Solve Bigger Problems
Build unstoppable growth with a Fractional CMO
Grow Faster with a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer
Expertise you need
Cost you can afford
You don’t need a top-heavy organization with a marketing agency or full-time CMO on staff. A part-time CMO provides you with the insights and reporting you need, without the high price.
Self-managing executives
A CMOx® lightens your workload by managing all aspects of your company’s marketing department. From vendors to employees, a Fractional CMO acts as an executive.
Is Becoming a Fractional CMO Right for You?
Download our self-assessment to see if making a move to becoming a Fractional CMO is right for your career goals.
What is a Fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO, or Part-Time CMO (Chief Marketing Officer), operates as the marketing executive responsible for leading the marketing strategy and managing the marketing department. Fractional CMOs typically work with businesses who need an executive level marketing officer, but not in a full-time capacity.
Businesses benefit from fractional CMO services when they do not need a full-time CMO but still require expert strategy and leadership and often enjoy the fresh perspective, executive experience, and flexibility a fractional CMO provides. Often, it makes sense to bring in a fractional chief marketing officer as opposed to a full-time CMO. This can be for financial reasons, as full-time CMOs can cost more than $200,000 per year. Or because the amount of work required by the CMO does not constitute hiring a full-time executive. Understanding “What is a fractional CMO” can help mid-sized businesses in determining if a part-time or full-time marketing officer is the right fit.
Fractional CMO Responsibilities
- Develop and manage your marketing team's short-term and long-term strategy.
- Deciding and committing to which marketing strategies are best for your business, such as SEO, content marketing, paid advertising, or a podcast, etc.
- Solving marketing problems that will arise and need to be resolved quickly.
- Leading the marketing department and inspiring team members.
- Hiring new employees and building out your team for long-term success.
- Working with outsourced agencies leaning on their experience.
Your Fractional CMO should have a track record of marketing and managerial experience as well as industry knowledge. Therefore, the Fractional CMO should be the natural leader of your in-house marketing team.
In addition to leadership qualities, a good Fractional CMO is to be seen as the c-suite level expert who oversees the implementation of marketing strategies and helps organizations achieve their marketing goals.
Your Fractional CMO from CMO Exponential works closely with both your organization’s c-suite executives, leadership team, and the marketing talent executing the marketing tactics on a day-to-day basis.
Your Fractional CMO should have a track record of marketing and managerial experience as well as industry knowledge. Therefore, the Fractional CMO should be the natural leader of your in-house marketing team.
In addition to leadership qualities, a good Fractional CMO is to be seen as the c-suite level marketing strategist who helps organizations achieve their marketing goals.
Your Fractional CMO from CMO Exponential works closely with both your organization’s c-suite executives and the marketing talent executing the marketing tactics on a day-to-day basis.
Free report:
7 Marketing KPIs all CEOs Must Know
If you’re a CEO, you need to be tracking these seven marketing and sales key performance indicators.
Download our free report to:
- Stop wondering if your marketing is effective
- Avoid wasting your marketing budget
- Find the source of revenue slowdowns
Ready to Become an In-Demand Fractional CMO?
Claim your copy of my book “The Fractional CMO Method” to learn step-by-step how I grew my Fractional CMO practice to $46,500 a month! You’ll get a crash course on building your Fractional CMO practice, as well as four worksheets to help you win business and serve with confidence.
If you don’t love it, I’ll refund every penny.
– Casey Stanton
Fractional CMO Services
Use metric-driven decision-making and our Fractional CMO services to reach your business’s goals.
Hire the highest level non-full time marketing executive, the Fractional CMO.
Our proprietary methodology, the Functional Marketing® Framework is proven to improve your current marketing programs, marketing results, and the way the marketing team runs. From dysfunctional to functional.
We help businesses improve their current marketing campaigns through expert marketing strategy and leadership.
Why hire a Fractional CMO
A business benefits from a Fractional CMO when they require marketing leadership and the expert marketing strategy skills of a CMO, but do not need it on a full-time basis.
Reasons a business needs Fractional CMO services:
- Marketing Leadership: Your marketing department requires leadership from an experienced marketing professional. In addition to leading the marketing team, a leader is required in terms of decision-making.
- Marketing Strategy: Your business needs a comprehensive marketing strategy for your niche and industry. Such as a Fractional CMO with years of experience in SaaS or private equity.
- Part-time CMO: You require the skill set of a chief marketing officer, but not for the 40 hours per week that a full-time CMO will be. Even if you need a Fractional CMO for only 5 hours per week, or 20. Your agreement is flexible.
- Experience: You have staff to execute marketing campaigns, but they lack strategic experience. Therefore, you need someone who has done it before and can foresee unique challenges and obstacles.
