A Fractional CMO is to all intents and purposes, a part time Marketing Director, it has just had its name changed by those “clever” marketers who are always tinkering with messaging. But why would you choose to recruit one over a full time CMO and what are the benefits to a business.

As an experienced “Fractional CMO”, I am often asked these questions and there are many benefits, so I thought it would be useful to outline them to help those businesses make a decision.

• Highly experienced individuals   

The first and arguably most important benefit is that you will be able to afford to recruit an extremely experienced marketing professional to work with your team that might be cost prohibitive if you were looking for a full time CMO.

• Financially focused

Because of the fact that they are part time and will still be held accountable for the results, they will be focused on the financial results and cost and are likely to concentrate on the essential activities rather than the “nice to have” ones.

• Low Risk

Fractional CMO’s will typically work on a contract basis so are quick to hire and, if it doesn’t work out, easy to get rid of with minimal cost. Also, they will be used to going into companies and getting up to speed quickly so will be able to deliver results sooner.

• Cross-sector experience and innovation

Most Fractional CMO’s will work with a number of businesses at the same time, meaning they will be creating knowledge from multiple sectors that can be applied to your business. This type of knowledge would normally only be learnt on courses for full time CMO’s.

• Ability to implement everything

The Fractional CMO will be used to being involved in the whole marketing process and will therefore be able to implement all aspects of the marketing strategy and plans. They will have experience of:

• Working with a board
  • Leading a marketing team
  • Managing third party agencies
  • Creating a marketing and brand strategy
  • Developing pricing, product and go-to-market strategies
  • Producing campaigns and content
  • Creating internal marketing infrastructures including scoping and selecting software platforms
  • Managing campaigns including paid and organic digital campaigns

• Cost-effective

Because a business will not have to pay the full-time salary together with all the associated costs that go with employing a full-time employee, Fractional CMO’s are a cost-effective way of having a senior employee working in the business.

It is also likely that the Fractional CMO will be able to act quicker and be more agile as they will be used to delivering all the work in a shorter period of time.

As a smaller business looking to grow, there is often a challenge of needing more senior expertise but not being able to, or wanting to commit the ideal budget to ensure you have the right resources to achieve these results. Recruiting a Fractional CMO is one way to help achieve this objective.

To find out how we can support your business with a Fractional CMO please email owen@ewo.uk.com or call 01844 273026.