What’s a Fractional CMO, and Why Are We All Talking About Her? (Yes, Her.)
Talk to any person running a business in marketing, content strategy, brand strategy or the like, and they’ll likely tell you that they will spend all the time in the world on helping their clients with marketing projects, and roughly 0 seconds on marketing themselves.
So I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that I’d been running this agency for literal years when, one day on a call with a beloved client, he said, “My business coach suggested we hire a marketing director, and I said we already have one. You’re basically our fractional marketing director, Kit.”
My god. He was right. And I wasn’t just offering fractional marketing services to one client, I was offering those services to most of my clients. What would start as a one-off copywriting or editorial project would often turn into a long-term retainer as clients saw how much working with me paid off. And then, just like that — I’d be hopping on calls to advise on any and all editorial and marketing projects, from SEO strategy to brainstorming in-person event concepts.
Don’t get me wrong, I knew what I was doing, but I’d been referring to it myself as a marketing strategist. My client taught me that often growing brands and startups are Googling “fractional CMO.” And that’s what (I hope) brought you here. If you think that might be what you need, let me give you an overview that will help.
Let’s start here: What is a fractional CMO?
A fractional chief marketing officer (CMO) is a senior-level marketing expert who works on retainer. Think of them like a consultant — they’ve likely done it all, and they’re full of expertise, intel, and good ideas because they’ve spent many years working for other brands. In my case, that included stints as an editorial director at a growing media platform, then later as a director of content marketing and VP of marketing at a couple of start-ups.
Some examples of typical fractional CMO services and/or responsibilities:
Developing marketing strategy for specific product launches or for the entire brand (or helping re-align your marketing strategy to sync up with your business goals)
Managing junior team members (we’re really good at helping doe-eyed social media assistants think more strategically about what they’re creating and posting) to execute marketing spikes and creative projects
Support with reporting and KPIs
Marketing or content audits
Positioning/messaging support — I have written so many brand messaging guides over the years)
Funnel design and optimization — Ask me what “leaky bucket” means, and I’ll never stop talking
Some fractional CMOs will also have unique expertise in certain areas. In my case, that includes offering writing, ghostwriting, and copywriting support and, often, SEO research and strategy, since those specialties have been a part of my arsenal for close to a dozen years.
Who typically hires a fractional CMO? (Is it me?)
Does this sound like you?
Startups that need senior marketing leadership but can’t afford a full-time CMO.
Established small to mid-sized businesses in a growth phase.
A founder who needs to fill a marketing director role temporarily, maybe because of a parental leave situation or because your last marketing director decided to massively pivot their career and teach Pilates instead (actually, I do both)
Founders/CEOs who lack marketing expertise — or, more often, lack the time required for marketing because they’re focused on building — and need a strategic partner.
PE-backed companies looking to accelerate growth or improve GTM execution.
Or try this another way. Here are some common signs that you’re in need of a fractional CMO’s services.
Your marketing efforts feel scattered or reactive. You’re constantly scrambling to improve your numbers month after month. If someone were to ask you what your 3- and 6-month marketing strategy is, you’d likely run the other way
You’re scaling quickly, and it’s begin to feel like it’s spinning out of your control (likely a sign that you need some strategy support!)
Your in-house team lacks senior leadership
You’re spending a lot on marketing with little ROI
You're preparing for a major milestone (fundraising, product launch, acquisition), and you want to get it right
Your brand doesn’t feel like it has a clear voice, or the voice feels tired and old, and you suspect that it’s keeping you from reaching the right audience
The benefits of hiring a fractional CMO
So, what’s in it for you? Well, for one, you’ll feel a lot less scattered and maybe get better sleep at night. And also:
Access to executive-level strategy without the full-time salary.
Flexibility and scalability.
Speed. CMOs don’t need a ton of training because they’re already experts. They often jump in and move quickly.
Objectivity. A fractional leader can bring bold, new perspective to a stagnant strategy.
Immediate value. Fractional CMOs often deliver results faster than full-time hires. Again, we know what we’re doing, and we’re running our own businesses because we’re fantastic at what we do.
How to hire the best fractional CMO for you
Not all fractional CMOs are created equal, and the fit has to feel right. Some things to consider when you’re looking for the best fractional CMO services for you:
Industry expertise vs. strategic versatility. If you’re in a super niche B2B industry, you might want to work with someone who knows your industry first-hand. Try googling “fractional CMO [your industry]” to see what you find. That said, I’ve worked with clients in all sorts of niches I didn't know much about initially — scheduling technology for service providers, a recruitment firm that specialized in renewable energy, a massively popular relationship coach, and even Marie Kondo. A great fractional CMO should know how to dive in and learn about your brand quickly.
Cultural fit and leadership style. If you’ve read this far, you can tell I like to make jokes. Nunc’s website also gives you a taste of what I believe in and the kinds of clients I’ve worked with. As for my leadership style, is proactive not reactive. If you get on call with me, I’m going to give you assignments and a follow-up email with next steps to keep the ball rolling (I worked early in my career as a project manager and those skills run deep). It’s a good idea to ask potential hires questions around their style when you first connect with them.
Track record of scaling businesses like yours. Any fractional CMO or fractional marketing agency should have a robust client list and, ideally, a few case studies.
Ability to collaborate with internal teams and external partners. You gotta know how to make eye contact, meet deadlines, and follow-up with easily distracted team members.
Willingness to be hands-on or advisory, depending on your needs. I’m happy to help with strategy, then execute it, either on my own, with the help of your team or by finding you the additional support you need. Any fractional CMO worth their salt should be able to say the same.
Whew. Lots of info there for you to mull over. If you’d like to discuss potentially working with me (Kit, hi, I’m Nunc Studio’s founder), drop me a line. And if you need a fractional CMO’s brain ASAP, you can also book an hour of my time to ask me any and all questions you have. It’s also a great way to get a sense of how we’d work together.
Goodnight and good luck!