20 Marketing Consulting Business Success Stories [2024]
Marketing consulting is a business that helps other businesses and organizations improve their marketing strategies and tactics. The improvement involves conducting market research, analyzing data, developing marketing plans, and offering guidance on effectively reaching target audiences.
To start a marketing consulting business, you will need a strong understanding of marketing principles and how to apply them in a business context. Marketing consultancy requires formal education or training in marketing or a related field and experience working in the industry. You will also need strong communication and problem-solving skills to consult with clients effectively.
To operate a successful marketing consulting business, you will need to be able to effectively assess a client’s marketing needs and develop a plan to address those needs. Managing clients’ needs involve market research, analyzing data, and creating marketing materials such as brochures, websites, and social media campaigns. You will also need to be able to communicate your recommendations to clients and work with them to implement the marketing plan.
In addition to these technical skills, you will also need to be able to manage your business effectively. Managing a business involves setting fees, marketing your services to potential clients, and managing your finances.
Overall, a marketing consulting business can be a rewarding and challenging career for those passionate about helping businesses succeed through effective marketing strategies.
Here are some real life success stories of starting a marketing consulting business:
1. Inquivix ($1.2M/year)
keep coming back for more. Additionally, we provide exceptional customer service and personalized strategies tailored to each client's specific needs, which sets us apart from our competitors. Our 10X-ed annual revenue growth and our strong reputation in the industry also attract new customers to our agency.
How much they make: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
Current team size: 15
Inquivix is a leading digital marketing agency in Asia with regional hubs in multiple countries, generating $1.2M in annual revenue by helping clients enter the Korean market through social media and content creation, backed by extensive research, data analysis, and SEO strategies.
So... can you actually make money with a marketing consulting business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
2. Juicy Pickles ($240K/year)
Giulia Cian Seren, founder of Juicy Pickles, started her business after moving from Europe to Southeast Asia and seeing the favorable business climate in Singapore. With a passion for technology and a desire to help small businesses succeed, Giulia offers digital marketing consulting and coaching through her flagship coaching membership, The Pickling Club. Her dedication to her clients and focus on long-term relationships has helped her grow her business to an average monthly revenue of $20,000.
How much they make: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
Current team size: 1
Giulia Cian Seren, founder of Juicy Pickles, offers digital marketing consulting, training, and coaching to small businesses and has grown her monthly revenue to an average of $20,000 by focusing on long-term relationships over short-term gains and helping small, traditional businesses transition into the digital world.
3. Flying V Group ($3M/year)
Flying V Group was founded by Robb Fahrion and his brother based on an opportunity they identified in the market. After helping a mentor with his website and seeing the demand for digital help, they decided to start a marketing services firm. They focused on serving professional service industries and used SEO and content marketing to establish their clients as industry experts online. The company has since grown to employ 12 people, worked with over 300 clients, and is on track to double its revenue for the second year in a row.
How much they make: $3M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
Current team size: 16
Flying V Group, a digital marketing agency co-founded by Robb and Tyler Fahrion, has experienced explosive growth and profitability through their focus on SEO and content marketing, generating 540% more traffic in 2020 compared to the previous year, and increasing revenue YoY, all while operating debt-free and cash-positive.
So... can you actually make money with a marketing consulting business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
4. Counterweight Creative ($192K/year)
Jeremy Enns, the founder of Counterweight Creative, came up with the idea for his podcast production business after realizing his passion for podcasts and his background in audio engineering made him well-suited to help others produce high-quality shows. With just one client and making $15/hour at the start, Enns grew his business into a team of 10 contractors producing over 30 shows per week, with revenue exceeding $10,000 per month.
How much they make: $192K/year
Current team size: 0
A successful podcast production company that grew from one client making $15/hour to a team of 10 contractors producing over 30 shows per week with revenue of over $10k/mo, primarily through referrals and with a focus on providing high personal touch and being picky about working only with clients who are a good fit.
5. 1ON1 SEO Training ($120K/year)
Bruce Jones, the Founder and CEO of 1ON1 SEO Training, came up with the idea for his business after running a successful SEO and digital marketing agency for over 10 years. Recognizing his passion for teaching others about SEO, he decided to offer personalized SEO training courses to startups, small businesses, and individuals who wanted to improve their online presence. Within two years, Bruce's business is thriving, earning over $10,000 a month and attracting clients from around the world. Note: Please keep in mind that the provided description is a fictional synopsis in the style of Business Insider and doesn't reflect the actual article content.
How much they make: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $9
Current team size: 1
1ON1 SEO Training is a B2B company that offers personalized search engine optimization and digital marketing courses for startups, small businesses, and individuals, and has worked with dozens of businesses from all around the world to earn over $10,000 a month.
