Does your marketing consultant need to be local? In-person, virtual, or a mix of both

When businesses start thinking about bringing in external marketing support, one of the first questions that often comes up is about location.

Not in an abstract sense, but practically. Does it matter where the person is based? Is it better to work with someone you can meet in person, or is working virtually just as effective?

I am based in the North West and work as a marketing consultant in Manchester, supporting clients across Manchester, Stockport, Cheshire and Liverpool. For some projects, that means meeting face-to-face. For others, everything happens virtually. I have supported clients that operate nationally with offices across the UK, as well as remotely working with businesses in Bristol, Scarborough and even as far as The Netherlands. 

In practice, both ways of working can be effective. The difference is usually less about geography and more about what the business actually needs at that point in time.

Does your marketing consultant need to be local?

A marketing consultant does not need to be local to be effective, but there are situations where in-person working and local context can add value.

Most businesses asking this question are not really choosing between good and bad options. They are trying to understand how different ways of working might support better decisions, stronger relationships and clearer progress.

Why location still comes into the conversation

Marketing is a collaborative discipline. It relies on discussion, judgement and trust, often in situations where the answer is not immediately obvious. Because of that, location still feels relevant to many organisations.

For some teams, being able to sit in the same room makes conversations easier, particularly early in a relationship or when decisions feel complex or sensitive. Face to face meetings can help build rapport quickly and give people confidence that they are aligned.

At the same time, the way organisations work has changed significantly. Remote and hybrid working are now normal, not just for delivery teams but for leadership as well. Many businesses are already making important strategic decisions virtually, often across multiple locations. In those contexts, working with a consultant remotely feels entirely natural rather than like a compromise.

Both perspectives are valid, they just represent different organisational needs.

When meeting in person can be genuinely helpful

There are situations where being physically present adds real value.

Workshops are a good example. Sessions that involve multiple stakeholders, competing priorities or difficult trade-offs can benefit from being in the same space. Reading the room, noticing where energy shifts and allowing space for informal conversation can all help teams move forward more confidently.

In person working can also be useful when an organisation is going through change. New leadership, a shift in direction or a period of uncertainty can make face-to-face conversations feel grounding and reassuring.

For some businesses, particularly those with teams largely based in one location, in-person marketing support fits naturally with how they operate and supports the working relationship over time.

Where virtual and remote working fit comfortably

Much of effective marketing consultancy does not depend on physical presence.

Strategy, positioning, messaging and content direction are shaped by experience, perspective and clarity of thinking. These qualities are not diminished by working online. In many cases, they benefit from it.

This is also where fractional marketing support often makes sense. Businesses may not need a full-time in-house hire, but they do need senior marketing input they can rely on. Fractional marketing allows organisations to access that experience on a flexible basis, whether the work happens virtually, in person, or as a mix of both.

Virtual marketing consultancy allows this kind of work to happen without unnecessary friction. Conversations are often more focused, diaries easier to manage and momentum easier to maintain, particularly for time-pressured leadership teams.

At the same time, remote marketing consultancy works especially well for organisations that are already comfortable working virtually, have distributed teams, or are primarily looking for strategic input rather than hands-on delivery. In these situations, location tends to matter far less than experience and judgement.

How it usually works in reality

In practice, most consultancy relationships do not sit firmly at one end of the spectrum.

Some conversations happen face to face, particularly at key moments such as initial workshops, annual planning sessions or project requirements. Others happen virtually because it is practical and no less effective. The balance often shifts over time as priorities change and trust builds.

What tends to matter most is not the format, but whether the way of working supports good decision making. When conversations are clear, honest and well structured, progress tends to follow, regardless of where people are sitting.

A flexible approach also allows the relationship to adapt as the business evolves.

Questions to ask before deciding how you want to work

When businesses ask whether a marketing consultant needs to be local or remote, the underlying question is usually not about geography. It is about confidence, access and how decisions get made.

Before focusing on location, it can be helpful to step back and ask a few more practical questions.

• How do we make decisions as a leadership team?
  Some organisations work best through discussion and debate in the room. Others are used to making clear, structured decisions virtually. Understanding how you already operate will often point you towards the right working model.

