KISS Method
5 Reasons “WHY” You Need a Fractional Marketer
Following the K.I.S.S. method this month, I’m covering one topic – WHY.
Whether you’ve been asked by others “why fractional marketing” or are still trying to wrap your head around the concept, the answer can be distilled down to 5 reasons:
1 – You don’t need an FTE, but you do need strategic support
So, you’re a small to medium sized company that doesn’t need a Senior Marketing Executive on your team full time, but would benefit from a strategic resource that could work on your team a fraction of the time. Enter a Fractional Marketer. There is no reason to hire us as a traditional FTE when we can accomplish everything in a fraction of the time and cost. Hiring us as a 1099 immediately cuts the expense by ~34% given the typical cost of supporting a full-time employee.
2 – You need interim support during a candidate search, maternity/paternity leave, etc.
Whether you are looking to hire an important (new) role, have someone going out for extended leave, or otherwise have a gap to fill because of team capacity, fractional marketers can provide interim support. This helps you keep things “BAU” (business as usual) as you cover gaps, and specific to hiring, find the right candidate instead of just quickly filling a hole.
3 – You need to show bench strength to an advisory board without spending the $$$
If you are a start up or company looking for additional funding/support, fractional marketers can white label themselves as your CMO/VP/Director, etc. to show that you have bench strength within your company. They can help provide the necessary strategic resource for you to showcase what is needed for a thriving company and allow you to get the funding you are seeking to build a sustainable team and future.
4 – You need an intermediary between your internal team and your agency
Having worked on both sides of the aisle, when you don’t have a resource that can efficiently manage your agency relationships, you ultimately spend more money than is needed as well as wasted communication and time for the agency. When a strategic resource is not available on your current team, or you don’t have someone who can translate in between the two channels, you will spend more on whatever initiatives and campaigns are in the pipeline. A fractional marketer can help support the agency relationship within the terms of the contract and make sure everything runs smoothly and within budget.
5 – You want pure work product from a seasoned professional, that you can afford on your terms
Similar to #1, when hiring a fractional marketer and not an FTE, you are paying for pure work product. One of the original reasons I started True Colors Strategy stemmed from feedback received over years of interviewing, where I would be told by small to medium sized companies that they loved me, but they couldn’t afford me. I wanted to help, but wasn’t in a position to side step, so what could be done? Having the ability to leverage my strength to work swiftly, provide pure work product for clients, and do so on their terms within their budgets has helped bring the definition of “fractional” to life in an incredibly fulfilling way!
While there is always an argument to be made for the support of a fractional resource, with the constant flux and unknown element to our recent economy, fractional resources can also help you keep the lights on while determining your next move without missing a beat, losing awareness or engagement with your target audience.
Stay tuned for more from TCS next month!
Sarah Heximer, Owner & Chief Visionary Officer