Most small companies have big dreams. Big plans. And they definitely want to compete with the big dogs in their industry.
Unfortunately, all those big, big plans are often stopped by little bitty budgets.
That’s where fractional marketing can swoop in and help bring those plans to life.
Fractional marketing allows businesses to use marketing experts without hiring them full-time. It’s cost-effective and flexible, and it can help you hit your business goals.
According to a survey by the Small Business Administration, about 80% of small businesses don’t have a full-time marketing team. Another survey shows that 94% of small businesses outsource at least one part of their marketing plan.
Fractional marketing can be a smart solution. It gives businesses access to the skills they need without breaking the bank. Whether it’s social media, sales enablement, or email campaigns, fractional marketing can help small businesses grow.
What is fractional marketing?
Outsourced, or fractional, marketing is when a business hires outside help to manage its marketing. This can be very helpful for companies that don’t have the time or skills to handle marketing on their own. Instead of doing everything in-house, they get support from outside experts. In fact, 60% of companies that use outsourced marketing say it helps them focus on their core business goals.
Businesses can outsource to a freelancer, an individual, or an agency. Freelancers are often skilled in specific areas like social media or graphic design but may lack the skills to look at the “big picture” strategy for your company’s goals. A fractional CMO brings strategic expertise and helps align your marketing with business goals – just make sure they bring an execution team with them. An agency can offer a full range of services, from strategy to execution, but some agencies aren’t focused on sales and can be expensive.
We’ll discuss all of these options in detail, but first, let’s consider why so many small businesses choose a fractional marketing resource.
Why 94% of Small Businesses Outsource Their Marketing
In a nutshell, outsourced marketing helps small businesses compete with their larger competitors. It allows the leadership team to focus on their core activities, like closing deals and running the business, without ignoring the essential marketing outreach they need in order to grow.
Hiring marketing experts can lead to better results. For instance, a study by the Content Marketing Institute found that businesses using fractional professional services see a 30% increase in prospect engagement. This means more potential customers notice their brand and want to buy.
And the pendulum swings both ways. Not only do you get better results by hiring experts, you can cut costs. According to a report from the Small Business Administration, businesses can save up to 40% by hiring fractional support instead of employing full-time staff.
Reason 1: You Save Time & Reduce Stress
Hiring a fractional marketing partner can save your executive leadership a lot of time and trouble. Creating marketing plans, managing campaigns, and analyzing results takes a lot of time—time that you and the rest of the C-suite need back to focus on the bigger picture and grow the business.
When executives delegate marketing tasks, they reduce stress on themselves and their teams. Without a fractional partner to provide the right assets, timeline, strategy, and execution support, your in-house marketing team could be overwhelmed. They might struggle with deadlines and too many projects – something will have to fall by the wayside. In our experience, marketing activities are the first thing to go. But then, in a few weeks or months, your pipeline has dried up, and your audience has forgotten about you.
A fractional marketing partner can step in and share the workload so that things keep flowing.
According to a study by The Alternative Board, 71% of small business owners feel less stressed after hiring outside help. Your team’s productivity can improve without the stress of unfinished work hanging over their head. When stress goes down, morale goes up, and that’s good for everyone.
Hiring a fractional marketing partner saves time and reduces stress. This allows your executive team and support team to work better together, allowing everyone to focus on what really matters—growing the business.
Reason 2: You Fill Knowledge Gaps & Get Expertise
Hiring a fractional marketing partner can really help fill knowledge gaps on your team. The right sales & marketing partner will bring a wide range of skills and experts with them. They can step in when your team lacks specific expertise. For example, if you need help with social media or creating sales enablement for your sales team, a fractional partner can provide that knowledge quickly.
When you hire a full-time marketing director, you often get a marketing generalist. This person might know a little bit about many things. However, they might not have specialized knowledge about all marketing tactics. In contrast, a fractional marketing partner usually brings specialists in whatever services they’re providing, from email marketers to sales copywriters and data analysts. These experts understand the latest trends and best practices for their tactics and focus areas.
When results matter, expertise counts. A report by HubSpot shows that companies with specialized marketing help see a 71% higher performance in lead generation.
By bringing in a fractional partner, you get the expertise you need when you need it.
Reason 3: You Can Better Establish Your Brand Presence
Hiring a fractional marketing partner can be a smart move for your business. They specialize in helping companies establish their brand and clarify your business’s messaging across many channels. You can promote a unified brand to your target audience on social media, websites, emails, sales enablement assets like slicks and decks, trade shows or conference booths, and many other platforms.
In essence, the right fractional marketing partner makes sure you can reach more people without breaking the bank with messaging that means something.