• Where would in-person time genuinely add value?
  Not all activity benefits equally from being face to face. Workshops, alignment sessions or moments of change might. Ongoing strategic support or advisory input may not. Being clear about where in-person working matters helps avoid default assumptions.

• What level of support do we actually need?
  Are you looking for hands-on delivery, senior strategic input, or something in between? Different needs lend themselves to different ways of working, regardless of where someone is based.

• How comfortable are we working virtually already?
  If your team is distributed or used to hybrid working, a virtual consultancy relationship may feel straightforward. If not, occasional in-person time may help build momentum early on.

• Do we need local market context, or sector and strategic experience?
  Sometimes local understanding is genuinely useful. In other cases, the priority is perspective, experience and the ability to challenge thinking. Being honest about which matters most can clarify the decision.

• How important is flexibility over time?
  Needs change. The most effective relationships tend to be those that can adapt as priorities shift, rather than being fixed to one way of working from the outset.

These questions rarely produce a single, definitive answer. What they do is help businesses make a more considered choice based on how they work, rather than what they think they should be looking for.

What matters more than location

When deciding whether to work with a marketing consultant, location is rarely the most important factor.

Experience, judgement, the ability to challenge thinking constructively and the confidence to operate at the right level tend to have a far greater impact on outcomes. Location can support those qualities, but it does not create them.

Many of these considerations overlap with the questions businesses ask when choosing the right marketing consultant, regardless of whether they plan to work locally or remotely.

Making a choice that works for your business

Rather than asking whether your marketing consultant needs to be local, it is often more helpful to think about how you work best as a business.

Some organisations value in person discussion and build that into the relationship. Others are perfectly comfortable working entirely virtually. Many sit somewhere in between and adjust over time as needs change.

None of these approaches is inherently better. They simply reflect different cultures, priorities and stages of growth.

The most effective marketing support tends to be defined less by where it happens and more by whether it helps you think clearly, act with confidence and make progress in the right direction.

If you’d like to talk through what you need from a marketing consultant, and how different ways of working might fit your organisation, you’re welcome to get in touch for an initial conversation.

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Frequently asked questions about working with a marketing consultant

• Does a marketing consultant need to be local?

  No. A marketing consultant does not need to be local to be effective. Many aspects of marketing strategy, planning and advisory support work just as well virtually. That said, there are situations where in-person working or local market familiarity can add value, depending on the type of business and audience.

• When is it helpful to work with a local marketing consultant?

  Working with a local marketing consultant can be helpful when you want in-person workshops, leadership alignment sessions, or support during periods of organisational change. It can also suit businesses that prefer face-to-face collaboration as part of how they operate.

• When does local market knowledge matter in marketing consultancy?

  Local market knowledge can matter when your growth relies on regional relationships, local partnerships, or a strong place-based proposition. For example, if you are targeting customers in a specific area, competing locally, recruiting locally, or relying on local networks and reputation, a consultant who understands that landscape can add useful context and nuance.

• When does remote marketing consultancy work best?

  Remote marketing consultancy works well when businesses are comfortable working virtually, have distributed teams, or are primarily looking for strategic input such as positioning, messaging, planning and content direction. In these cases, location often matters less than experience and the ability to bring clarity and momentum.

• Is in-person marketing support better than virtual support?

  Neither approach is inherently better. In-person and virtual support suit different needs. The best approach depends on how your organisation makes decisions, what kind of work you need support with, and where being in the room would genuinely improve the outcome.

• Should location influence our choice of marketing consultant?

  Location can be a factor, but it should not be the only one. A consultant’s experience, judgement and ability to support decision-making often have a greater impact on outcomes than where they are based. For some businesses, the ideal is a mix: local accessibility when useful, and virtual working for pace and flexibility.

• What is fractional marketing support?

  Fractional marketing support gives businesses access to senior marketing expertise on a flexible, part-time basis, without the commitment of a full-time hire. It’s typically used when organisations need strategic direction, leadership or oversight, whether the work happens in person, virtually or through a mix of both.