For Small Businesses and Early-Stage Startups, Fractional CMOs Accelerate Growth

As a small business owner or an early-stage startup founder, you may have heard about Fractional CMOs. 

A Fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader who works for your business for a few hours per week. S/he owns the marketing strategy and helps with implementation, whether that means working with your internal team or managing agencies. Overall, Fractional CMOs give you the benefit of strategic marketing thinking for a fraction of the price of a full-time hire.

Here are 6 key benefits that a Fractional CMO can bring to your business. 

1. Access to C-level marketing expertise without making a full-time hire

The primary benefit of working with a Fractional CMO is that you get access to breadth and depth of expertise that would be out of budget in a full-time role. 

2. Takes complete ownership over your business’s marketing

A Fractional CMO can lead the marketing strategy and implementation. This might mean analyzing and optimizing your marketing strategy, managing your internal team on the execution of the strategy, and even working with your outside agencies to ensure cohesion across all marketing efforts. A Fractional CMO can participate in strategic conversations about the business with you and the rest of your leadership team, then make recommendations for how marketing can help you achieve your goals.

3. Frees up your time

In small businesses and early-stage startups, coordinating marketing efforts often falls to the CEO. With a Fractional CMO on your team, you can spend more time on your core responsibilities. A Fractional CMO can declutter your to-do list and your calendar.

4. Brings experience with growing similar-stage companies

Fractional CMOs work day-in and day-out growing businesses at similar stages as yours. They know how to develop growth strategies that will propel you to the next level. 

For early-stage startups in particular, Fractional CMOs see themselves a bit like Hinge: “The app designed to be deleted.”  Their job is to help the start-up reach the next level, the level at which the business is ready to bring on a full-time senior marketer.

5. Provides access to an invaluable network of other go-to-market professionals

Fractional CMOs are deeply embedded in the marketing world. They have a network of specialized go-to-market professionals whose help they can enlist if your business needs it.

6. Deep knowledge of your business, thanks to long-term relationships

Fractional CMOs often work with businesses on a long-term basis. The duration of the relationship means they get to know your business inside and out, just like any full-time employee would.

Here are two ways I can help you:

1. Serve as your business’s Fractional CMO.

2. Analyze and optimize your marketing strategy.

Interested? Send me a note.