Marketing consultancy
Digital marketing consultant for clear, costed growth plans
Senior advice on where your next customers should come from, which channels deserve your budget and how to measure them, with an optional team to deliver it.
- Senior consultant, practical plans
- Costed priorities, not decks
- Delivery team if needed
Quick answer
ProntX offers a digital marketing consultant for London and UK businesses that need direction before spending more. Formats include strategy days, marketing audits, 90-day plans and a fractional marketing lead, backed by a team that can deliver the work. Ongoing consultancy starts from £595 a month on rolling terms.
Marketing consultancy
What does a digital marketing consultant do?
A digital marketing consultant works out where your growth should come from, which channels deserve your budget and how to measure them, then either guides your team or hands the plan to people who can deliver it.
ProntX provides a senior digital marketing consultant for London and UK businesses that need clear direction before they spend more. Choose a strategy day, a full marketing audit, a 90-day plan or an ongoing fractional marketing lead, with the option to have our own team carry out the work.
Most businesses that look for a consultant are not short of ideas. They are short of a decision. Should the next £2,000 a month go into Google Ads, SEO, social or a new website? Is the agency they already pay doing a good job? Why do leads come in fits and starts?
A consultant’s value is being able to answer those questions with evidence: your analytics, your sales data, what competitors rank and advertise for, and what similar businesses have found works. The output should be a short list of priorities, not a 60-page deck.
We are honest about one common complaint with consultants: advice that is never implemented because nobody inside the business has the time or skills. That is why every plan we write is costed and scheduled, and why you can choose to have our specialists deliver it, keep it in-house, or give it to another provider.
Our consultants come from hands-on delivery across SEO, paid media, social, email and web, so recommendations are grounded in what it actually takes to do the work.
Ways to work together
How can you work with our digital marketing consultants?
Four formats, from a single day to an ongoing role. Each has a defined output, so you know exactly what you will have at the end.
One day
Strategy day
A half or full day workshop, in London or by video, covering your goals, customers, current marketing and numbers. You leave with agreed priorities and a written summary within a few working days.
Two to three weeks
Digital marketing audit
A review of your website, analytics, SEO, paid ads, social and email, with competitor benchmarking. Findings are ranked by impact and effort, with costs for each recommendation.
One month
90-day growth plan
A practical plan covering channels, budgets, content, measurement and who does what each week, with targets you can hold us or anyone else to.
Ongoing
Fractional marketing lead
A senior consultant acting as your part-time head of marketing: setting priorities, briefing and managing suppliers, reviewing results and reporting to the leadership team.
What we look at
What does a digital marketing strategy from a consultant cover?
Positioning, channel choice, budget, measurement and capacity. If any one of those is missing, the plan usually fails in practice.
Who you sell to and why they choose you
Before channels, we pin down your best customers, what they search for and what makes them pick you over alternatives. Weak positioning makes every channel more expensive.
Where demand already exists
Search data shows how many people look for what you sell, in which areas and with what intent. That tells us whether search, social or outbound should lead, and how quickly results are realistic.
Channel mix and budget
We recommend a mix of channels with a monthly budget for each, including ad spend, and explain what to expect in the first 90 days and the first year. Some channels pay back in weeks, others compound over months.
Measurement you can trust
GA4, Search Console, call tracking and CRM data set up so you can see cost per lead and cost per customer by channel. Without this, every later decision is guesswork.
Capacity and ownership
Who will write, design, publish and follow up leads? We plan around the time and skills you really have, and flag where outside help will be cheaper than doing it yourself.
Choosing help
Digital marketing consultant, freelancer, agency or in-house hire?
A consultant is best for direction and decisions. A freelancer is best for one channel done well. An agency is best for delivery across several channels. An in-house hire makes sense once there is enough steady work for a full-time role.
| Consultant | Freelancer | Agency | In-house hire | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main strength | Strategy and priorities | One specialist skill | Delivery across channels | Day-to-day ownership |
| Typical cost | Day rates or monthly retainer | Hourly or monthly | Monthly retainer per channel | Salary plus tools and training |
| Speed to start | Days | Days to weeks | One to two weeks | Months to recruit |
| Risk | Advice not implemented | Single point of failure | Junior staff on your account | Hard to cover every skill |
Many of our clients use a mix. A fractional consultant sets direction and manages suppliers, a specialist runs the channel that matters most, and an in-house marketer handles content and social. If you need someone focused on one area, see our SEO consultant and PPC consultant services.
Before you hire
How do you choose the best digital marketing consultant for your business?
Look for relevant hands-on experience, a clear output for the fee, and someone who measures success in enquiries and revenue rather than followers or traffic.
Questions worth asking
- What will I have in my hands at the end of the first month?
- Which businesses like mine have you advised, and what did you change for them?
- How will we measure whether your advice worked?
- Who carries out the recommendations, and what will that cost?
- Will I own the accounts, data and documents you create?
Warning signs
- Promises of first-page rankings or guaranteed lead numbers
- A strategy that recommends every channel at once
- Reports built around impressions, reach and follower counts
- No interest in your sales data, margins or follow-up process
- A long contract before any work has been seen
The best digital marketing experts are often the ones who tell you to do less. A small business with a limited budget usually gets further by doing two channels properly than six badly, and a good consultant will say so even when it means a smaller engagement. A useful test is to ask what they would not recommend for you, and why. If every answer leads back to buying more of their services, keep looking.
Why ProntX
Why choose a ProntX consultant over an independent freelancer?
You get senior, independent advice backed by a team that can build and run what we recommend, without being obliged to use us for delivery.
Hands-on
Advice from people who do the work
Our consultants have run campaigns, rebuilt websites and set up tracking themselves, so plans are realistic about effort, cost and timing.
Optional delivery
Implementation if you want it
Our SEO, PPC, social, email and web teams can deliver any part of the plan at our published prices. Or take the plan elsewhere: it is yours.
Clear terms
Published prices, no lock-in
Strategy work is quoted as a fixed price. Ongoing consultancy rolls monthly, and you own every account, report and document we create.
Pricing
How much does a digital marketing consultant cost in the UK?
Ongoing digital marketing consultancy at ProntX starts from £595 a month plus VAT. Strategy days, audits and 90-day plans are quoted as fixed prices after a short call.
| Option | Price (ex VAT) | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free growth audit | £0 | A personal video review of your website and marketing within 2 working days |
| Strategy day or audit | Fixed price, quoted on scope | Workshop or full audit with written, ranked recommendations |
| Ongoing consultancy | From £595 a month | Monthly strategy, reviews of results and supplier work, regular calls |
| Fractional marketing lead | Typically £1,500 to £3,000 a month | Part-time head of marketing role, one to several days a month |
Final price depends on the size of your business, the number of channels and how much time is needed each month. Freelance consultants and fractional marketing directors in the UK often charge day rates, so compare like for like on days included. See our full pricing for delivery costs by channel.
SEO and AI search
from £595/month
Local and small business SEO, GEO and AEO included
What is includedPPC and Google Ads
from £450/month
Management fee. Ad spend is paid direct to Google
What is includedWho we advise
Who hires a digital marketing consultant from ProntX?
Owner-managed businesses, growing SMEs and specialist firms that need senior thinking without a full-time marketing director.
- Small businesses ready to move beyond word of mouth; see small business marketing
- Law firms and professional services needing compliant, lead-focused marketing
- Healthcare, clinics and medical suppliers with regulated advertising
- B2B firms with long sales cycles and several decision makers
- Companies unhappy with an agency and wanting an independent review
We are based in London and work with clients across the UK. Strategy days can be held in person in London or by video, and ongoing consultancy runs through video calls, shared documents and dashboards, with in-person meetings by arrangement.
If you are not sure what you need yet, start with our free growth audit. A consultant will record a personal video review of your website and marketing, and tell you honestly whether a consultant, a single channel or no outside help at all makes most sense.
How it works
What happens after you get in touch
- 01Free audit
We review your site, search visibility, ads and competitors, then send a short video walkthrough with the quickest wins.
Request audit - 02Plan and price
A one-page plan with goals, channels, timeline and a fixed monthly price. No surprises later.
See prices - 03Launch in weeks
Tracking first, then quick wins, then the bigger builds. You see progress in the first month.
See our work - 04Report and grow
Monthly report in plain English: leads, sales, cost per result and what we do next.
Talk to us
FAQ
Digital marketing consultant questions, answered
Still unsure? Ask us anything. We reply within one working day.
How much does a digital marketing consultant charge in the UK?
Independent consultants commonly charge day rates from a few hundred pounds to well over £1,000, depending on seniority and sector, while fractional marketing directors charge more. Small business retainers often start around £1,000 a month. At ProntX, ongoing consultancy starts from £595 a month, and strategy days and audits are quoted as fixed prices.
Is hiring a digital marketing consultant worth it for a small business?
It is worth it when you are about to spend real money and are not sure where. A few days of senior advice can stop you wasting months on the wrong channel. It is less useful if nobody can act on the advice, which is why we cost every recommendation and offer delivery as an option.
What is the difference between a digital marketing consultant and an agency?
A consultant mainly advises: audits, strategy, priorities and supplier oversight. An agency mainly delivers: running ads, SEO, social and websites. Some consultants also manage delivery, and some agencies offer strategy. ProntX does both, but we keep them separate so you can buy advice without committing to delivery.
Should I hire a freelance digital marketing consultant or a firm?
A freelancer can be a great choice for a focused engagement with someone whose experience matches your sector. A firm gives you cover, broader skills and a team to implement. Ask any option who will do the work, how they will measure success and what you will own at the end.
What is a fractional marketing lead?
A senior marketer who works for you part time, for example a few days a month, taking responsibility for strategy, budgets, supplier management and reporting. It suits businesses that need senior marketing leadership but do not yet need, or cannot yet afford, a full-time marketing director.
What happens in a strategy day?
We review your numbers and marketing beforehand, then spend the session on your goals, customers, competitors and channels. You leave with agreed priorities, and we send a written summary with next steps, rough budgets and timings within a few working days. It can be in London or by video.
Do I have to use ProntX to deliver the plan?
No. The plan is yours to use however you like, including with your own team or another agency. If you would like us to deliver part of it, our services are priced on our public pricing page, so there are no surprises and no pressure to bundle.
Do you work with businesses outside London?
Yes. We are based in London and work with clients across the UK through video calls, shared documents and dashboards. Strategy days can be held in person in London or remotely, and other in-person meetings can be arranged when they are genuinely useful.
Can a consultant review the agency we already use?
Yes, and it is one of the most common requests. We look at what you are paying for, what is being delivered, how results are measured and whether the strategy makes sense. You get a frank written view, with suggested questions to put to your agency before deciding anything.
Works well with
Related services
Free growth audit
Find out what is holding your growth back
Tell us about your business in four quick steps. Within two working days you get a short video audit of your website, search visibility and ads, with the three changes that would make the biggest difference.
- Personal video walkthrough, not an automated PDF
- Covers SEO, AI search, ads and conversion
- No obligation and no hard sell