What is a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)?

…And can hiring one help your organisation grow?

A Fractional CMO is an experienced marketing professional who will work as your organisation’s Chief Marketing Officer, on a freelance, part-time basis, usually remotely.

The role is the same as being an Outsourced Marketing Director, but the term CMO is usually more befitting a larger (1m+) or global organisation and it is clearer that they are not an official director of your organisation listed at Companies House.

They’ll take responsibility for growing your organisation, delivering your strategic objectives and leading your marketing team. As the most senior marketing representative of your business, they’ll use their vast experience to help you make the right strategic marketing decisions.

They become the CEO’s trusted advisor, implementing changes to your marketing eco-system that deliver results. Your Fractional CMO will support, train and mentor your in-house marketing team, improving your marketing assets. They will work directly for the CEO to achieve their vision.

This is in contrast to a marketing agency or freelance marketing consultant, who will typically deliver a tactical project, rather than being responsible for growth. They don’t usually have board-level experience and may not have managed a marketing team. They also won’t become part of the CEO’s strategic team. They often have one specific skill set, like social media, digital marketing, or copy, whereas an FCMO will usually have a broader skill set.

Fractional CMOs are also focused on the result – delivering the strategic plan, or growth goals. They are usually top of their game, with years of Director/CMO-level experience under their belt. So unlike a full-time CMO, they won’t get dragged into every internal meeting but will remain focused on achieving the strategic goals set by the CEO and the board’s strategic growth plan in a focused, time-effective way.

Can a Fractional CMO help your business grow?

If you answer yes to most of these questions, then it may be a good move for you:

• Is your organisation an established 7-figure organisation (over £1m)?
• Do you have a goal to significantly grow your organisation in the next 12 months?
• Do you have an existing marketing team that needs additional support to achieve the desired ROI?
• Do you want to get results fast?
• Is recruiting a full-time CMO not part of your immediate plans (due to costs £100K+ p/a or timescales)?
• Is acquiring, converting and retaining more customers a key goal for the next 12 months?

A Fractional CMO is becoming a really popular way to grow your business, reduce CEO overwhelm and get results at a fraction of the cost of traditional recruitment.

How can we help?

Laura Pegg is a Fractional CMO and growth consultant with 25 years of experience in leading marketing teams and achieving strategic brand growth. She helps high-growth organisations to transform through brand and marketing strategy.

Using her skills as a Chartered Marketer she helps visionary CEOs build captivating brands that attract, convert and retain more of their ideal customers.

If you are ready to grow your organisation, book a free call with us today and we’ll discuss how we could help.