6 Signs You’re Ready for a Fractional CMO

If you’ve ever said:
“We’ll get to marketing when we have time,”
or
“Our admin can just post on social,”

This is for you.

We get it. When you’re building a business, everyone wears ten hats and picks up “just one more thing.”

But here’s the thing: when marketing becomes the thing you get to when you can, it never really gets done, at least not in a way that drives growth.

And eventually, that costs you.

Scattered campaigns, boosted posts with no plan, and disconnected vendors all create noise. 

But they rarely create traction.

Let’s be clear:

• Marketing is not a side hustle.
• It’s a core business function. A leadership seat.
• And if no one’s owning it, it’s likely costing you more than you think.

So… what is a Fractional CMO?

A Fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is exactly what it sounds like, a part-time executive who brings the marketing leadership your business needs, without the $250k salary line item.

It’s for the stage between DIY and full-time hire.
You’re not brand new.
But you’re also not ready to onboard a senior leader with benefits, bonuses, and equity.

What you are ready for:
✔ Strategic planning
✔ Day-to-day marketing ownership
✔ Alignment with leadership
✔ Real accountability

We don’t just build the plan.
We run the function — alongside your team, or in place of it.

Why Marketing Can’t Be a Side Gig Anymore

Here’s what we see when marketing is treated like “extra credit”:

• Budgets are spent without tracking.
  
• Teams waste time chasing tactics.
  
• Sales gets frustrated with bad (or nonexistent) leads.
  
• New launches fall flat.
  
• And eventually… the referral well runs dry.
  

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone.
Most clients call us right around the point they realize:
“We know marketing matters, we just can’t seem to make it work.”

6 Signs You’re Ready for a Fractional CMO

1. You’re stuck in “Random Acts of Marketing.”

One week it’s Facebook ads. The next, a newsletter. Then radio silence.
This isn’t strategy — it’s survival mode.
We bring structure, consistency, and a roadmap that connects to your revenue goals.

2. You’re spending, but not tracking.

Boosted posts, ad spend, agency retainers — and no clear picture of what’s working.
We implement reporting, KPIs, and scorecards so you can stop guessing.

3. Sales is begging for better leads.

If your sales team says, “These aren’t qualified,” or worse — “We have no leads,”
that’s a marketing leadership problem.
We fix the system, not just the symptoms.

4. Referrals aren’t enough anymore.

They’re great — but they’re not a growth strategy.
We build marketing engines that work outside your personal network.

5. You’re between DIY and agency — and neither is working.

DIY is too limited. Agencies feel distant.
We embed into your leadership team and bring the guidance your business actually needs.

6. Your last launch went… nowhere.

If no one’s promoting it, does it even exist?
We turn launches into traction with coordinated strategy, messaging, and execution.

So what does a Fractional CMO actually do?

Here’s what we deliver as your CMO partner:

✔ Strategic Plan — Aligned with revenue, not just marketing goals
✔ Team Leadership — We lead internal talent, external vendors, or both
✔ Data + Accountability — KPIs, dashboards, reporting — all of it
✔ Operational Integration — If you run on EOS, we do too. We sit in L10s, own rocks, and drive outcomes

Why Plum?

Because we don’t pitch you a plan and disappear.
We roll up our sleeves, embed with your team, and make sure the work actually works.

Clients stay with us because we:

✔ Make marketing strategic
✔ Make it measurable
✔ And most importantly — make it happen

Ready to Treat Marketing Like It Matters?

If even one of these signs sounds familiar, it’s time to stop duct-taping your marketing function together.
Let’s build a system that grows with you — and works as hard as you do.

👉 [Inquire here]