HOW TO HIRE · MARKETING, DESIGN & TECH

How to hire a digital marketing consultant in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A digital marketing consultant in Ireland costs €80–€300 per hour, typically around €150. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.

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  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a digital marketing consultant in five steps

  1. Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?No register covers digital marketing consultant work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — analytics and Performance Tracking — digital marketing consultants utilize tools like Google Analytics to track campaign performance.
  2. How does consultant's experience change the price?Insurance and registration are built into a professional's price. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  3. How does complexity of your project change the price?A simple job follows a routine; a complex one does not. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  4. How does specific services required change the price?What is included in the package changes the total. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  5. What is not included?Social Media Management — many consultants offer social media strategy and management services, creating content calendars and managing posts across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to boost engagement and brand awareness — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a digital marketing consultant job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

NO REGISTER APPLIES. Anyone may trade as a designer, developer or marketer, and no qualification is required. Everything that protects you is in the contract, and the clause people forget is OWNERSHIP: without an assignment in writing the creator is the first owner of copyright in what they make, so you may be paying for a licence to use your own logo or website rather than for the thing itself.

Look for the trader badge and the ID-checked badge on the Locufy profile — both are checked by us, not claimed by the provider.

What to check instead

Who owns the work on delivery, in writing — assignment, not just 'full rights'; What happens to the source files, the domain and the hosting account, named; The deliverables listed with a number — how many concepts, how many revisions; The milestones and what each payment is for; For ads, whether the spend is separate from the fee, and who holds the ad account; Two references from clients whose work you can actually see.

Ask for each of these before you agree a price, and get the answers in the same message as the quote.

Insurance

Expect professional indemnity — for tech work, ask specifically about cyber cover. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.

Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.

Trader or private seller

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.

VAT

VAT at 23%, the standard rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.

Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →

“Are you a trader, and can I see that in writing?”

A good answer: No register covers digital marketing consultant work, so trader status is what your consumer rights hang on — analytics and Performance Tracking — digital marketing consultants utilize tools like Google Analytics to track campaign performance.

“How does consultant's experience change the price?”

A good answer: Insurance and registration are built into a professional's price. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does complexity of your project change the price?”

A good answer: A simple job follows a routine; a complex one does not. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does specific services required change the price?”

A good answer: What is included in the package changes the total. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“What is not included?”

A good answer: Social Media Management — many consultants offer social media strategy and management services, creating content calendars and managing posts across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to boost engagement and brand awareness — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a digital marketing consultant job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

“Who insures you, and what is the policy number?”

A good answer: Expect professional indemnity — for tech work, ask specifically about cyber cover — SEO and Content Optimization — consultants often provide SEO services to enhance a website's visibility on search engines.

“What do I get in writing, and when?”

A good answer: A written scope and a price before the digital marketing consultant starts, and an itemised invoice after — market Strategy Development — A digital marketing consultant will help businesses identify their target audience and develop effective marketing strategies.

Getting the quote right

  • Consultant's experience — insurance and registration are built into a professional's price.
  • Complexity of your project — a simple job follows a routine; a complex one does not.
  • Specific services required — what is included in the package changes the total.
  • Complexity of your needs — the more intricate the work, the slower it has to be done.
  • In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
  • What is NOT included, named
  • Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register

Walk away if

  • They will not talk about it: consultant's experience — insurance and registration are built into a professional's price
  • They will not talk about it: complexity of your project — a simple job follows a routine; a complex one does not
  • They will not talk about it: specific services required — what is included in the package changes the total
  • A price for the digital marketing consultant before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
  • Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
  • No written quote, or one that moves once the digital marketing consultant has begun
LOW
€80
TYPICAL
€150
HIGH
€300

What a digital marketing consultant costs: €80–€300 per hour

Most digital marketing consultants quote the job rather than the hour; the hourly rate is what the small jobs are priced from. Seo specialist and Social media manager each carry their own band. Digital Marketing Consultant price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Digital marketing consultants near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you, or book by the hour.

