Effective marketing requires direction and purpose. To see results a clear marketing strategy is needed and experienced marketing leadership to keep it on track. However, there might not be the resources for a full-time in-house hire to provide this. This is where a fractional marketing director steps in.

What is a fractional marketing director?

A fractional marketing director is a seasoned marketing professional who works with companies on a part-time or project basis to develop and execute marketing strategies.

Unlike a full-time employee, they offer their expertise for a "fraction" of their time, making them a cost-effective alternative for businesses that need high-level marketing leadership without committing to a permanent hire.

The key benefits of a fractional marketing director are they help mitigate risk and provide flexibility. This is important for businesses at all stages of their development.

For a start-up or fast-growing businesses, having a fractional marketing director can provide access to a level of expertise that they would otherwise not be able to afford, and that can scale flexibly as their business does.

While for more established businesses, a fractional marketing director can bring direction to a business’s existing marketing activity. They can also provide flexible marketing resource for if your business is looking to either grow or reduce their marketing spend – all while maintaining access to a high level of marketing expertise.

In both cases, due to their flexibility a fractional marketing director reduces the risks associated of committing to a full-time hire.

Where does the term fractional marketing director come from?

Never heard of a fractional marketing director? Don’t worry you’re not alone.

In fact, the most common search after ‘fractional marketing director’ is ‘what is fractional marketing director?’

The term fractional marketing director or fractional CMO has only emerged since 2018. It has come to define a role who’s work might previously have fallen under roles such as interim or part-time marketing directors, contractors, freelancers, marketing consultants, or even the work done by a marketing agency.

Google Trends data: Search Interest for ‘Fractional CMO’ & ‘Fractional Marketing Director’ growth overtime. Data captured 12.2024. Numbers represent search interest relative to the highest point on the chart for worldwide searches.  

This led to some concern over who exactly describes themselves as a fractional marketing director or CMO. It is not a protected title and as such anyone can refer themselves as a fractional marketing director if they wish.

However, this is no different to any other marketing role. And as such, taking the usual precautions around asking for experience, results, and previous track-record all apply when finding a fractional marketing director who is a good fit for your business.

What does a fractional marketing director actually do?

If the purpose of a fractional marketing director is to provide direction to your marketing – through leadership and strategic direction. What does that look like in a practical sense?

A fractional marketing director will help you build (or refresh) your marketing strategy to meet your business goals.

They can then help you put in place the right marketing tactics to meet these goals. Analyse the results and make improvements.

This work can take many forms. A hands-on fractional marketing director might be at the coalface for you - doing the marketing work themselves.

A more strategic marketing director, on the other hand might take a more top-level approach. They can put in place marketing processes, provide guidance to your existing marketing team and work with them to upskill them. They might also help you find additional specialist marketing resource in the form of contractors, freelancers and agencies.

The approach used will often depend on the stage of your business journey, with a more hands-on approach needed during start-up and growth phases. And a more strategic mindset being more relevant to an established business.

There can be considerable overlap in  the work done by a fractional marketing director and the work done by a marketing consultant, or even a marketing agency. And, while there are differences between a fractional marketing director and a marketing consultant - in the real world the lines can often be quite blurred.

How much does a fractional marketing director cost?

The cost of a fractional marketing director will vary based on experience, expertise and time required.

When looking at an individual day-rate or monthly retainer a fractional marketing director might look expensive at first.

However, when a full-time in-house marketing director can command an average salary of £100,000, they can represent a significant saving.

A fractional marketing director is also not a full-time hire. So, you won’t be committed to pay any of the regular costs of employment, such as a salary, equipment, training or national insurance.

Instead, you can scope out the level of marketing support required and only pay for what you need.

If you need support with your marketing the Richmond Marketing Consultancy provides outsourced marketing services. Get in touch for a complimentary consultation - and we will start your journey to better marketing.

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