As a growing business, you may need help to keep up with the constantly changing marketing landscape. You know marketing is important, but finding the time and resources to do it – the right way – can be challenging. This is where fractional marketing comes in.
Fractional marketing is a concept that has been gaining popularity in recent years. It’s a way for businesses to access the expertise of marketing professionals on a flexible or project basis without the expense and commitment of hiring a full-time marketing team. This approach allows companies to access a wide range of expertise without the burden of a full-time salary and benefits package. But there are many more advantages to hiring a fractional marketing team – and they can vary depending on the stage of your business.
Benefits of Hiring Fractional Marketing Teams
There are many reasons to hire a fractional marketing team, but the four most important reasons are:
- Access Expert-level support
- Say Goodbye to HR Issues
- Back Fill a vital position
- Gain outside perspective
1. Access Expert-Level Support
One of the most significant benefits of fractional marketing teams is that businesses can access expert-level support without the hassle of hiring full-time employees. Fractional marketers are often specialists in their areas of expertise, such as brand, social media, or email marketing. By hiring them, businesses can tap into their wealth of experience and knowledge without investing time and resources into training and onboarding full-time employees. Plus, a fractional marketing team provides a full suite of marketing solutions for a fraction of the cost.
2. Say Goodbye to HR Issues
Another key benefit of hiring a fractional marketing team is the avoidance of Human Resource issues that come with hiring and firing employees, including payroll taxes, benefits, and unemployment insurance. With a fractional marketing team, the business is not responsible for managing these issues, as they are handled by the marketing agency or the individual marketers themselves. This can save companies significant time and money that would otherwise be spent managing HR-related tasks.
Additionally, fractional marketers are typically highly experienced and specialized, so they require less onboarding time than new employees. This can be especially important in fast-paced industries, where quick ramp-up times are critical.
3. Backfill a Vital Position
One of the main benefits of hiring a fractional marketing team is that they can provide immediate expertise when businesses need it – without requiring a lengthy recruitment process. In addition, this allows HR to take their time to find the right fit for the long term.
This can be especially important when hiring senior leaders, as studies have shown that the cost of a poor hire at this level can be significant. In fact, according to a survey by CareerBuilder, 69% of employers reported that their poor hire at the senior level had a negative effect on their company, with a quarter of those respondents estimating the cost of the wrong hire to be over $50,000.
By bringing in a fractional marketing team to fill the gap, businesses can ensure they are not rushed into a permanent hire before finding the right person for the job. This approach can save companies significant time and money in the long run and ensure that they have the right marketing leadership to drive their business forward.
4. Gain Outside Perspective
One of the key benefits of hiring a fractional marketing team is the outside perspective they can bring to a business. Fractional marketers often work with clients across multiple industries, as such, they have seen and solved a wide plethora of business problems.
This experience can be invaluable, as it can bring unique insights and perspectives to a business’s marketing strategy that may not have been previously considered.
Additionally, fractional marketers can provide a fresh perspective on a business’s marketing approach, which can be especially valuable if the business has been stuck in a rut or struggling to achieve growth. By bringing in a fractional marketing team, companies can access a wealth of knowledge and expertise to help them solve complex business problems and achieve their marketing goals more effectively.
Who needs a fractional marketing team the most?
The answer is growth-oriented companies that need the immediate support of a marketing team but aren’t quite ready to commit the necessary resources to finance their own internal marketing department. This includes startups, small businesses, and mid-sized companies looking to take their marketing efforts to the next level.
By leveraging the expertise of fractional marketers, businesses can achieve more effective marketing results while efficiently allocating their marketing budgets and focusing on other critical aspects of their operations.
Startups: Save Time By Starting On The Right Message
Most startups have extremely limited resources. Startups need to be especially careful with their budget allocations, as every dollar spent often needs to generate a positive return on investment within a certain period of time. Fractional marketing teams can help startups maximize their ROI by providing access to specialized expertise in areas such as social media, content marketing, and SEO, which can help them attract and convert customers more effectively. This allows startups to be more flexible with their marketing budget.
Small Businesses: Take Your Brand Awareness To The Next Level
Like startups, small businesses often have limited resources, making it difficult to afford a full-time marketer. Fractional marketing provides small businesses with access to specialized marketing services to take their brand to the next level without the expense of a full-time marketer or internal marketing team. Small businesses can hire fractional marketers to execute one-time projects or ongoing campaigns such as email marketing campaigns, creating engaging LinkedIn content, website language, designing graphics, and creating effective presentation decks, among other key marketing activities that drive brand awareness and revenue.
Additionally, small businesses may have been successful without marketing in the past but now realize that they need it to generate more leads and grow their online presence. By bringing in a fractional marketing team, small businesses can access the expertise and resources necessary to achieve their marketing goals more effectively – without breaking the bank.
When small businesses don’t focus on marketing their brand, their messaging ends up vague and fails to attract the right audience. This costs them countless hours not only in lost prospects but also in “rebuilding” their message later on while working to “catch up” on months or years of zero brand recognition.
Mid-Sized Companies: Access the Outside Lens, While Keeping the Momentum
Mid-sized companies may already have a marketing team but need outside expertise to address specific short-term projects or challenges. Fractional marketing teams can provide this expertise without the cost of hiring a full-time team or overburdening the existing team. Fractional marketing can provide the extra help and expertise needed to take marketing efforts to the next level.
Additionally, mid-sized companies may need to replace a high-level executive, such as a CMO or Marketing Director, while they search for a replacement. Fractional marketing teams can fill this gap and provide a seamless transition, allowing the company to maintain its marketing efforts and momentum while they search for a long-term solution.
What services are included?
When you work with a fractional marketing team, you can expect a wide range of services to be provided. Some of the services offered by StoryLede, a fractional marketing agency, include:
- Brand marketing and messaging strategy
- Content marketing strategy
- Graphic design
- Copywriting
- LinkedIn content and ghostwriting
- Social media
- Email marketing
- Website language
- Website development and design
- On-camera video training
- Speech prep
- Presentation decks: messaging and design
- Video production
Each fractional marketing agency has specialized services depending on their expertise. Businesses can find a fractional marketing team that specializes in any services they need.
Ultimately, fractional marketing is a smart choice for businesses that want to access expert-level marketing support without the expense and commitment of hiring a full-time team. Fractional marketing teams provide immediate expertise when businesses need it, especially for startups, small businesses, and mid-sized companies looking to take their marketing and branding efforts to the next level.
A marketing team of experts like StoryLede can help you reach your business goals more quickly.
When you partner with StoryLede™ you are not just hiring a marketing firm — you are partnering with a group of experienced marketing specialists who help you reach your vision of what your business can become. Schedule your complimentary consultation with our team today.