  1. Look firstConsultant's experience — insurance and registration are built into a professional's price — that is what the digital marketing consultant is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
  2. Agree what is being doneComplexity of your project — a simple job follows a routine; a complex one does not — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
  3. The work itselfSpecific services required — what is included in the package changes the total — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
  4. Check it togetherComplexity of your needs — the more intricate the work, the slower it has to be done — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the digital marketing consultant is still there.
  5. What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, level of expertise required — the cheapest quote is rarely the most experienced one.

Market Strategy Development
A digital marketing consultant will help businesses identify their target audience and develop effective marketing strategies.
SEO and Content Optimization
Consultants often provide SEO services to enhance a website's visibility on search engines.
Social Media Management
Many consultants offer social media strategy and management services, creating content calendars and managing posts across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to boost engagement and brand awareness.
Analytics and Performance Tracking
Digital marketing consultants utilize tools like Google Analytics to track campaign performance.
SEO Specialist
Focuses on optimising your website's content and structure to improve its visibility in search engine results.
Social Media Manager
Creates and manages your social media profiles, developing content strategies to engage your audience and grow your following.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and the paperworkAn itemised invoice with the trader's name, the work and the total — analytics and Performance Tracking — digital marketing consultants utilize tools like Google Analytics to track campaign performance, because it is what a buyer's solicitor, an insurer or a lender asks for long after the digital marketing consultant has gone.
Test what was doneSocial Media Management — many consultants offer social media strategy and management services, creating content calendars and managing posts across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn to boost engagement and brand awareness — and something that does not work on the day is theirs to put right there and then.
Ask what the guarantee isOn the workmanship and on the parts, and for how long each one runs — they are usually different. SEO and Content Optimization — consultants often provide SEO services to enhance a website's visibility on search engines — under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 what was agreed is what can be relied on.
Leave the reviewOnly a booked job can be reviewed on Locufy, which is why the score on a digital marketing consultant's card means something — market Strategy Development — A digital marketing consultant will help businesses identify their target audience and develop effective marketing strategies.

STEP 1Say it in writing, firstSay what is wrong and what you want done. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and defective work put right.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyUnder four stars you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Escalate to the body that regulates itThere is no register, so the route is the consumer body and, if needed, the courts.
STEP 4Small claimsSmall claims covers €2,000, once you have asked in writing and given them a chance to put it right.

Hiring a digital marketing consultant: questions people ask

The cost can vary based on the consultant's experience, the complexity of your project, and the specific services required. More specialised consultants may charge higher rates due to their expertise in niche areas.

While many digital marketing consultants are not regulated, choosing someone with relevant qualifications and proven experience is beneficial. Specialists in specific areas, like SEO or PPC, can provide deeper insights and strategies.

Yes, many digital marketing consultants offer bundled services, which can be more cost-effective. Discussing your overall marketing needs can help you find a consultant who can address multiple areas.

While consultants focus on strategy and implementation, they typically do not handle technical website development or graphic design unless specified. It's essential to clarify the scope of services during initial discussions.

NO REGISTER APPLIES. Anyone may trade as a designer, developer or marketer, and no qualification is required. Everything that protects you is in the contract, and the clause people forget is OWNERSHIP: without an assignment in writing the creator is the first owner of copyright in what they make, so you may be paying for a licence to use your own logo or website rather than for the thing itself.

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and put right if it is not. Say what is wrong in writing first.

MORE GUIDES

More hiring guides in marketing, design & tech

How to hire: Web DesignerHow to hire: Web DeveloperHow to hire: WordPress DeveloperHow to hire: E-commerce DeveloperHow to hire: Shopify ExpertHow to hire: App DeveloperHow to hire: iOS DeveloperHow to hire: Android DeveloperAll 701 hiring guides →

Digital marketing consultants near you

Digital marketing consultants in DublinDigital marketing consultants in CorkDigital marketing consultants in GalwayDigital marketing consultants in LimerickAll digital marketing consultants on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000
  2. CCPC — your rights when you buy a service
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2022
  4. Courts Service — small claims
  5. Revenue — ADVERTISING - SERVICE — Standard rate
  6. Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
  7. Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only