Why Your B2B Firm Needs a Fractional CMO

By Jennifer Kelly

As a B2B CEO, you’ve grown your organization on the back of a great product and a highly skilled sales team. But now that you’ve reached the $3 to $10 million revenue mark, you’ve noticed that growth is beginning to slow, and hiring more and more salespeople is no longer working to move the revenue needle.

It’s time to invest in marketing. And not just a random campaign here or there – serious marketing. You know it’s time to create the right marketing strategy, and get a real marketing system in place to support your customer journey and sales team.

So what is your best next step?

Is it to hire in-house?
Engage one or more marketing agencies?
Bring in a Fractional CMO?

If you’re at the stage where you don’t have the time or budget to hire an in-house Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and full in-house B2B marketing team… and you need marketing support, now… a Fractional CMO is likely your best option.

Benefits of Engaging a Fractional CMO:

So why is a Fractional CMO a great option for a B2B company at your stage? Think of a Fractional CMO as a strategic collaborator with deep marketing expertise. They are not just here to discuss marketing theories – they bring tangible benefits that can shape the trajectory of your business.

Here are some of the ways a Fractional CMO can benefit your organization:

Fresh Perspectives for Smarter Strategies: A Fractional CMO has worked in B2B organizations before and brings a wealth of experience gained from working with various businesses across industries. This breadth of knowledge provides them with a wide-angle view of what works and what doesn’t.
They bring these insights to your company, helping you craft marketing strategies that are not only effective but also tailored to your unique needs and the nuances of your industry.

Strategic Guidance for Growth: Your Fractional CMO isn’t focused on marketing tactics; they have their eyes on the bigger picture. They help you chart a clear path to sustainable growth by aligning your marketing efforts with your overall business objectives.This strategic approach ensures that every marketing move is a well-thought-out step towards success, rather than a shot in the dark.

Savings without Sacrifices: Bringing a Fractional CMO onto your team gives you the senior marketing leadership you need without the financial burden of a full-time hire. This means you gain access to high-level marketing expertise without straining your budget.

Navigating Through Complex Marketing Options: The modern B2B marketing world is complex, with so many channels to choose from. Plus, markets are dynamic, trends evolve, and your business evolves with them.A Fractional CMO serves as your marketing compass, expertly guiding you to see past the marketing shiny object of the day, and select the right marketing channels that will work for your organization.

Skill Injection into Your Team: Your collaboration with a Fractional CMO isn’t a one-way street. They’re not just here to provide guidance; they’re also here to impart knowledge. Their expertise rubs off on your internal teams, from sales and product development to customer success.

Focused on Real Business Results: Fractional CMOs are senior marketing leaders who have worked as members of executive teams before. They understand how all aspects of marketing tie into business goals, and their job is to sift through all of the marketing possibilities and recommend the right strategies to support real business goals.

Don’t make the mistake of hiring a junior one-size-fits-all marketing person.

When B2B CEOs realize they need marketing help, one of the biggest and most common mistakes they make is trying to save money by hiring a single junior or mid-level marketing person to do “everything”.

One reason this is a mistake is that in today’s complex marketing world, it’s no longer possible for one marketing person to have all the skills and experience to execute every marketing activity, let alone the bandwidth to do so.

However, the biggest reason this is a mistake is because a junior or mid-level marketing person simply doesn’t have the strategic or leadership experience yet to really understand your business goals and create the right marketing strategy and set the right course from the beginning.

That’s why it’s so important to engage a Fractional CMO first. They can help you create your right marketing strategy and then guide you in making your next important marketing decisions, including who to hire or outsource to next.

Is a Fractional CMO Right for You?

Fractional CMOs offer flexibility and expertise without the long-term commitment and expense of hiring a full-time CMO. You access high-level marketing guidance without the need for a permanent executive-level hire. Best of all, you get the instant senior marketing leadership you need, now.

To help you make important decisions around hiring and working with a Fractional CMO, we’ve created a comprehensive eBook: The B2B CEO’s Ultimate Guide to Hiring & Working With a Fractional CMO.

In this eBook, we walk you through the six most important questions B2B CEOs need to answer in order to build their first marketing team and choose the right marketing model for their stage of business:

What is a Fractional CMO?
Benefits of Working with a Fractional CMO
Is a Fractional CMO Right for Your Organization?
Choosing the Right Fractional CMO
What to Expect from Your Fractional CMO
Working with your Fractional CMO
A Typical Fractional CMO Engagement and Cost

You can download the eBook RIGHT HERE.

If you have any questions about this blog post or the eBook, send an email or book a consultation time.

Jen Kelly leads New Initiatives Marketing, Inc., a Fractional CMO & Expert B2B Marketing Team company. Since 2009, our team of senior marketing leaders and expert marketing specialists has been helping B2B CEOs with the strategic leadership and real-world marketing execution needed for practical, long-term results.