What is a Fractional CMO

If you're like most business owners, you know marketing is essential to growth. But hiring a full-time CMO or Head of Marketing is expensive, especially for small and mid-sized businesses. You need someone who can think strategically, execute effectively, and keep your business moving forward… without breaking the bank.

That’s where a Fractional CMO comes in.

What Is a Fractional CMO?

A Fractional CMO is exactly what it sounds like… a part-time, executive-level marketing leader. Instead of paying for a full-time CMO salary and benefits, you get access to an experienced marketing expert for a fraction of the cost.

Think of it this way: you’re getting the expertise of a CMO, but only for the time you need them. Whether it’s a few hours a week or a couple of days each month, a Fractional CMO focuses on helping you grow your business without adding unnecessary overhead.

Why Would Your Business Need a Fractional CMO?

Here’s the problem many businesses face: they’ve reached a point where their marketing needs more than just a few campaigns or social media posts. You’ve likely hit some growth, but now you need a marketing strategy that aligns with your business goals.

You need someone who can:

  • Set a clear marketing strategy that leads to measurable growth.

  • Lead your marketing team (even if that team is small or outsourced).

  • Create scalable systems that bring in leads, nurture them, and convert them into paying customers.

But here’s the catch: you don’t need this help full-time. Not yet.

That’s why a Fractional CMO is your ideal solution. You get the leadership, the strategy, and the results… without the full-time cost. It’s like getting the brains of a top-tier marketing executive without paying for their full-time salary.

What Does a Fractional CMO Do?

A Fractional CMO can handle everything from developing your marketing strategy to overseeing its execution. Here’s how they help your business:

Strategic Planning: A Fractional CMO can help you develop a comprehensive marketing strategy that’s designed to achieve a specific business goal… whether that’s increasing sales, improving customer retention, or launching a new product.

Team Leadership: A Fractional CMO can provide leadership and direction to your internal team or outsourced vendors, ensuring that everyone is aligned with your vision and working toward measurable outcomes.

Performance Tracking: A Fractional CMO can help you establish clear metrics and KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) to measure the success of your marketing efforts. No more guessing if your marketing is working… a Fractional CMO can help you track the numbers so you know for sure.

Execution: A Fractional CMO can help you do everything from setting up marketing campaigns to overseeing content creation, making sure everything is done efficiently and effectively.

The Best of Both Worlds

A Fractional CMO brings the expertise of a seasoned marketing leader without the overhead of a full-time employee. You get the high-level guidance and experience you need, while keeping your costs low and working towards maximizing your results.

If you want to scale your business, stay competitive, and build a custom marketing system that works for you, hiring a Fractional CMO could be the best path forward.

Ready to Grow Your Business?

At Third Act Marketing, we help businesses like yours build marketing strategies and execute in a way that leads to real, measurable growth. Let’s talk about how a Fractional CMO can help you achieve your goals.

Dan Ritzke