There comes a point in every successful business journey where scaling marketing initiatives is necessary to keep the momentum going. If you handle your ramped-up marketing efforts yourself or take on the role of managing team members and contractors, that means no time to focus on the bigger picture.
That’s where I come in as a fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). I provide eCommerce business owners with the part-time marketing leadership they need to achieve predictable growth, while minimizing their time investment.
Still on the fence? Here’s why you should hire a fractional CMO and why now is the time to do it:
Hiring a fractional CMO costs less than hiring an internal team.
You can hire someone to work full-time but, as I covered in my post on the cost of hiring a fractional CMO vs. an internal team, a fractional CMO is significantly less expensive.
The truth is, at its absolute leanest, an internal marketing team should consist of a CMO or Marketing Director, a Marketing Manager, and a Marketing Coordinator. These are all distinct roles with different responsibilities and areas of expertise. You’ll save hundreds of thousands of dollars by investing in an on-demand CMO instead of a marketing team.
It removes the costliness of a DIY approach.
Doing it yourself might save some money upfront but, over time, it can get expensive. Most people don’t have the bandwidth to become a marketing expert on top of running their business. And as they say, “you don’t know what you don’t know.” Things like relying on basic conversion tracking can lead to unnecessarily high ad spending.
It takes detailed, granular reporting and an understanding of what the metrics mean to get the most bang for your buck. In fact, one of the first things I do when onboarding a client is set up a customized dashboard. Once the dashboard is built, I start the forecasting and optimization process. By digging into the data, I ensure you’re getting the best possible ROI and that no ad dollars are wasted.
Some people bring on a Marketing Coordinator to handle this. While a Marketing Coordinator is certainly important, they don’t have the breadth of knowledge that an executive has, and you can’t unicorn an entry-level employee into becoming your all-encompassing measurement marketing guru.
Hiring a fractional CMO ensures your marketing is strategic and aligned across all channels. Since you only have to pay for what you need, you’re not stuck with a full-time salary that may not be justified.
You gain business traction by leveraging what other businesses are doing.
As a virtual CMO with a Toronto eCommerce marketing agency, I work intimately with a range of different businesses. This, along with my two decades of experience in the marketing industry, allows me to transfer learning and insights from other businesses into your strategy.
Instead of going through trial and error, a fractional CMO helps you skip the guesswork and get right to doing what works. This provides long-term savings and better results.
Additionally, I have well-honed processes in place. By applying these to your business, it streamlines your marketing going forward and allows your game plan to serve as a projection for your earnings.
A fractional CMO provides interim coverage for instances like illness or parental/maternity leave.
Fractional CMOs work on an on-demand basis. I can do that if you need someone to step in temporarily while an employee is out with an illness or on maternity leave. This is much less risky because you’re not investing the time and money into hiring another employee.
A marketing executive also can start right away and hit the ground running. We already have an in-depth understanding of eCommerce marketing and don’t need to be trained on channels and tactics.
If you’ve been relying on a contractor or agency for execution, I can fill in those resource gaps as needed too. I have a team of professionals who can help with deliverables, including design and copy.
Not looking to hire full-time but want to take your business to the next level?
Get the marketing leadership you need to scale your online store sales with a fractional CMO. Book a consultation here to see how I can further your business objectives.
