What is a Fractional CMO?
Unlocking strategic growth and scaling organizations for social impact
By Sumaya K. Owens
Marketing isn’t just about social media posts—it’s about intentional strategy, embodied leadership, and sustainable growth.
Hi, I’m Sumaya, a digital marketing consultant with twenty years of experience of growing inspirational brands in the health and wellness industry. I’m abandoning ship on my entire approach to digital marketing—and here’s why.
The digital marketing industry is currently on fire. Period and the end.
Okay… there’s more nuance to my point, but if you’re searching for the TL;DR, there you go.
Digital marketing is changing as we speak. Our friends, family, and colleagues are dumping Meta left and right, but it seems unclear where we go from here (Blue Sky? YouTube? Substack? Literally anywhere but here?) Not to mention, it's especially difficult for brands to stand out from all the noise in the midst of our current political and social climate on any platform. TikTok is banned! No, it’s not? But maybe soon!? Who knows.
Paid social ads and search ads are nowhere near as effective (thanks to privacy and security features we desperately needed so this one is a mixed bag of emotions). Not to mention, traditional SEO and attribution are basically dead thanks to Google's new generative search features, the rise of “zero click” marketing, and the consumer switch to AI for providing the answers to everything from what we post on Instagram to what we eat for breakfast. Face palm.
Business owners and nonprofit leaders face a common predicament — increasing pressure to do more with less.
81% of SMBs are concerned with the global economy’s impact on their business.
73% of SMBs worldwide aren’t sure their current marketing strategy is working.
44% of SMBs globally intend to spend more time on marketing this year.
*For clarity, SMBs refers to small and medium sized businesses.
**For reference, these statistics were gathered from “Making Sense of Marketing: A 2024 Guide for Small Businesses” (Constant Contact Blog).
In traditional digital marketing, this translates to sending more messages, generating more sales, and showing up on more platforms, often without any additional time, training, or budget.
Not to mention, have we discussed how the industry pay rate for marketing professionals is plummeting, while our cost of living is skyrocketing? Sigh. A different rant for a different day.
Welcome to the digital marketing industry. It's tough out there for literally... everyone. Now, at Present Moment Media, we're starting fresh so that we can keep making a positive impact with our clients across the globe.
Pivoting our marketing strategy in this current global economy is absolutely critical. We have to start fresh. We need a new perspective on how we utilize digital marketing technology to grow and scale our businesses, nonprofits, and community projects.
So, where do we go from here? What is the future of digital marketing?
Work smarter, not harder.
Here are a few ways we are noticing brands working way too hard (for little to no results):
Marketing tasks are often outsourced to freelancers or contractors without any sense of a unified team.
There is no cohesive plan and each team member is flying solo with their own individual strategy.
CEOs are managing the marketing teams directly, but whenever marketing teams feel stuck the executive team often struggles to solve modern-day technical problems.
Platforms and trends are changing rapidly (basically overnight and every single day), and marketing teams are struggling to keep up.
Data is unreliable and CPR (cost per result) is more expensive. We are paying more, more, and more for even fewer results.
Expectations of business and nonprofit leaders are based on previous marketing trends, thus our current results do not meet their expectations.
Here are a few ways we are noticing brands can work smarter (and more efficiently):
Mindset shifts are crucial for moving forward. You can no longer expect the same results from the same marketing strategies we used 5-10 years ago.
Invest in professional development and training for your marketing teams (especially if they are employees). It’s a tax deduction in the US (at least for now), and it’s worth every penny to start incorporating this into your annual marketing budget.
Invest in emerging technology to support marketers in achieving tangible results. If your marketing team asks to upgrade to a new CRM, email marketing tool, social media scheduling platform, or AI tool, please don’t overthink it. It’s likely 100% necessary in our current digital marketing landscape for your team to stay current with industry trends.
Invest in marketing leaders to help move the needle forward. Sure, you can hire entry-level marketers for implementation, but please do not expect the high school student managing your TikTok to be responsible for your entire sales and marketing strategy. Hire a skilled, experienced marketing professional to give you and your entire marketing team the strategic direction you need and deserve.
If your marketing team is not achieving the results you anticipated, please do not jump to the immediate conclusion that the results are entirely the fault of your team. Please understand, we are in a volatile industry and we need your patience, dedication, and support as we navigate tumultuous times.
Understand that strategy equals intention. It never hurts to sprinkle a bit of magic into your daily life while living under late-stage capitalism. Light a candle. Repeat affirmations. Dance in your kitchen. Sing mantras in the shower. Whatever you need to do. But intention really does matter! If your intentions are to become a billionaire overnight without any tangible consideration for how burnout impacts your team, this intention will literally be felt across your entire organization. Is this the corporate culture you really want to create for everyone on your team? Or do you want to create a workplace culture where everyone feels seen, heard, supported, AND achieves tangible results!?
Ahem… this is where I can help.
After nearly ten years of strategy and consulting with purpose-driven businesses, while entering our fifth year as the team of Present Moment Media, we are officially transitioning to a Fractional CMO Agency.
As a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, my intention is to work with organizations on a long-term, part-time basis to provide strategic direction, embodied leadership, technical support, and professional development. Unlike a traditional full-time CMO, I provide effective marketing leadership without the high costs of a permanent C-suite hire. Whether you’re interested in improving your messaging, lead generation, or revenue growth, our team is able and willing to offer strategic support for inspirational brands who are not quite ready to invest $200,000+ per year for a full-time Chief Marketing Officer.
How Does a Fractional CMO Differ From a Marketing Consultant?
Team Integration: A Fractional CMO functions as a part-time executive who is integrated into your leadership team, while a Marketing Consultant typically operates as an external advisor without decision-making authority.
Accountability: A Fractional CMO takes accountability for marketing results and KPIs, whereas consultants generally provide recommendations without the same level of accountability for implementation results.
Training & Supervision: Fractional CMOs often train and manage internal marketing teams, while consultants usually don't have direct management responsibilities over your internal marketing staff members.
Longevity: The Fractional CMO role is ongoing (though part-time) with consistent leadership presence, versus consultants who typically engage for time-limited projects.
Execution: Fractional CMOs bridge the gap between strategy and execution, ensuring implementation happens, while consultants may leave implementation entirely to the client.
How We Can Help the World Find You
Strategic Marketing Consultation: Custom strategies that will align your entire marketing team with your organization’s vision, target audience, and revenue goals.
Brand Positioning: Define and distinguish your brand in a competitive market.
Marketing Technology: Leverage the latest updates in marketing technology to enhance communication, boost engagement, and improve conversion rates.
Data Analytics: Receive expert insights from our innovative approach to data analytics, incorporating state-of-the-art technology, custom dashboards, and in-depth reporting.
Team Development: Empower your internal team for long-term success with monthly and quarterly professional development training on the latest trends, algorithms, platforms, and more.
Our Fractional CMO services are ideal for six-to-seven-figure businesses and nonprofits looking for strategic growth, wellness and social impact brands seeking to increase their revenue, and purpose-driven teams that prioritize ethical marketing, DEI initiatives, and trauma-informed leadership.
A Fractional CMO is an ally to the executive team and an advocate for the marketing team. We are the bridge between these two distant worlds, offering insight, guidance, and support.
Hiring a full-time CMO may not be the right investment for your organization right now, but having expert marketing leadership is non-negotiable. A Fractional CMO provides a flexible, cost-effective solution to scale your business, fine tune your strategy, and maximize social impact.
Interested in learning more?
Schedule a free initial consultation here:
