Hiring a Fractional CMO or Marketing Agency

Organizations that can’t get ahead with their marketing have plateaued—nothing seems to work, even though they feel they have tried everything. They are in a spot where they need to better leverage marketing to grow or scale their business sooner rather than later. But when my conversation with them turns to their marketing strategies, the responses often get pretty vague:

• We consistently post on LinkedIn and send emails weekly.

• Yes, we’re going to do some LinkedIn and Google ads. (as if it’s a la…

This is one of the most common questions we get from clients. It’s a simple question with no straightforward answer. In other words, “it depends.”

I get it, it’s not the answer you want to hear. You would love to hear an exact number or formula that guarantees an exact ROI on every dollar spent. But that would be at best, misleading and at worse a straight-up lie.

There are too many variables to consider and it’s the wrong focus because marketing is bigger than just generating new leads for sa…

If you’re evaluating whether a fractional CMO is right for your business, that is sure to be one of your first questions. Getting a clear answer to this question can be challenging because there are a variety of fractional CMO models that offer different levels of engagement, expertise, and pricing structures.

Let’s start with an average hourly rate. The average hourly rate of a fractional CMO is typically between $150-375 an hour. Some fractional CMOs charge by the hour and others work on a reta…

As fractional work gains popularity, various fractional CMO models are emerging. Some models focus exclusively on short-term strategic initiatives, like building a marketing plan or providing input on a strategic initiative, like a product launch or market expansion while others focus on long-term engagements providing leadership and integration of every aspect of an organization’s marketing team and program.  There is also a lot of frustration because the term "fractional CMO" is being used to …

Considering the many strategies, tactics, channels, and platforms available to drive growth, and coming up with a holistic marketing plan that takes a business’s stage and industry into account is a complex job. This is one of the core responsibilities of a Chief Marketing Officer—long-term strategy.

‍That is the role of a CMO or marketing director: to develop and execute these marketing strategies. Beyond that, they should be proactive in aligning with sales and client experience to ensure a c…

Hiring a fractional CMO allows your company to leverage the skills and insights of a seasoned executive marketer without the delay of the recruiting process and the added costs of a full-time employee. It also allows you to find the right combination of experiences and cultural fit at a price point that you can afford.

So how do you know you are ready for a fractional CMO?

Through many conversations with founders and executives, we’ve identified some of the most common indicators that it’s tim…

I remember having a conversation with a business owner years ago about branding. He was trying to convince me that a brand’s logo should NEVER, EVER change. At the time I had been in the industry for over a decade and knew that his intention was correct, but the reality couldn’t be more wrong. As I sat there listening to his reasonings—which completely contradicted each other, but that’s another story—I was taken back to my days in college and my History of Graphic Design book. There was an enti…

What is a fractional CMO?

A fractional CMO is a contract Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), retained on a part-time basis to provide executive marketing leadership for a growing business. They are a key part of your executive team brought in to take a holistic view of your business. They seek to understand your business objectives with enough clarity to develop fresh and impactful marketing strategies that will drive growth for your organization. They work with you to develop strategic insights, fo…

Hiring a CMO or Director of Marketing can be challenging. These are very important roles that can make or break an organization— especially when you factor in the costs of recruiting, benefits, and the equity you may have to hand over. To invest all this in finding a CMO when there is no guarantee they will be a fit is a massive risk to take on.

‍Fractional work is the new full-time employee. Whether you call it part-time, interim, gig work, virtual, on-demand, contract work, consultant, or fra…