Marketing automation consultant: what they do, what it costs, and when to hire one
A marketing automation consultant sets up the software that sends your marketing on its own: follow-ups, lead nurturing, lead scoring. This guide covers what to automate first, what it costs in the UK, and when you are better off doing it yourself.
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A marketing automation consultant sets up the software that runs your marketing on its own and makes sure it earns its keep. For a UK small business that means an enquiry gets a fast follow-up, a quiet lead gets a useful reminder, and the hot leads get flagged to whoever picks up the phone. The good consultants build it, then teach your team to run it.
I run KlarifAi, a UK consultancy that does this work. I will keep the numbers real and tell you where a consultant is not worth it. Often a tool you already pay for can do the first job, and I will say so.
What marketing automation is
Marketing automation is software that sends the right message based on what a contact does. Someone downloads your guide, they get a follow-up. A lead goes quiet for 2 weeks, they get a reminder. A contact opens 3 emails and visits your pricing page, your sales person gets a heads-up. The point is simple: the right message, at the right time, without anyone sending it by hand.
What a marketing automation consultant does
A marketing automation consultancy does three jobs: pick the sequences worth building, set them up in a tool wired to your CRM and forms, and write them so they sound like a human. The writing matters as much as the wiring. A clever workflow sending dull emails still gets ignored.
Most marketing automation consultants who are any good start small. One sequence that recovers lost enquiries, proven, then the next. This pairs closely with our workflow automation and social media work, and with the wider AI automation picture.
What to automate first
Start with the task that loses you the most money quietly. For most small businesses that is slow enquiry follow-up. Here are the usual jobs, roughly in the order worth doing them:
Enquiry follow-ups
A new enquiry gets a timely, well-written reply and a short sequence, so leads stop going cold while you are busy.
Lead nurturing
People who are not ready yet get useful, spaced-out emails until they are, with no one sending them by hand.
Lead scoring and routing
Contacts get scored on what they do, and the hot ones get flagged to the right person to call.
Abandoned enquiry recovery
The person who filled the form then went quiet gets one honest nudge, which often brings them back.
Social posting schedule
A steady posting plan runs on its own, so your presence stays consistent without daily effort.
Simple reporting
A weekly summary shows what is working, built from your own numbers, so you stop guessing.
What a marketing automation consultant costs in the UK
Real numbers. The consultant and the software are two separate costs, so keep them apart in your head. Marketing automation services in the UK tend to run on clear tiers:
£99 per month: light ongoing support
Small sequences plus a hand on the wheel as you get going.
£300 per month: a built-and-improved setup
Your core sequences built, written, and refined month on month.
From £5,000: a full custom build
A complete setup wired across your CRM, forms, and tools.
The software is on top, usually a monthly fee that scales with your contact list. The first 30-minute call is free, and you keep the plan whether or not you hire us. Judge the cost against recovered leads. One follow-up sequence that saves 2 lost jobs a month tends to cover the whole bill.
When you do not need a consultant
The honest part. Sometimes hiring one is the wrong move:
- You get a handful of leads a month. The software and the setup cost more than they return. Reply by hand for now.
- One tool you already pay for covers it. Most email tools include basic automation. Use it before you hire anyone.
- Your list is not built on consent. Automating marketing to people who did not opt in breaks UK rules. Fix that first.
On the free call I will tell you which of these you are in. Talking someone out of a setup they do not need is the honest version of this work.
How to choose a marketing automation consultant
Whether you pick KlarifAi or someone else, a good marketing automation consulting partner passes these tests:
They quote results in leads and pounds.
Look for a number behind every claim. Words like harness, leverage, and unlock with no numbers are marketing, not a plan.
They write the emails, not just the workflow.
A good sequence is mostly good writing. Ask to see copy they have written, not just a diagram of arrows.
They respect consent and data rules.
UK marketing email needs opt-in. A consultant who shrugs at that is a liability. We treat consent and data protection as part of the setup.
They train your team.
If only the consultant can edit a sequence, you are stuck. You should be able to change the copy yourself.
Pricing is clear before work starts.
Flat or monthly: £99 per month or from £5,000, plus the software cost named separately. If you cannot get a number, you cannot budget it.
Frequently asked questions
What is marketing automation?
Software that sends the right marketing message on its own, based on what a contact does. A new enquiry gets a timely follow-up, a quiet lead gets a reminder, a hot lead gets flagged to sales, all without sending each message by hand.
What does a marketing automation consultant do?
They work out which marketing tasks are worth automating, set up the sequences and the tool, connect it to your CRM and forms, and train your team to run it. Good ones start with one sequence that earns its keep.
How much does a marketing automation consultant cost in the UK?
From about £99 per month for light support to £5,000 or more for a full setup. At KlarifAi the tiers are £99 per month, £300 per month, and from £5,000. The software is a separate monthly cost. The first 30-minute call is free.
What should a small business automate first?
Enquiry follow-ups. Most small businesses lose leads because no one replied fast enough. An automatic, well-written follow-up sequence is the highest-return first step.
Do I need a consultant or just the software?
If you have the time and one tool covers your needs, do it yourself. Hire a consultant when the work spans several tools, you want the sequences written well, or you need it built and maintained while you run the business.
Find the one sequence worth building, for free
Book a free 30-minute call. We will pick the marketing task that loses you the most leads, give you a rough number, and tell you honestly if a tool you already have would do the job.
Further reading: the ICO guidance on direct marketing and consent and the UK government Help to Grow support for small businesses.
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