Looking for A FRACTIONAL CMO AGENCY...

A Fractional Chief Marketing Officer provides part-time, high-level marketing leadership.

They work with you on a flexible basis to create and implement impactful marketing strategies that drive growth.

The competition is getting fiercer with nearly 60% of small businesses using digital marketing to pull in customers and boost sales. By hiring a fractional CMO, you can give your business the edge it needs.

The main difference is they're not on your payroll as a permanent employee. You'll get their expertise in areas like brand messaging, customer acquisition, managing Google Ads campaigns, and leading your existing marketing team without paying the full salary of an in-house CMO.

Essentially, they help guide your marketing efforts, offer fresh insights, and ensure you're getting a return on investment from your marketing spend, but only for the time you need them.

This is helpful if you feel like your marketing isn't moving forward, or your current team lacks direction. A Fractional CMO can step in to bring clarity, focus, and results without the long-term commitment of hiring a full-time CMO. See our team and process for the full operating model.

A Fractional CMO is a fit if you're an owner with 1–2 locations and a small team, or you have a client-side marketing manager (1–2 people) who needs senior direction. Revenue sweet spot is $1M–$10M, with outliers to $50M+. Ad spend usually sits in the $5K–$10K/mo range, sometimes much higher.

It's not a fit if you're a pre-revenue startup, a B2B SaaS that won't commit to long-term SEO, a brand-new e-commerce with no sales track record, or any business asking for guarantees on day one. We turn those engagements down on purpose.

If you're unsure, book a call, the first conversation is honest about fit, not a sales pitch.

A Fractional CMO typically focuses on high-level digital strategy, so they won't necessarily be involved in every single daily task. However, they are there to guide your team and make sure everything stays on track.

Their role is to set defined objectives, manage plans, and solve big-picture problems rather than handling all the execution themselves. That said, they will collaborate closely with your team to ensure things are running smoothly.

The level of involvement of a Fractional CMO can vary depending on what your business needs. Some companies want more hands-on support, while others prefer just the strategic advice. During your discussions, it's important to clarify how often you expect communication and what areas of marketing you want them most involved in. A digital marketing audit at the start of the engagement helps them quickly identify where to focus.

One common concern is whether a Fractional CMO will "get" your specific industry. While marketing principles are consistent across sectors, it's reasonable to want someone who understands your unique challenges.

We focus on local service, healthcare and professional services, law firms, dentists, physios, plumbers, home + professional services, and have generated $100M+ for clients in those categories. Josiah audits roughly 200 Google Ads accounts a year and teaches the method on YouTube to 170,000+ subscribers, so the pattern recognition across niches is deep, even though every account has 500+ moving parts and no copy-paste playbook works.

Ask about past clients in your field on the first call, and have a candid conversation about your market dynamics. A good fractional engagement starts with that alignment.

Your expectations for results will depend on your specific business goals. Typically, you'll see improvements in areas like brand positioning, lead generation, customer acquisition, and perhaps even revenue growth.

However, keep in mind that no one-size-fits-all metric exists. Results take time and require consistent effort.

It's important to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and defined objectives before starting. These could include metrics like cost per lead, conversion rates, or return on ad spend. Benchmarking against industry-standard B2B marketing benchmarks helps set realistic expectations from day one.

During your initial meetings, ask the Fractional CMO how they measure success and what timelines you should expect. Setting defined goals upfront helps both parties stay aligned and ensures you can align efforts effectively.

Budget concerns are valid. We bill on a retainer in packets of hours rather than hourly nickel-and-diming or surprise scope creep. The 3-month plan is set up the day or day after you pay, with quick wins live in weeks 1–2 and weekly 1:1s where Josiah owns strategy across every account.

We also guarantee we'll beat your current results, CTR, CAC, ROI, conversion rate, whichever metric matters, inside 90 days. The retainer-fee refund applies only when you pay 3 months upfront, so the guarantee is real, not theatre.

Full inclusions, exclusions and pricing are on the pricing page, and cancellation is 30 days' notice from any month.

One worry is that a part-time leader may not fully mesh with your current marketing department. To prevent this, good communication is key.

Before bringing someone on board, have honest conversations about your company culture, values, and team dynamics.

Hiring a Fractional CMO involves aligning them on how you operate internally. You'd need to inform them of any potential points of friction or areas needing improvement. You also want someone who will seamlessly integrate into your processes without disrupting day-to-day marketing initiatives.

Ask how they plan to engage with your team during onboarding and beyond. Encouraging regular check-ins can help everyone stay aligned and foster a sense of teamwork, even if the CMO isn't present every day.

It's understandable to feel unsure about entrusting critical business decisions to someone who isn't full-time.

However, a Fractional CMO's job is to deliver strategic direction and actionable insights based on extensive marketing expertise. They're used to stepping into leadership roles and making informed decisions quickly.

Building trust starts with setting defined boundaries. Decide which decisions fall under fractional CMO responsibilities and which ones require your input.

Regular updates and transparency around decision-making will help maintain confidence in their ability to drive your marketing forward. Open lines of communication and trust are essential for any successful working relationship, regardless of the role.

The amount of time a Fractional CMO spends on your business depends on your contract and specific needs. They work on flexible schedules, so their involvement can vary.

Usually, they'll commit a set number of hours per week or month. For some businesses, this could mean just a few hours to oversee high-level strategy. For others, it may involve closer collaboration with the team, attending meetings, or actively managing projects.

Before finalising any agreements, discuss your expectations about availability and involvement. This lets you avoid the common mistakes businesses make when working with a fractional CMO.

Clarify how frequently you want check-ins or reports. This way, you'll know exactly how much time and attention your business will receive, preventing any surprises later on.

Measuring the success of a Fractional CMO requires tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your marketing objectives. These could include metrics such as customer acquisition cost, return on ad spend, website traffic, or lead conversion rates from your campaigns.

Only 23% of marketers are confident they're tracking the right KPIs. Your fractional Chief Marketing Officer should know which metrics to track.

Our guide to key marketing KPIs to track gives you a framework to evaluate performance against.

It's good to define these KPIs at the start of your engagement to ensure both you and the CMO are on the same page regarding priorities.

Regular reviews and reporting should be part of the process. Have ongoing discussions about what's working and what's not, and adjust strategies as needed. Success isn't always immediate, but by focusing on measurable outcomes, you'll have a better understanding of the value being delivered.

For real-world outcomes, the B2B manufacturing case study and the manufacturing marketing case study both show how fractional CMO leadership replaced multiple agency relationships.

For the model itself, read what a fractional CMO actually is, how I landed 13 fractional CMO roles in a year, and in-house marketing vs agency for a balanced view on when fractional leadership beats both.