What is a Fractional CMO and does your business need one?

In recent years, the idea of the Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (FCMO) has risen in popularity. 

The FCMO typically has multiple clients, balancing the demands of each as required. Each client will have their own needs, priorities, and timelines. This means that it is critical to manage their time effectively to ensure that your business receives the attention it requires. An experienced CMO will be able to work with you to effectively determine your business priorities to ensure that you are always reassured that they’re delivering what your business needs in the allocated time. 

2. Depth of Understanding

The FCMO is not a full-time employee, so the intricacies of your business, industry, and target audience will need to be thoroughly mapped out. An experienced FCMO can effectively create and oversee strategies that extend far into the future, and seeking an FMCO with experience in your industry can help ensure they hit the ground running much quicker. Therefore, it is important for you to consider how you onboard and support your CMO, what information will they need to succeed? Who do they need to be introduced to? All this should be considered before you make your hire.  

3. Cultural Fit

An experienced Fractional CMO will have had a huge amount of experience integrating into different businesses. Their adaptability is undoubtedly one of their greatest strengths. Thier experience in working with other businesses means that they can make informed decisions that will benefit your business as a whole. 

4. Influence 

The part-time status of the role might potentially limit the influence that contractors have over key decisions and initiatives within the company. However, if the Board communicates their trust with and authority of the new senior hire, then this shouldn’t be an issue. 

Hiring a fractional CMO can be a valuable solution for companies seeking specialist expertise and flexibility in their marketing leadership. It's important to assess your company's needs and have a clear plan for how the fractional CMO will integrate into your team and contribute to your marketing objectives. 

If you’d like to have a conversation with the team at EMR about whether this is the right solution for your business, please reach out or email us at hello@emr.co.uk. 

Or find out more about partnering with EMR to support your hiring here.