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Established 2009

Is A Fractional CMO Right For You?

First things first, what is a fractional CMO? In its most basic terms, it’s a part-time Chief Marketing Officer or lead marketing official for a company. It seems a little odd that a C-level executive position would be filled on a temporary basis (usually a few months to one year range). But these gaps in leadership do take place for a number of reasons.

There are those that might argue that the rest of the marketing team might be able to readily step into different roles, thereby filling in some of the void left by the aforementioned vacated CMO spot. However, once positions start getting shuffled around, other voids begin to appear. With respect to fractional CMOs, this type of temporary C-level leadership in a company’s marketing department is actually quite common, especially when an executive steps down or moves on & another is in the process of being hired.

Fractional CMOs provide an immediate, experienced, and invaluable leader during what could have been a time of upheaval and turmoil. They provide direction to the marketing department, keeping personnel from overworking themselves in roles that are unfamiliar to them. Fractional CMOs are also quite helpful in helping keep the pressure off making a rash decision on a new hire for the position before the RIGHT candidate can be found. In a number of cases, especially in long-term positions, fractional CMOs that do well are often tapped to join the team on a permanent basis.

Perhaps the best way of knowing whether or not a fractional CMO might be right for your business is if you feel your operation’s marketing is in need of evaluation. Maybe your campaigns have started getting stagnant or there are little to no KPIs in place to indicate how well campaigns are doing. Furthermore, a void in marketing leadership increases the risk of a company staying in place or even going backward when compared to previous performance or when compared to the competition.

At the end of the day, a fractional CMO provides a guiding hand and sets a steady course for the team. S/he does this while allowing everyone else to do their job. Is it the right fit for you? You won’t know until you make that first call. MindEcology is an Austin advertising agency that offers some of the most lauded fractional CMO services in all of central Texas. Why not make that first call to us? You’ll be glad you did.

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