FRACTIONAL CMO
August 27, 2023

Who is a Fractional CMO?

fractional CMO 1dot

Before you make any decisions about your business’s marketing strategy, it’s important to understand what a Fractional CMO is and how they can benefit your organization.

What is a Fractional CMO?

A fractional CMO is a part-time Chief Marketing Officer, responsible for leading the marketing strategy and managing the marketing department. Fractional CMOs typically work with businesses who need the role of a CMO, but not in a full-time capacity.

Why do you need a Fractional CMO?

There are several reasons why businesses need Fractional CMO services. For example, a business may require marketing leadership and the expert marketing strategy skills of a CMO, but not need it on a full-time basis. Or, a business may need a comprehensive marketing strategy for their niche and industry, such as a Fractional CMO with years of experience in SaaS or private equity. Additionally, a business may need the skill set of a chief marketing officer, but not for the 40 hours per week that a full-time CMO would require.

1. Expertise you need:

Don’t rely on inexperienced marketers to dictate your business’s overall marketing strategy. Bring in a Fractional CMO to provide a comprehensive marketing plan for your business. Your Fractional CMO should have a wealth of marketing and managerial experience. Therefore, the Fractional CMO should be the natural leader of the marketing team.

2. Cost you can afford:

You don’t need a top-heavy organization with a full-time CMO on staff. A part-time CMO provides you with the insights and reporting you need, without the high price. This can be for financial reasons, as a typical full-time CMO salary can cost more than $200,000 per year. Or because the amount of work required by the CMO does not constitute a full-time position.

3. Self-managing executives:

A CMO lightens your workload by managing all aspects of your company’s marketing department. From vendors to employees, a Fractional CMO acts as an executive.

The benefits of a Fractional CMO

By hiring a fractional CMO, your business gains access to a highly skilled marketing professional with years of experience, without the added costs and responsibilities of a full-time employee. A Fractional CMO provides the expertise and leadership required to develop and execute a comprehensive marketing strategy, which can help your business achieve maximum growth in minimum time.

1. Fractional CMO Responsibilities:

A Fractional CMO is responsible for developing the marketing strategy for both the short-term and long-term. They must decide and commit to which marketing strategies are best for your business, such as SEO, content marketing, paid advertising, or a podcast, etc. Additionally, a Fractional CMO must solve marketing problems that will arise and need to be resolved quickly, lead the marketing department and inspire team members, hire new employees and build out your team for success, and work with outsourced agencies leaning on their experience.

2. The Functional Marketing® Framework:

At CMO Exponential, we use our proprietary methodology, the Functional Marketing® Framework, to improve our clients’ current marketing programs, marketing results, and the way their marketing teams run. From dysfunctional to functional, our Fractional CMOs help businesses improve their current marketing campaigns through expert marketing strategy and leadership.

The 6 Guiding Principles We Apply To Ensure Growth

When it comes to marketing, business leaders need clear principles to guide their decision-making process. We’re founded on a unique approach of 6 guiding principles for marketing. These principles provide direction and context to campaigns, giving our clients the best chances of success. Our Fractional CMOs are growth-focused strategic experts, with profitability in campaigns being crucial to what we understand success with a client to be.

Now that you have a better understanding of what a fractional CMO is and the benefits of using fractional CMO services, it’s time to take action. Consider whether your business needs the guidance and expertise of a fractional chief marketing officer to achieve unstoppable growth.

Before:

1. Marketing is an essential part of any business, but not all companies have the resources to employ a full-time chief marketing officer (CMO). That’s where fractional CMO services come in. A fractional CMO is a part-time CMO who can provide the same level of expertise and guidance as a full-time CMO, but at a fraction of the cost.

2. A fractional CMO is responsible for leading the marketing strategy and managing the marketing department. Fractional CMOs typically work with businesses that need the role of a CMO, but not in a full-time capacity.

3. A good fractional CMO is seen as the c-suite level marketing strategist who helps organizations achieve their marketing goals.

4. When it comes to marketing, business leaders need clear principles to guide their decision-making process. Most executives make marketing decisions based on anecdotes, stories, copying what competitors are doing, or simply running with an exciting idea.

After:

1. Hiring a fractional CMO can be the solution you’ve been looking for to take your business to the next level. With a wealth of marketing and managerial experience, a fractional CMO can provide the leadership and strategic vision your marketing team needs to achieve unstoppable growth. Don’t settle for inexperienced marketers dictating your business’s overall marketing strategy. Instead, bring in a fractional CMO to provide a comprehensive marketing plan that sets your business up for success. With cost-effective pricing and the flexibility to work part-time, a fractional CMO is a natural choice for businesses that need expert guidance without the high price tag of a full-time CMO.

2. As the natural leader of your marketing team, your fractional CMO is responsible for developing a marketing strategy for both the short-term and long-term. By deciding and committing to the best marketing strategies for your business, such as SEO, content marketing, paid advertising, or a podcast, your fractional CMO will ensure that your marketing efforts are focused on the right areas. And when marketing problems arise, your fractional CMO will be there to resolve them quickly and effectively.

3. By working closely with both your organization’s leadership team and the marketing talent executing the marketing tactics on a day-to-day basis, your fractional CMO is an indispensable member of your organization. In addition to leadership qualities, a good fractional CMO is also a c-suite level marketing strategist who helps organizations achieve their marketing goals. With the right fractional CMO, your business can benefit from metric-driven decision-making and a proven methodology that is designed to improve your current marketing programs, marketing results, and the way your marketing team runs.

4. At CMO Exponential, we’re founded on a unique approach of 6 guiding principles for marketing. These principles provide direction and context to campaigns, giving our clients the best chances of success. Our Fractional CMOs are growth-focused strategic experts who are dedicated to maximizing efficiency within your marketing team. With our weekly reporting on marketing KPIs through a scorecard, we’ll create or improve your current one, providing an immediate improvement for your marketing department. By hiring a fractional CMO from CMO, you’re getting the confidence and capabilities your team needs to reach new heights, both in terms of sales and profitability.

By implementing a fractional CMO strategy, businesses can benefit from the expertise of an experienced marketing leader, without the cost of a full-time executive. With a fractional CMO, businesses can have access to a comprehensive marketing plan that will help them grow faster and more efficiently.

So if you're looking to solve bigger problems and build unstoppable growth for your business, consider hiring a fractional CMO today. Whether you're a small startup or a large corporation, our team at CMO Exponential can provide you with the marketing expertise you need to take your business to the next level.

Don't rely on inexperienced marketers to dictate your business's overall marketing strategy. Instead, bring in a fractional CMO to provide a comprehensive marketing plan for your business. With a fractional CMO, you can have the insights and reporting you need, without the high price.

Ready to learn more about our fractional CMO services? Visit our website today or schedule a call with one of our marketing experts to see how we can help you achieve maximum growth in minimum time.