As I’ve worked with my clients over the years, I’ve noticed a lot of them are facing similar challenges. They need to better engage their audience and tell their story, but hiring a traditional agency feels like turning on a firehose when what they need is a sprinkler system. They need focused work and just enough of it, from experts who know their brand and are in tune with their strategy, not just cranking out projects.
What they’re describing to me is what my team and I have been doing for years. It’s called fractional marketing, and it’s increasingly becoming the preferred model for businesses that need to scale or pivot quickly.
What is fractional marketing?
Fractional marketing teams are part-time, full-service teams embedded within an organization. They provide what a dozen different vendors used to provide, but using a flexible, on-demand model: Teams can add and subtract services as needed, so the organization is never paying for overhead they don’t use.
Fractional marketing is not just about execution, it’s about strategy. Teams are led by a fractional CMO, who deeply understands the business’s story, audience, and brand, and who provides overall guidance for all marketing initiatives.
I can put it even more simply than that: fractional marketing is just a way to connect businesses with what they need, when they need it — and no more.
Why the fractional marketing approach is gaining traction
Today, many clients I talk to feel the need to move fast while keeping costs down. Full-time in-house marketing talent comes with a heavy financial cost, while traditional marketing agencies often come with a long-term commitment. But fractional marketing agency services are low-commitment, with pay-for-what-you-use pricing.
One quarter’s needs may not be the next quarter’s. Fractional marketing services help businesses stay flexible. Fractional teams can spin up and spin down to serve the needs of the brand in the moment. Support with presentations, video creation, copywriting, campaigns — all can come from fractional teams that are assembled on demand.
I love helping my clients tell their audiences about what they do best. Reach out to me today if you would like to connect about doing that together.