bad comments, run away immediately. If the seller is new with no comments, be VERY cautious.

Once you have determined that the seller is somewhat legit, contact him to ask a question. Use the answers to determine whether you want to buy the services. Remember that if you do not like the answer or it seems that something is “off”, just move on. You are not obligated to buy because you made contact. And there are a lot more freelancers available.

Another way to check a seller’s credibility or reputation is to read other posts that he has made. If they are combative or juvenile, you might want to move on. Also, if it appears that others are attacking him for ripping them off or not completing quality work, it might be wise to find another seller.

Once you have found someone you like, order the services and see what happens. Try to start with a small order with little money so that you can judge his talents as anĀ internet marketing consultant. If everything works out, then maybe he will do some other work for you.

Finally, finding freelance online marketing consultants can be a time-consuming process, but in the end, you should be able to find someone trustworthy to advise you or provide reports.