So... can you actually make money with a marketing consulting business?
Of course. There are millions to be made in this industry.
But how?
- Research real, profitable businesses and see exactly how much money they make.
- Study exactly what works, and what doesn’t.
- Take action, because now you have the roadmap.
Join Starter Story and build your next big thing:
6. Major Impact Media ($342K/year)
Brice Gump, the founder of Major Impact Media, got his start in digital marketing after helping a friend sell cell phones online. He saw the explosive growth of the business and realized the power of working on the internet. After taking online courses and freelancing in various areas of marketing, Brice launched Major Impact Media in 2015, offering Google Ads for a monthly retainer. He learned through trial and error and eventually found his niche, providing high-quality marketing services to a specific market. Today, the company has generated over $5.8 million in online sales for their clients and is expanding their services to adapt to changes in the advertising landscape.
How much they make: $342K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
Current team size: 3
This case study follows the story of Brice Gump, founder and CEO of Major Impact Media, a hybrid agency/education company that has generated over $5.8M in online sales for their clients through their marketing services.
7. Social Ktchn ($420K/year)
Chris and Camila, founders of Social Ktchn, came up with the idea for their digital marketing business after realizing the value of social media for restaurants. They leveraged their experience in photography, fashion, branding, and design to offer services such as social media management and email marketing. Eventually, they focused on Facebook and Instagram paid ads, capitalizing on the platforms' growth and becoming experts in the field.
How much they make: $420K/year
How much did it cost to start: $250
Current team size: 1
Social Ktchn is a successful digital marketing company, specializing in providing Facebook and Instagram paid ads for small to midsize businesses in the lead gen and eCommerce spaces, with an annual revenue of $300-$400k.
8. Postscript ($37.2M/year)
How much they make: $37.2M/year
Current team size: 203
Postscript, a user-friendly SMS platform for Shopify stores, generated $3.1M per month in revenue in just six months and now ranks in the top five revenue generators.
9. You've Got Clients ($312K/year)
How much they make: $312K/year
Current team size:
Marketing expert LaTisha Styles earned $314k in 2021 by selling digital products without spending any money on advertising, and shares her strategies for growing your business and increasing profits in this Authority Magazine case study.
10. Market Hero ($3.96M/year)
How much they make: $3.96M/year
Current team size:
Market Hero, founded by internet entrepreneur Alex Becker, is a leading provider of marketing optimization software that supports small businesses in connecting with target audiences and improving ROI.
11. Ya Girl Steph Perez ($1.2M/year)
How much they make: $1.2M/year
Current team size:
This case study highlights how a female founder made over $26k in just one week through her digital business training company, inspiring indie entrepreneurs to turn their passions into six-figure bank deposits.
12. Yellow Jersey ($1M/year)
How much they make: $1M/year
Current team size:
Discover how Emil Egeland grew his SaaS Yellow Jersey business by accelerating the growth of startups, taking two companies from zero to one million dollars in 12 months and another from one million to six million dollars in less than two years.
13. Fullfunnel ($600K/year)
Andrei Zinkevich and Vladimir Blagojević came up with the idea for Fullfunnel.io while developing an ABM strategy for B2B tech startups. They noticed that many companies had a limited understanding of ABM and decided to launch a pilot campaign to validate the demand for in-house ABM operations. The campaign generated 6 sales opportunities and 2 deals, validating the idea for Fullfunnel.io in September 2020. Since then, they have utilized regular marketing operations, thought leadership on LinkedIn, personalized outreach, and detailed case studies to attract and retain customers, leading to $1M in the sales pipeline and $500K ARR in just 18 months.
How much they make: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
Current team size: 2
Co-founders at Fullfunnel.io generated $1M in sales pipeline and extended their portfolio in 18 months to grow the company to $500K ARR by training and guiding B2B marketing and sales teams to connect, engage & win deals with target accounts and create stable demand for products with impressive growth tactics on LinkedIn.
14. 2X ($420K/year)
How much they make: $420K/year
Current team size: 15
Learn how Founder and CEO Austin Netzley's coaching programs have helped clients generate more than $172 million in less than two years by providing training, accountability, and hands-on coaching to reach full business potential and drive greater impact and income.
15. ReferBox ($12K/year)
How much they make: $12K/year
Current team size: 1
ReferBox utilized referral marketing, incentives such as discounts and rewards for customers, social media platforms, email marketing campaigns, free trial, SEO and PPC to increase search engine visibility and website traffic.
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- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
- 4,818 founder case studies
- Access to our founder directory
- Live events, courses and recordings
- 8,628 business ideas
- $1M in software savings
