Why you need a fractional marketing director.

We’re all familiar with the phrase, “build it and they will come”. And hopefully, by now, we’re equally familiar with the fact that it’s a lie.

Because even the very best products, the most-needed services, can’t sell themselves.

For that, you need quality marketing. Marketing is what turns a good business into a great one, it’s what creates household names, sells products, and grows revenues.

Yet, despite being one of the most important parts of any business, it’s often overlooked, especially in small and mid-sized companies.

As a fast-moving aspect of business, strong marketing leadership is neglected, deemed as too expensive, earmarked as a “someday” concern, or lost in the shuffle entirely.

Which can lead to serious consequences for the company, from missed opportunities to falling revenue.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. There is a cost-effective, highly-efficient solution for those small to mid-sized companies that need stronger marketing leadership and direction but can’t engage a full time Chief Marketing Officer.

A fractional CMO.

If you’re struggling with your marketing, a fractional marketing director can help you get the leadership you need without sacrificing anything from your current operation.

What is a fractional CMO?

A fractional CMO, also sometimes referred to as a CMO-for-hire, is a marketing executive that will come on board on a part-time basis to work as part of your senior leadership team.

As a seasoned professional they’ve likely worked with dozens of other companies, across a range of sectors. There will be very few scenarios they haven’t dealt with before and as such they are perfectly placed to help you develop strategic projects, increase customer acquisition, work on sales strategy, and boost your overall company growth.

All for a fraction of the cost of a full-time CMO.

Here are 4 ways outsourced expertise can help you get your marketing (and your company) back on track.

They bring a fresh perspective.

Often the most effective tactics are right under our noses, but because you’re so close to your business it can, at times, be hard to think creatively.

As an outsider, with a wealth of experience in working with other companies, your CMO-for-hire will be able to bring much-needed fresh perspective to the table.

Whether you need them to identify current weak spots, create a standout brand, or develop a marketing spend strategy, they’ll be able to offer new ideas and tactics.

They provide training and coaching services.

Without a full-time CMO to lead them, your marketing team may be floundering. A fractional CMO can help create a more cohesive team, train individual team members that need additional support, and unite your marketing staff under a common goal or strategy.

Not only will this have a significant impact on your current marketing practices, the benefits of a well-oiled marketing department will last far beyond the conclusion of your fractional CMO’s appointment.

They will align your marketing strategy with your business goals.

There are so many different moving parts in your business — from marketing to sales to the company’s long-term growth strategy — and if any one of them is out of alignment, they will all struggle to hit their targets.

I’ve seen it happen time and again.

In fact, I’m currently working as a fractional marketing director for a Silicon Valley Derivative Accounting Company. They had previously brought in an agency to provide marketing support but the agency and the company were not aligned, and they just weren’t getting the results they expected.

When I came on board, my immediate focus was on developing a clear marketing strategy that aligns perfectly with both the sales strategy and the overall business goals. And the results highlight the importance of that level of alignment: a 49% increase in sales leads and a conversion rate that jumped from 15% to 30%.

They free up your CEO.

Without clear leadership in your marketing department, your company CEO is going to have to shoulder a lot of responsibility for the day-to-day implementation of your marketing strategy — and they’ll likely spend far more time than they should putting out fires.

With a fractional CMO on board, they can take a step back from that aspect of the business, knowing that it’s in safe hands. This frees up a lot of their time and headspace to focus on the bigger picture stuff that they should be concentrating on.

If you think your business could benefit from stronger marketing leadership and a more cohesive marketing team, we’d love to make that happen for you. Contact us today to find out more about working with a fractional marketing director and whether it’s right for your organization.