Today’s Marketing
Linear1. Name both users in your headline
Naming agents next to teams tells buyers the product fits how they work now.
- Name every kind of user in one line
- Show the real product under the headline
- Keep the sub line to one short sentence
How to hire a marketing consultant for a startup
Start with the problem, not the title. If one page or launch is not working, book one working session with someone who writes the fix with you. If you need words every week, hire a copywriter. If buyers do not get what you sell, run a positioning sprint. Save agencies and fractional CMOs for ongoing work.
Updated · By Blake Emal
How to choose
- Name the one problemWrite one sentence: what is not working and where. A homepage that does not convert is a different hire than a launch with no plan.
- Pick the smallest fix that solves itOne page or one launch needs a session, not a retainer. Work you need every week needs someone on a monthly contract or on the team.
- Ask what you leave withA rewritten headline, a filled in launch calendar, a doc you can ship. Advice you still have to turn into copy costs you twice.
- Read their own marketingLook at their site and their posts. Someone who sells clear messaging should be clear about what they sell.
- Ask for proof you can checkBefore and after copy, numbers with a source and a public profile with real work. Be careful with results you cannot verify.
- Send the page before you meetShare the link, who it is for and the one action you want. Then the session starts on the work, not on background.
Five ways to get marketing help
| Option | Best when | You leave with | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| One working call | One page, launch or email is not working | The new version written in a doc | A call that ends in advice and no copy |
| Freelance copywriter | You need pages or emails written often | Finished copy | Copy written before the positioning is clear |
| Positioning sprint | Buyers do not get what you sell or who it is for | One audience and the line that sells to them | A deck with no words you can use |
| Agency | You need a team to run a channel every month | Campaigns that keep running | A long contract before you see work |
| Fractional CMO | You need a part time marketing leader | A plan and someone who owns it | Paying for a leader when you need one fix |
Which real examples show it
Linear
Attio2. Welcome buyers to a new category
A warm welcome to a new idea feels like an invite, not a pitch.
- Name the new category in your buyer's words
- Say what it does in one line
- Show it working right below
Mercury3. Put the time to start in the hero
A clear time cost makes signing up feel small.
- Say how long sign up takes
- Place the email field in the hero
- Use a calm visual that fits the brand
Raycast4. Promise one shortcut to everything
A single big promise and a single action make the choice easy.
- Promise one shortcut to the thing they do all day
- Give the page one main button
- Let bold visuals carry the mood
Grade your landing page before you hire anyone
Open the free graderWhat else do people ask
How much does a marketing consultant cost
It depends on the format. A call with Blake is $499 for 50 minutes on Google Meet, and you leave with the new version written in a doc. Agencies and fractional CMOs are usually paid by the month, so get the price and the term in writing before you start.
When is one call enough
When the problem fits on one page: a homepage headline, a pricing page, a launch week plan or a cold email. If you want someone to run your marketing for months, one call will feel rushed.
What should I prepare before I hire a marketing consultant
The link or draft, who it is for, the one action you want people to take and what you have tried. The more specific you are, the more gets done.
Who should not book a one off call
Teams with no product or offer yet, teams that want paid ads run for them and anyone who needs a guaranteed number. Better copy helps, but the product and traffic matter as much as the words.
Bring Blake your homepage or launch plan
50 minutes on Google Meet. You pick the problem, we work on it together and you leave with the new version written in a doc you can use the same day. $499.
Book my call