What Small Business Owners Should Look for In a Fractional Marketing Director
Outsourcing your marketing to a fractional marketing director or CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) offers many advantages for small businesses, start-ups and other lean organizations. Many organizations benefit from the experience a fractional marketing officer brings without having to fund an entire FTE role. But what qualities should business owners and c-suite professionals look for in a fractional marketing director.
What is a fractional marketing director - Generally, a company can hire a fractional CMO for a similar investment as an early-career marketer. By contracting with a fractional chief marketing officer, companies just getting started or who need to build out their marketing efforts can leverage their budget by hiring someone for their expertise, using a fraction of the professional’s time.
What Qualities to Look for in a Fractional Marketing Director or CMO
They know how to lead strategy, create systems, and position the team for growth and skills-building. Their goal should be to get a marketing shop up and running in the right direction.
They are highly collaborative, seeking opportunities to understand and learn from others, building people up along the way toward success.
They give feedback candidly and fairly. They speak constructively about the state of the organization, the marketing plans, and the messaging.
They function as a C-Suite partner. A major part of their role is to be a partner to the CEO, CFO, and COO, understanding and communicating easily with the leaders holding those positions.
Nuances are not lost on them and possess a high degree of emotional intelligence. The ideal fractional marketing director isn’t focused on black and white scenarios. Instead, they see how human-centered cross-channel marketing fits together.
They have a strong working knowledge of current digital marketing- SEO, email marketing, content marketing, lead generation, public relations and communications.
They possess an abundance mindset vs. a scarcity mindset and they live it. 4 Ways to Shed Scarcity Mindset and Increase Collaboration
They are compassionate toward their teams, striving to be servant leaders.
They don’t give you answers before you’ve asked questions. They choose marketing strategies that match your businesses needs and your budget. They have freed themselves from the expectations of others and trendy marketing gimmicks that don’t translate toward steady growth.
They share your values. Explore what makes them tick and know what you value in your own company and employees.
