What does a fractional CMO do?
A fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is a senior-level marketing professional who provides strategic leadership and guidance to a company on a part-time or project basis. Unlike a full-time CMO who is employed by a single company, a fractional CMO works with multiple clients simultaneously, dedicating a portion of their time and expertise to each client’s marketing needs.
It can be a little challenging looking over multiple companies at the same time. To make it easier I have multiple teams that help me keep track of everything. I normally have a small marketing team within each company that I train so they can replace me, and I have my personal team that come with me when I finish helping a client and move to the next client.
The primary responsibilities of a fractional CMO include:
Strategic Planning:
Fractional CMOs work with their clients to develop comprehensive marketing strategies aligned with the company’s goals and objectives. They analyze market trends, competitive landscapes, and consumer behavior to create effective marketing plans.
This is where my personal team comes in handy. After a meeting with a client I take all those notes and hand them to my research team. They provide me with a report that has a lot of information about the markets for that particular client. Things like a list of keywords, influencers, leading websites, competitors, other services or goods that are similar to the client, and other key points that we have found helpful to creating a marketing plan.
Marketing Leadership:
I provide some leadership when working with a client for the first time. Providing direction to their marketing team, helping to set priorities, allocate resources, and ensure that marketing efforts are in line with the overall business strategy. I train the current marketing team or if the company is new I’ll help them hire their marketing team. I have a mix of hiring techniques that involve hiring people in and out of the country to help keep costs at a manageable level. Then I have a list of courses that help train the team on how we do marketing.
Campaign Development:
As a Fractional CMO, I oversee the creation of marketing campaigns. (To clarify a few things “marketing strategy” is the overall plan for marketing; a “campaign” is a smaller piece of the whole strategy. I’ll explain more about this in a future article.) I will guide the team to develop all the advertising from content marketing, social media, email marketing, billboards, radio, and other promotional efforts.
Budget Management
Managing the marketing budget is a crucial aspect of a fractional CMO’s role. Allocating resources effectively can be a challenge, especially when you’re working with small businesses that don’t have a lot to put toward marketing. It’s my job to get the best possible results within the available budget.
Analytics and Measurement:
I analyze the performance of the marketing campaigns using various metrics and tools like Google analytics, semrush, or some inhouse software. My team and I will track key performance indicators (KPIs) , then share that data with the inhouse team so they can learn how to make data-driven adjustments to their marketing.
Advisory Role:
In addition to hands-on work, fractional CMOs often serve as advisors to the company’s leadership, offering insights and recommendations based on their experience and industry knowledge.
Flexibility:
I offer the advantage of flexibility for the companies that hire me. They can engage my services for specific projects, during busy periods, or to provide specialized expertise that may be lacking in-house.
Overall, I act as a senior marketing strategist and leader, helping the business achieve its marketing objectives without the need for a full-time executive. This approach is especially beneficial for smaller companies or organizations that may not require a full-time CMO but still seeks high-level marketing guidance and expertise.
#Strategic Marketing on Your Terms: The Role of a Fractional CMO
