26 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.
In this list, you'll find real-world marketing consulting business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a marketing consulting business that makes money.
1. Everflow ($15M/year)
Kanwar Dhaliwal, co-founder of Everflow, came up with the idea for the business after selling his previous company, Moolah Media, which was an ad network. Recognizing a gap in the market and armed with firsthand knowledge of the industry, Kanwar and his co-founders decided to disrupt the existing vendors and build a technology platform company. With a commitment to customer success and a hyper-focus on the market, Everflow has grown profitably, serving nearly 700 customers.
How much money it makes: $15M/year
How much did it cost to start: $400K
How many people on the team: 82
Everflow, a bootstrapped company founded by three entrepreneurs, now serving nearly 700 customers profitably, offers a tracking, measurement, and analytics tool for digital advertising, attracting and retaining customers primarily through market-driven decisions and commitment to customer success.
2. Alex Albarran & Co. ($6.49M/year)
At 12, Alex Albarran got his start by buying and selling Jordan sneakers, sparking an interest in marketing that led him to sell his car for $5,000 to fund his business. Today, his online marketing and consulting company grosses $541k monthly, emphasizing client-focused, hands-on coaching.
How much money it makes: $6.49M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 8
Learn how Alex Albarran grew his online marketing and business consulting company to achieve a gross revenue of $541k per month, with 3x revenue growth over 15 months, and a team of 8 members, while helping entrepreneurs close the gap between where they are and where they want to be in their business, life, and wealth.
3. Think Future ($3.52M/year)
Kalaboukis, a futurist and innovator, always dreamt of living in the future and creating it. After realizing that people's fear of change is what holds them back from embracing innovation, he started hellofuture to provide tools, workshops, and coaching to help individuals and companies innovate without fear. With revenues of around $293k per month and a portfolio of 122 patents, Kalaboukis is helping others create their ideal future.
How much money it makes: $3.52M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1K
How many people on the team: 2
A futurist and innovator has built a business strategy consulting company with revenues of around $293k per month by helping companies increase revenues and patent portfolios, and generate employee engagement, using a set of tools, workshops, and coaching to move people from their comfort zones, with a highly structured process for lead generation that he considers a trade secret.
4. Prolific Zone ($3.5M/year)
Quin Amorim, the founder of Prolific Zone, came up with the idea for his eCommerce agency after successfully selling products online for over 25 years. He realized his passion for creating and launching products and brands online and decided to help others do the same. With a team of 18 people and a customer retention rate of over 80%, Prolific Zone generates an impressive average of $140K per month without spending a single dollar on advertising.
How much money it makes: $3.5M/year
How much did it cost to start: $3K
How many people on the team: 15
Prolific Zone is an eCommerce agency founded by Quin Amorim that has experienced significant growth, with a team of 18 people, a customer retention rate of over 80%, and generating an average of $140K per month helping brands sell their products internationally through Amazon and Walmart.
5. 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 money it makes: $3M/year
How much did it cost to start: $10K
How many people on the team: 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.
6. 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 money it makes: $1.2M/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
How many people on the team: 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.
7. ModumUp ($996K/year)
Olga Bondareva, the founder of ModumUp, came up with the idea for her social selling agency after realizing the high demand for managing personal profiles on social media for business goals. With her background in social media marketing and Microsoft digital marketing, she saw the opportunity to help clients attract new customers, partners, and employees through the development of their profiles on social media. Since launching, Bondareva has focused on growing the brand through her own personal social media presence, speaking at events and conferences, and promoting case studies to attract and retain customers.
How much money it makes: $996K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 44
Meet Olga Bondareva, founder of ModumUp, a social selling agency with an ARR of $1M and 30+ b2b clients, specializing in managing personal social media profiles to generate leads, offering consulting, employee advocacy, and training services.
8. FounderBlocks ($720K/year)
Lasse, the founder of VIPERdev, came up with the idea after receiving feedback that his team was incredibly fast and innovative. They decided to focus on working with startups and helping them bring their products to market quickly, solving actual problems first before adding fancy features. Through their efficient approach, they have become a trusted accelerator program, releasing 2-5 products per month and ensuring each project is a success story.
How much money it makes: $720K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 12
VIPERdev is an accelerator program that helps founders turn their digital business ideas into products and bring them to market within 8-12 weeks, releasing an average of 2-5 products per month.
9. 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 money it makes: $600K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 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.