- Reporting & KPIs: You need to monitor the health and progress of your campaigns and have someone lead weekly KPIs meetings. Namely, so your team has accountability and is always results-focused.
- Optimization: You need to improve marketing campaign optimization by having an expert identify opportunities and new possibilities.
- Efficiency: Your existing marketing team’s efficiency is below optimal. You need leadership and management to maximize efficiency for your marketing department and drive results.
- Go-to-market Strategy: You are a startup or are launching a new product or service for your business. You will need a new marketing function for the short-term and the next few years. Your digital marketing efforts need to be precisely planned out so your marketers know exactly what to do. Additionally, they need to know what marketing initiatives and key performance indicators are a sign of success.
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 and drive growth. Most executives make marketing decisions based on anecdotes, stories, copying what competitors are doing, or simply running with an exciting idea. This process is wrought with pitfalls, as most businesses lack the principles required for successful marketing.
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.
Growth-focused Marketing Strategy & Leadership
Our Fractional CMOs are growth-focused strategic experts. Moreover, profitability in campaigns is crucial to what we understand success with a client to be. This can be done through maximizing the efficiency within your already existing marketing team. Therefore our first 90 days with a client will focus on improving the systems and processes within your marketing department.
This is most effectively done via our weekly reporting on marketing KPIs through a scorecard. We will create this, or improve your current one, as an immediate improvement for your marketing department.
As you consider a Fractional CMO for your high-growth business, consider the cost of not having a marketing leader. Additionally, think of the potential gains of having an experienced marketing leader.
Consider the risk you’re taking by having a marketing director or coordinator set the campaign objectives and success criteria across your entire organization. Odds are, they are under-qualified for the role.
By hiring a fractional CMO from CMOx, you’re getting the confidence and capabilities your team needs to reach new heights, both in terms of sales and profitability.
Take the first step to success and choose a CMO
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Ready to talk about how CMOx can help your company achieve maximum growth in minimum time? Click the button and schedule a call with our team.
Maximum Growth in Minimum Time
Ready to talk about how CMOx can help your company achieve maximum sales growth in minimum time? Click the button and schedule a call with our founder and Fractional CMO, Casey Stanton.
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Fractional CMO FAQs
How Does a Fractional CMO Work?
A Fractional CMO is a part time chief marketing officer. They provide strategic leadership and expertise to help companies achieve their marketing goals. Fractional CMOs typically collaborate closely with the existing marketing team or oversee outsourced marketing functions. They develop and implement marketing strategies, optimize campaigns, and measure results to ensure that the marketing efforts align with the overall business objectives.
What Does a Fractional CMO Do?
A fractional CMO leads a marketing department. Their responsibilities include developing and overseeing the strategy, managing team members and outcomes, and the hiring and firing of marketing staff. They start by understanding the company’s goals, target audience, and industry. From there, they craft a tailored marketing strategy, which may include branding, content marketing, SEO, digital advertising, social media, and more. Fractional CMOs can also provide guidance on budget allocation, manage marketing teams or agencies, and continually analyze data to make data-driven adjustments and improvements.
How Much Does a Fractional CMO Cost?
The cost of hiring a fractional CMO can vary depending on factors like the scope of work needed, the industry they will be assisting in, and the level of expertise required ranging between $3,000 and $15,000 per month. Typically, fractional CMOs are more cost-effective than hiring a full-time CMO, as you pay for their services on a contract or part-time basis. Costs can range from a monthly retainer to project-based fees. It’s important to discuss pricing and expectations upfront to ensure a mutually beneficial arrangement.
What Should Business Owners Look for in a Fractional CMO?
When hiring a fractional CMO, business owners should consider several factors. Look for someone with a proven track record in your industry, strong strategic thinking, and excellent communication skills. They should also have expertise in the specific areas of marketing that align with your business goals, whether it’s B2B marketing, e-commerce, or lead generation. Additionally, a fractional CMO should be adaptable and able to work seamlessly with your existing team or partners.
What Kinds of Businesses Benefit from Hiring a Fractional CMO?
Businesses of various sizes and industries can benefit from hiring a fractional CMO. This includes startups looking to establish their brand, small businesses seeking to scale up their marketing efforts, and even established companies aiming to launch new products or enter new markets. Fractional CMOs provide flexibility and expertise that can be tailored to fit the unique needs of different businesses.
What Does a Fractional CMO Do Different from a Marketing Agency?
While both fractional CMOs and marketing agencies offer valuable services, they operate differently. A fractional CMO becomes an integral part of your team, working closely with your organization to develop and execute strategies. They provide personalized, high-level strategic guidance. In contrast, marketing agencies often handle specific tasks or campaigns on a project basis. They offer a wide range of services but may not have the same level of strategic involvement as a fractional CMO. Choosing between the two depends on your business’s needs and goals.
