Introduction
A growing number of marketers are experimenting with new ways to grow their company. Hiring a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is not enough to take your digital marketing agency or e-commerce brand to the next level.
If you want to scale your business and get the right tools at the right time, hiring a CMO is one strategy but it’s not enough. There’s more.
When it comes to scaling your agency, the best way is by hiring a Chief Marketing Officer who has specific skills that can help you scale faster and reach new customers faster as well.
Are you ready for this? A CMO isn’t someone who can just hand you a PowerPoint deck or fill in some blanks on a spreadsheet – they’re thinkers, innovators and problem solvers who thrive on being challenged and solving problems from every angle imaginable.
And that’s why you need a fractional CMO instead of just adding another title or person to your team.
Who do fractional CMOs help?
When you hire a fractional CMO, they work with your current marketing team. They’ll help your company scale by providing guidance and expertise in areas that your team may not have the experience or knowledge to handle.
This could be anything from strategic planning and business development to digital marketing and managing social media accounts.
How do FCMOs fit into the company?
Fractional CMOs are the bridge between the marketing and business sides of things so they can make sure that you’re getting the right metrics and data at all times.
With this type of headcount, you’re not having to hire someone who can assume everything – you still need your current team members when it comes to hands-on work that has to be done.
What does a “fractional” CMO actually do?
A “fractional” CMO is someone who works on behalf of marketing teams but also has their own particular skillset which allows them to tackle certain tasks outside of their day job responsibilities.
For example, a typical fractional CMO would be an expert in search engine optimization (SEO), email marketing, advertising, or content creation.
A fractional CMO helps guide a company through the opportunities and obstacles that come with being a fast-growing agency or e-commerce brand, which means you’re hiring someone who understands how important SEO is for scaling growth for your agency or website/store online presence.
Why should you hire a fractional CMO?
This is the next step in your agency’s evolution. A fractional CMO will help you scale faster by providing a range of services that can include everything from SEO to product marketing to customer retention.
It’s an investment that will pay off, as your digital investments will be more effective and you’ll find it easier to reach new customers.
Your agency will also become more efficient and you won’t have to worry about hiring someone else to fill in the gaps.
With a fractional CMO, you get all the benefits of hiring a full-time person for specific skills but with few or no downsides.
They are aligned with your company on mission and vision, so they understand what your brand stands for and where it should be headed. You also have greater flexibility because you don’t have to commit any time or resources to them beyond when they work with you on projects or provide other services.
How to find the right CMO for your brand
The right CMO will not just be able to execute your marketing strategy but also constantly push the company forward. That’s why you need someone who can think creatively, build and maintain relationships and innovate on a daily basis.
Some of the points to consider include:
- The ideal CMO will have experience working in digital marketing for at least three years
- They will have experience with customer acquisition strategies and social media management
- They will be a strategic thinker who understands how the entire customer journey works and how to optimize each step for maximum ROI
- They will be an innovative problem solver who can think on their feet, break through roadblocks and take risks that other people might not take
Hiring a full-time CMO or Fractional CMO?
Many marketing agencies and e-commerce brands are looking to hire a full-time Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) but that may not be the best decision.
Think about it: when you hire someone full-time, you’re going to have to train them – and that takes time. You’re going to have to start from scratch with everything they need to know about your company, your industry, your customers, and more.
That means taking on a lot of risk in terms of training someone new because they make mistakes. And if they don’t want to take the risk, they could walk away at any time.
Fractional CMOs are great because they allow you to scale quickly without taking on a lot of risk. They’re skilled at thinking outside the box and solving problems creatively while completing tasks on an hourly basis so that you can retain focus on your bigger goals.
If you’re hiring a fractional CMO instead of just a full-time CMO, you’ll be able to grow faster than ever before!
Recruiting tips for finding a fractional CMO
If you’re looking for someone to help scale your business and help you grow, then hiring a fractional CMO is necessary.
The best way to find one is through networking and referrals. Seek out people that are doing what you want to do, or who can give you advice on how they’re taking their own brand to the next level.
You should also talk to professionals in marketing, growth hacking, and e-commerce about what it takes to find the right person for your team.
There are a few general things that will make it easier for you to find someone who can help scale your company:
- Hire them full-time for 6 months
- Hire them by the project or task
- Build a solid contract with them so both parties know exactly what is expected from each other
Final Words
The fractional CMO adds a unique skillset to your company that will make it much easier to scale your business and get the right tools at the right time.
Before you hire a fractional CMO, remember that they are thinkers, innovators and problem solvers who thrive on being challenged and solving problems from every angle imaginable.
They have specific skills that can help your team scale faster and reach new customers faster as well. So if you’re ready for this, a CMO is the best way to go!
