No matter the size of your business, there are benefits from employing a marketing executive like a Fractional CMO. Someone who understands your business. Someone with the ability to help you reach your vision and help add strong leadership to your team.
If you assume your mid-sized (or small-sized) business can’t justify hiring a full-time, executive-level marketing professional, we’ve got good news for you!
A Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (or CMO) can apply the insight and direction you get from a traditional CMO–without the costs of hiring a full-time marketing team.
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How Do You Know If You Need a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer?
Hiring a Fractional CMO is especially helpful for small- to mid-sized companies. There are a few different instances where a Fractional CMO can be an especially useful marketing strategy.
- Your company is ready to expand to the next stage. As you scale your businesses, your marketing and sales tactics that got you from zero to where you are now might not help you achieve your next milestone. If you’re not confident that your previous approach will be successful as your business grows, a Fractional CMO can help.
- Other teams or leaders are filling the marketing leadership role–at the cost of their own projects. Multi-tasking can be necessary as a business gets started. However, you don’t want the sales team to get burnt out on sales because they’re making their own marketing materials.
- Your current marketing strategy isn’t working. Before you commit to employing a full-time executive-level marketing team, try a Fractional CMO. They have experience and insights into your unknown growing pains and can help you avoid repeating what does not work. It might be a more cost-effective solution for your company’s needs.
- You prefer to hire contractors rather than full-time employees. Since a Fractional CMO is usually hired as a contractor, there are fewer related costs (healthcare, benefits, etc.).
- You have a short-term (or fixed-term) project that needs marketing expertise. Is your business rebranding or launching a new product? If your company doesn’t need a full-time, permanent marketing department, a Fractional CMO can provide the results you need without the commitment of a traditional CMO.
- Your marketing leader isn’t social media savvy. If you’re happy with your company’s marketing strategies in every way except social media, a Fractional CMO can fill the gap. Sometimes you need to pull in a digital marketing expert.
There’s something wrong with your marketing, but you’re not sure what. If you (or your marketing team) can’t quite identify where your marketing strategy and execution are falling short, a Fractional CMO can help. Having someone from outside your company analyze your marketing efforts can yield new and innovative solutions.
What Does a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer Do?
There are many different roles a Fractional CMO can play in your company. Your business’s needs should dictate the scope of the position. Here are a few things a Fractional CMO can do for a company:
- Bridge a gap while you transition from one marketing leader to another. If your current marketing executive is on the way out, hiring a Fractional CMO can keep your marketing plan afloat while you replace him or her.
- Provide a marketing plan for a company that doesn’t need a full-time marketing team. If you need a marketing strategy but can’t commit to hiring a full-time position, an FCMO can give your marketing strategies direction and vision.
- Give your current marketing strategy a fresh analysis. Sometimes a new set of eyes can see existing opportunities for strategy and execution.
Create a strategic marketing plan for execution based on insight. A Fractional CMO is trained in reading the market and crafting a strategy that optimizes your business position. An FCMO can also help your company execute this strategic plan.
What Are the Advantages Of a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer Over Full-Time?
Are you still wondering when you should hire a Fractional CMO instead of a full-time marketing executive? Ultimately, you need to look at your company’s unique needs to find the best fit, but here are some advantages of a Fractional CMO to help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.
- An entire marketing department comes with a lot of overhead; a Fractional CMO can be a cost-effective alternative. You get the marketing your business needs without the investment required for an entire marketing team.
- A Fractional CMO can allow a small business to develop a marketing strategy or social media campaign. If you think your business is too small for a marketing strategy, think again! An FCMO can find a campaign that works for your budget.
- Eyes from “outside” the company can give your marketing strategy a fresh look. Even if you currently have a marketing team, hiring a Fractional CMO to do an independent analysis can yield creative ideas.
- A Fractional CMO can craft a marketing strategy for a fixed-term project if your company doesn’t need ongoing or full-time marketing expertise. For example, the months before a product launch or company rebranding is a popular time to hire an FCMO.
We Can Help
One of the best advantages of hiring a Fractional CMO is that the role is inherently flexible. As long as you are clear about your expectations when you interview potential FCMOs, you should be able to find a marketing leader who works for your company.
Before you talk with potential Fractional CMOs, think about what your goals for your marketing strategy are: what do you want to achieve?
Fractional CMO is an important role for your company. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and verify credentials when interviewing potential candidates.
And don’t forget the support you can get from your fellow business owners! Engaging in your local entrepreneurial community can lead to word-of-mouth referrals and other tips.
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