As a startup founder, marketing is essential for growth. But what if you don't have or can’t afford an in-house marketing team?
That's where fractional marketing comes in! Fractional marketing is the process of outsourcing fractional marketing services to an experienced external marketing expert on a part-time basis.
This approach provides startups with immediate access to marketing specialists and resources without having to hire a full-time marketing team, making it a great way for companies to achieve their marketing goals affordably.
Through fractional marketing, businesses are able to draw on marketing strategy and tactics quickly for short-term projects, or continuously over time.
Benefits of a fractional marketing team
Fractional marketing has many benefits for startups, such as access to budget-friendly marketing services, flexibility in terms of timing and scope of services provided, the ability to get marketing activities up and running with minimal overhead costs, improved marketing insights, and access to marketing resources that would otherwise not be available. Additionally, startups can benefit from collaboration with marketing professionals who have a wide range of marketing experience and knowledge.
Management of fractional marketing teams
One-time projects often require more effort upfront in terms of marketing strategy planning, and managing the marketing activities of different outsourcing partners could be time-consuming.
While fractional marketing allows startups to scale marketing efforts up quickly, if you don't set aside the time to brief and review projects, it can also lead to inconsistent marketing strategy.
Overall, fractional marketing is an excellent way for startups to access quality marketing services without having to hire full-time marketing team members.
By outsourcing marketing to experienced professionals, startups can benefit from quality marketing support and resources that would otherwise not be available.
Done right, fractional marketing can lead to sustainable growth for your business in the long run.
Which businesses are better suited for fractional marketing?
Fractional marketing is best suited for startups and businesses of all sizes that need to hire a Chief Marketing Officer (fractional CMO) or are looking to access marketing services without having to hire a full-time marketing department. It allows them to benefit from the marketing expertise and resources of an experienced specialist while keeping costs low.
Whether you need help with a marketing campaign, content marketing, or other marketing efforts, fractional marketing can provide the marketing support you need.
Let's make some examples of businesses that could use a fractional marketing team today.
1. Businesses Entering New Markets
Fractional marketing can be especially beneficial for businesses entering new markets.
It provides startups with access to external marketing professionals who are knowledgeable about the local culture and consumer behavior of a particular market or sector.
By outsourcing marketing activities to a fractional marketing specialist, you can get up to speed quickly on marketing trends, regulations, and best practices of the new market, giving you an edge over competitors.
Fractional marketing is also a great way for businesses entering new markets to access marketing resources quickly and cost-effectively in order to build brand awareness and generate leads. It can help you get your marketing campaign up and running more quickly than if you had to rely on your own marketing efforts, which can be expensive and time-consuming.
2. Pre-seed and Seed Startups
For pre-seed and seed startups with limited marketing budgets, fractional marketing is a great way to get marketing activities up and running without a huge marketing investment. It allows you to benefit from marketing expertise at an affordable rate while still being able to focus on the core aspects of your business.
Fractional marketing also provides startups with access to marketing resources that would otherwise not be available, such as marketing software, marketing automation tools, and marketing analytics.
This can help you run multiple marketing tests in a shorter amount of time, so you can get a better understanding of your messaging, and target audience, and improve performance more effectively.
Fractional marketing can also be a great way for pre-seed and seed startups to access fractional marketing leaders while keeping the marketing budget under control. It can help you start marketing activities more quickly and cost-effectively, while still being able to focus on the core aspects of your business.
3. SaaS Companies
Fractional marketing is also a great option for SaaS companies looking to get their marketing activities up and running quickly, and test their product usability.
Many SaaS businesses tend to think that the first thing to do in marketing is to hire a chief marketing officer. Although that can be helpful, a chief marketing officer will also cost you more money, and won't always guarantee the pivoting and full-stack expertise that a fractional digital marketing agency has.
By outsourcing marketing activities to experienced marketing professionals, SaaS companies can benefit from access to marketing resources that would otherwise not be available, such as marketing automation tools, marketing analytics software, and website optimization services.
This can help SaaS companies launch marketing campaigns quickly and cost-effectively, while the tech team can keep working on new features and product improvements.
4. Businesses on hold
Here at Digithy we had many clients in this situation reaching out to us.
They're typically Tech companies who have worked on a product years ago (2 to 6 years back), marketed it for some time, and put the project on hold.
For these companies, fractional marketing can be a great way to get marketing back up, with an up-to-date marketing strategy and new resources and tools to grow user acquisition.
In this case, a fractional marketing team can wear multiple hats, working on content marketing, user acquisition, and website and communications improvements to get the business back up on its feet.
5. E-commerce businesses
For e-commerce businesses, fractional marketing is an ideal way to access marketing expertise that can work on their marketing strategy, but particularly on the execution of marketing campaigns, email marketing, and customer journey automation.
Not only the expert team, but e-commerce companies can also benefit from access to marketing tools, automation tools, marketing analytics software, and other tools which the fractional digital marketing agency might have access to.
Pros and Cons of Outsourcing Marketing Teams
Outsourcing marketing teams has its pros and cons, but when done right it can be a great way for startups to access marketing expertise at an affordable rate. It can allow in-house marketing teams to focus on the marketing strategy while outsourcing the execution. Or it can allow hiring a complete fractional marketing department at a more convenient rate and commitment.
On the other hand, outsourcing marketing teams can also have its drawbacks. It can be difficult to find the right fractional marketing team, and even if you do, it can be hard for you to keep up with the deliverables and project feedback.
Overall, outsourcing marketing teams is a great way for startups to access marketing expertise at an affordable rate. However, it is important to remember to set some time aside for the briefing and review of the delivered work.
Conclusion
Fractional marketing is an effective way for startups and businesses of all sizes to access marketing services without having to commit to full-time marketing staff or marketing leadership.
It is an excellent option for startups who are looking for marketing support, a complete marketing team, or a chief marketing officer, without the cost and commitment of hiring a full-time marketing team.
While there are potential risks associated with fractional marketing, done right, it can be a great way to get marketing activities up and running quickly and cost-effectively.
If you'd like to get started with fractional marketing teams, get in touch today!