Fractional CMO Services

Strategic communications leadership without the full-time salary

Not just advice. Not just copywriting. Strategic leadership that helps drive your business forward as a partner.

This could look like:

✓ Internal email address and access to your systems
✓ Regular attendance at executive/board meetings
✓ Communications strategy tied to business objectives
✓ Stakeholder engagement and crisis communications
✓ Marketing/communications team leadership or development
✓ The actual writing and execution when needed
✓ Monthly strategic planning and reporting

You get CMO-level thinking at a fraction of full-time cost. And someone who’ll actually implement it.

Who is this for?

This works for businesses that:

  • Have outgrown “my mate does our marketing”
  • Can’t justify or afford the overheads of a $120k+ full-time CMO
  • Need more support than a graduate marketer joining the team ‘fresh’
  • Require long-term thinking and strategic communications leadership, not just pretty words or graphics
  • Operate in technical, industry, or regional sectors where most agencies don’t get it
  • Value someone who can think at board level and execute at ground level

Typically, you’ll be at the $1M – $5M+ revenue mark, serious about growth and ready to hit the next level of professional communications.

How we work with you

Month 1 – Strategy Sprint

– Comprehensive communications audit
– Stakeholder mapping and analysis
– 90-day strategic plan
– Quick wins implementation

Months 2-3 – Embed and Execute

– Regular exec team meetings (frequency based on retainer level)
– Strategic advice on all external communications
– Hands-on execution of priority projects
– Team management or contractor coordination

Ongoing – Strategic Partner

– Monthly strategy review and planning
– Proactive communications management
– Crisis communications support
– Continuous improvement and optimization

Retainer levels: $3k (advisory only), $6k (starter advice & implementation), or $12k (full-service) per month depending on scope

Okay, but why a Fractional CMO?

Why don’t I just hire a full-time CMO?

To start with, you’d be paying an average salary of $120-150k + super + benefits = $140-175k annually.
Our retainer: $36-144k annually. In some cases, less than you’d pay for a junior, with decades of experience.

You’re also taking a risk hiring a CMO – if they’re not right, you’re stuck with them (and you need something for them to DO to earn that huge salary). Do you really need someone full-time, or is it better to have the flexibility to scale up (or down) based on business needs?

Why wouldn’t I use an agency?

Nothing against agencies – we’ve worked for them! But they won’t treat you like we do. They don’t sit in your meetings, have an internal email address or join your group chats. You’re one of 20 (or more) clients, not an everyday priority. They send juniors, charge for seniors, but we’re part of your team.

Why not just get a copywriter?

We’ve been there. We still do that – in fact, all of our fractional CMO clients started out as individual projects! But the strategic communications we offer as fractional CMOs is more than words on a page – it’s understanding business objectives and translating them across all stakeholders, with the best interests of your business in mind at all times. We provide proactive advice, not just reactive execution.

Book a 30-minute discovery call

No obligation. We’ll discuss where your communications are now, where they need to be, and whether a fractional CMO makes sense.

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