A unified, informed messaging strategy can increase your traction with prospective clients and help your sales team nurture more leads – and thereby close more deals. The right fractional marketing partner can help you define your target personas and ideal customer profile, then connect with these prospects and turn them into deals. And since they do this all the time, they can do it a lot faster than if you tried going it alone.
A good marketing partner can also help you define your target audience. They’ll help you figure out who your ideal customers are. This allows you to tailor your message and connect with the right audience. For example, a study by HubSpot found that companies with clearly defined buyer personas see 50% more leads.
You get expert help without the expense of a full rebranding. It’s a smart investment with real benefits.
Reason 4: You Can Save Money & Reduce Marketing Costs
At the end of the day, a lot of decisions for a small business come down to cost. Hiring a fractional marketing partner can actually help small businesses save money.
A fractional marketing partner works part-time or on a project basis. This means businesses don’t have to pay for a full-time employee. Fractional marketing partners can create effective campaigns without the cost and expense of hiring a full-time team. For example, a small business might pay $9,000 for a fractional agency to set up and execute an expansive email marketing campaign. Compare that to spending $60,000 for a full-time employee for the year, and the cost savings become pretty clear pretty fast.
Plus, a fractional marketing partner can provide specialized skills. Whether it’s social media marketing, content creation, or sales enablement, businesses get what they need without paying for benefits, perks, salaries, or overhead.
This targeted approach reduces wasted spend and wasted time. Businesses only pay for the services they use. According to a report by HubSpot, companies that use outsourced marketing save 25% on average.
Fractional Outsourced Marketing Partners vs. Hiring Freelancers
Of course, your business can hire that in-house marketing director. You’ll have more contact and more control over their activities and approach, and you may find cross-department collaboration easier, but you may also face more turnover and some limitations of skill and experience.
If you’re interested in outsourced marketing, your business has a few choices. You can hire many freelancers or a fractional marketing partner agency. Each option has its pros and cons.
Hiring freelancers can be flexible. You can find someone with specific skills for each project. For example, if you need graphic design, you can hire a designer. If you need a writer, you can hire a writer. This can help you save money. Freelancers charge less than a full-time employee and may cost less than a fractional marketing agency.
However, finding, vetting, and managing many freelancers can be hard. It can take up a lot of valuable time. You’ll have to communicate with each one, and you’ll need to have some method of managing each project, which could include project management software from Trello, ClickUp, or Asana. You may also struggle with a consistent presentation, as each writer or designer will bring their own interpretation of your brand and voice to the piece they create.
On the other hand, a fractional marketing partner offers a different approach. They act like a part-time marketing director. They manage all marketing efforts, projects, execution, and even deployment. They’ll provide a clear vision and strategy. This can help create a strong brand identity, especially when your fractional marketing partner helps craft your brand message and personas. The caveat here is that a fractional marketing agency may cost more than your freelance bench, depending on how many freelancers you would need over time.
In essence, hiring freelancers offers flexibility but can create complexity. A fractional marketing partner provides strategy and consistency but could cost a bit more. Your choice will depend on your business needs and your appetite for management time.
How to Choose the Right Fractional Marketing Partner
Choosing the right fractional marketing partner is important. You’ll want to choose the partner that offers services that align with your business strategy, fits within your budget, and prioritizes sales and marketing alignment.
First, identify your needs. Do you need help with social media management, digital marketing services, search engine optimization, content strategy or content marketing, your website or other online presence, your sales team’s collateral, or advertising campaigns? Knowing what you need will help you narrow down your options, so make a list of every tactic you’re hoping to get.
Next, look for experience. Choose a partner with industry expertise who’s worked with businesses similar to yours. For example, if you’re a healthcare product manufacturer, find someone who has experience in marketing for manufacturers. If your business is B2B, make sure your potential partner has deep B2B experience.
Then, check their references and ask for examples of past work. A good partner will gladly share success stories and client feedback.
Finally, discuss pricing. Make sure their rates fit your budget, ask about any associated ad or software spend, and compare them to your options—including the cost of doing nothing.
If you don’t find a marketing partner, what will happen to your business growth? What opportunities could you be missing out on? Those lost-opportunity costs can add up fast and help you justify the cost of your chosen partner or program.
When Fractional Marketing Support Makes Sense
Hiring a fractional marketing partner is a strategic decision that can help your business find and nurture more leads and close more deals.
With a team of experienced professionals, the right fractional marketing partner will offer tailored marketing solutions that align with your specific goals, ensuring you get the expertise you need without the overhead of a full-time hire.The fractional marketing model works. See how hiring a fractional marketing partner helped the Co-Founder & President of Core10 go from overworked and overloaded to overjoyed.