10. Trust Insights ($480K/year)
Katie, the CEO of Trust Insights, co-founded the company in 2017 after noticing a lack of transparency and understanding in the marketing industry when it came to data analysis. She wanted to change the culture and be a voice for those intimidated by advanced technology, focusing on marrying data analysis with change management. Through their services and customer relationships, Trust Insights has been successful in retaining long-term clients and building a community through their Free Slack Community, Analytics for Marketers.
How much money it makes: $480K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
How many people on the team: 0
Trust Insights is a digital marketing consultancy that focuses on data analysis, utilizing Artificial Intelligence to solve problems and help businesses understand how to use their data to their advantage, with a free Slack community that boasts over 2,500 members and a weekly email with over 20,000 subscribers.
11. 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 money it makes: $420K/year
How much did it cost to start: $250
How many people on the team: 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.
12. Dusseau and Company ($420K/year)
Mark, the founder of Dusseau and Company, drew inspiration from his personal experiences as a former foster child and his professional background in software development. He saw a need to help small businesses and diverse founders build disruptive software companies, and thus, Dusseau and Company was born. With a scientific approach to product development and a commitment to empathy and helping others, Mark has successfully worked with clients like Chevron and JP Morgan Chase, helping diverse founders raise $700k in funding and achieve over $15 million in company valuations.
How much money it makes: $420K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
How many people on the team: 0
Dusseau and Company is a boutique product development firm focused on helping diverse founders ideate, design, develop, and scale disruptive technology companies, with a leading service of executing different levels of the product development lifecycle, and boasts an impressive metric of helping diverse founders build products that have gone on to raise $700k in funding and over $15 million in company valuations.
13. Ecom Crew Podcast ($420K/year)
EcomCrew, an ecommerce blog and podcast, was founded by Mike Jackness and an unnamed co-founder in 2014. With a passion for content creation and a desire to share ecommerce knowledge, they started EcomCrew and eventually monetized it through a membership program. They now generate around $35,000 a month in revenue.
How much money it makes: $420K/year
How many people on the team: 3
EcomCrew is an ecommerce blog and podcast that took three years to monetize and now brings in around $35,000 a month by selling a membership to a private ecommerce group that includes exclusive access to ecommerce courses, webinars, events and more, with plans slowly becoming more expensive to expand with new content.
14. 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 money it makes: $342K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 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.
15. Groundhogg ($300K/year)
Adrian Tobey realized there was a significant gap in the WordPress ecosystem for an integrated CRM and marketing automation tool while working at his parents' digital marketing agency. He frequently encountered frustrations with existing solutions, particularly Infusionsoft, which had clunky and outdated web forms. This pain point inspired him to initially create a simple solution for better forms, which evolved into a broader vision.
To validate his idea, Adrian engaged with the WordPress community and his network of agency clients, identifying recurring issues and gauging interest in a comprehensive solution. He built the initial version of Groundhogg himself and released it to gather user feedback. The positive response and constructive criticism helped him refine the product, making it more robust and user-friendly.
Challenges like customer skepticism and the complexity of educating users about the new self-hosted CRM model were significant. However, Adrian relied on organic growth strategies like podcast appearances and engaging in industry-specific groups, which also offered crucial user feedback. The key lesson was the importance of directly addressing identified customer needs and continuously iterating based on real-user experiences.
How much money it makes: $300K/year
16. 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 money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100
How many people on the team: 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.
17. SolutionBuggy ($240K/year)
Arjun Bharadwaj, Founder & CEO of SolutionBuggy, came up with the idea for his business after recognizing the dearth of skill sets in the MSME segment of the manufacturing industry. In 2016, he conceptualized the platform and launched it in 2018, aiming to digitize the MSME consulting space in India using AI technology. Today, SolutionBuggy is the largest manufacturing consulting platform in India, with over 50,000 industries and 10,000+ experts registered on the platform.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 30
SolutionBuggy is an AI-based manufacturing consulting platform, providing end-to-end solutions for entrepreneurs looking to start the manufacturing industry, having completed over 2000 projects with 50,000 industries and 10,000+ experts registered on their platform, and planning to expand with 20 million registered MSMEs and 300,000 consultants in the next few years.
18. 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 money it makes: $192K/year
How many people on the team: 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.
19. The Profit Finder ($168K/year)
Disillusioned by repeated failures from hired marketing experts, Brian Carmody tripled his company's revenue and expanded from 1 to 48 states by employing his own strategies. This sparked the idea for The Profit Finders, now generating up to $15k monthly.
How much money it makes: $168K/year
How much did it cost to start: $3K
How many people on the team: 1
Case Study: Founder of The Profit Finders tripled revenue, expanded to 48 states, and lowered break-even by 70%, using specific strategies and a proprietary software built on 1 billion weighted algorithms.
20. Ignore No More ($156K/year)
Sophia O’Neal’s relentless desire to avoid mundane employment led her to launch Ignore No More, a SaaS-focused marketing agency. Inspired by Warby Parker's innovative branding, Sophia built a $21K/month business through savvy positioning and strategic no-code solutions, employing a globally diverse team.
How much money it makes: $156K/year
How much did it cost to start: $5K
How many people on the team: 2
Case study about how Sophia O'Neal built Ignore No More, a profitable marketing agency for SaaS companies, working with 2-5 clients/mo and bringing in $13K-$21K/month, with a team of 10 employees speaking 12+ languages, showing how she went from freelancing to agency success despite financial struggles and setbacks.
21. My Media Pal ($144K/year)
James Kuck, co-founder of My Media Pal, came up with the idea for his business after experiencing the struggle of generating inbound local leads for his construction company. He discovered the power of local SEO and decided to pivot, creating My Media Pal as a digital marketing agency that helps local businesses with web design, SEO, and paid ads. Eventually, they realized the value of owning the assets that generate leads and shifted their focus to rank and rent, offering optimized websites and exclusive leads to local businesses.
How much money it makes: $144K/year
How much did it cost to start: $2K
How many people on the team: 1
My Media Pal is a successful digital agency that has morphed into three divisions, including a rank and rent business focused on generating local service leads, bringing in an average of $12,000-$15,000 per month.
22. 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 money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $9
How many people on the team: 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.
23. Maverick Media Lab ($120K/year)
Gilberto, the founder of Maverick Media Lab, grew up in an immigrant family in the US with a desire for financial independence. After working for a marketing agency and refining his skills, he ventured out on his own to create a service that would help businesses generate more referrals. By focusing on using LinkedIn and email to expand clients' networks of referral partners, Maverick Media Lab has grown rapidly and is projected to double its current revenue of $10k/month in the next six months.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 0
Gilberto, founder of Maverick Media Lab, shares his success story of generating $10k/month through his productized Referral Connector System, which helps businesses enter the online marketing space without large advertising costs.
24. Spreadtheworld ($24K/year)
Xavier Coiffard, a developer turned solo entrepreneur, came up with the idea for his business, Spreadtheworld, after struggling to find online places to post his startup. He curated a list of 100 places and shared it on Reddit and IndieHackers, which gained significant traction. This led him to create a product, and from there, he launched several other successful ventures following a similar approach.
How much money it makes: $24K/year
How much did it cost to start: $0
How many people on the team: 0
Learn how Xavier Coiffard generated $2000 per month in revenue by building 4 products in 4 months with no-code tools like Carrd, Airtable, Gumroad, and Zapier, as well as how he soft launched his products on Twitter and iterated on his launch strategy.
25. Neuwly ($1.2K/year)
Steve Christensen came up with the idea for Neuwly Live after realizing the power of connecting people through knowledge and inspiration. The initial concept of a bucket list tracker evolved into a platform for discovering and sharing experiences. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they pivoted to a virtual approach, launching a marketplace of knowledge and ideas.
How much money it makes: $1.2K/year
How much did it cost to start: $100K
How many people on the team: 0
Neuwly Live is a marketplace of knowledge and ideas that allows people to learn and advance together using live video, which has gained over 300 downloads in just one month.
26. BT Neil Consulting ($1.2K/year)
Cornelia "Miss Co" Malloy came up with the idea for her online consulting business, BT Neil Consulting, after reflecting on her desire to have her own business and her skills in creating documents and navigating the internet. Her experience working in a long-term care facility as the Director of Social Services also inspired her to focus on providing resources on long-term care placement in a nursing facility. Despite not yet making significant profits, Cornelia remains consistent and is using social media and affiliate marketing to build awareness for her business.
How much money it makes: $1.2K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 1
BT Neil Consulting founder, Cornelia "Miss Co" Malloy, shares how she started her online consulting business and the struggles she faced when trying to build awareness and gain customers while highlighting the importance of consistency and not giving up.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
