What is Fractional Marketing? And why more companies are turning to it

There’s a shift happening in how companies think about marketing leadership, especially in B2B.

Not every business needs a full-time Head of Marketing or CMO. But nearly every business needs access to experienced marketing support at some point, usually when they’re looking to scale. That’s where fractional marketing comes in.

I’ve been working as a fractional B2B marketer across Enterprise SaaS, Technology Hardware, Logistics Software, Government Services, Professional Services, Contract Manufacturing, and Consulting. And I can confidently say: for the right business at the right stage, it works.

In this post, I’ll explain what fractional marketing is, why more companies are exploring it, and how it can accelerate growth for B2B organisations.

What Is Fractional Marketing?

Fractional marketing is when a business brings in a marketing leader or strategist on a part-time, contract, or project basis. You get the skills and experience of a senior marketer without hiring one full-time.

It’s a flexible model. Some businesses need one or two days a week. Others need support during a key growth phase or for a specific initiative like launching a new product or entering a new market.

The key difference is this: you’re not outsourcing execution. You’re bringing in someone who can think strategically, build the plan, guide delivery, and align marketing with broader business goals.

Why More Companies Are Hiring Fractional Marketers

Over the last few years, I’ve noticed a growing appetite for this model across the B2B landscape. Here’s why:

• Your business doesn’t need full-time leadership
  Many businesses are in transition. They’re scaling up, launching something new, or exploring a market shift. They need strategic marketing support, but not necessarily a full-time headcount.
  
• Your budgets are tighter
  Hiring a full-time marketing lead involves more than salary. You’re also committing to superannuation (retirement contributions), employee benefits, onboarding time, and internal management. Fractional marketing is a more flexible and cost-effective option.
  
• You get fresh perspective, fast
  Fractional marketers often work across multiple industries. They bring fresh thinking, proven playbooks, and real-world insight from similar challenges.
  
• It’s faster to impact
  You’re not hiring for potential. You’re engaging someone with a track record of delivering results. There’s no long ramp-up period or learning curve.
  
  

What Does a Fractional Marketer Actually Do?

The scope of work can vary depending on the business, but here are some of the most common services fractional marketers provide:

Strategic Services

• Go-to-Market Strategy (GTM): Develop a clear, actionable plan to successfully launch new products or services into the market.
  
• Customer Strategy: Define your Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs), understand where to find them, and identify the problems your product or service solves for them.
  
• Customer Acquisition Strategy: Develop inbound and outbound lead generation strategies with messaging tailored to your business
  
• Brand Strategy: Shape a compelling brand narrative and value proposition that differentiates your offering in a crowded market.
  
• Marketing Planning: Build marketing strategies grounded in research, data, and aligned to your business goals.
  
• Strategic Guidance: Provide senior-level advice on key marketing decisions, based on experience and market insight.
  
• Performance Analysis and Optimisation: Assess what’s working (and what’s not) in your current marketing approach and refine it for better results.
  

Operational Support

• Marketing Team Structure Review: Evaluate your existing marketing team and recommend structural changes to increase effectiveness.
  
• Recruitment and Onboarding: Help source, hire, and onboard new marketing team members as your business grows.
  
• Supplier Review and Procurement: Audit current suppliers and identify better options to improve quality and reduce costs.
  
• Marketing Technology Review and Recommendation: Review your current tech stack and suggest tools that better support your marketing objectives.
  
• Performance Reporting: Set up or refine reporting frameworks to track digital marketing performance and identify actionable insights.
  
• Sales and Marketing Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Create alignment between sales and marketing by defining shared goals, workflows, and responsibilities.
  

Not every company needs all of these at once. But the right mix, delivered by someone who understands your stage and goals, can have a big impact.

How Fractional Marketing Can Accelerate Your B2B Growth

One of the biggest advantages of fractional marketing is speed and focus.

In B2B, growth depends on things like:

• Nailing your positioning and messaging
  
• Creating marketing assets that actually support sales
  
• Launching campaigns that generate meaningful leads and pipeline
  
• Aligning marketing with sales and product teams for a clear go-to-market strategy

A fractional marketer can help you move faster by focusing on what matters most. Not by doing everything, but by identifying what will create impact and making sure it gets done well.

If you’ve ever felt like marketing is happening in fits and starts or that you’re spending without clear direction, a fractional model can help bring clarity and structure.

Is Fractional Marketing Right for You?

Here are some signs that it might be the right fit:

• You’ve outgrown DIY marketing, but a full-time senior hire isn’t in budget
  
• Your growth has slowed, and you’re not sure why
  
• You’re entering a new phase and need a fresh go-to-market plan
  
• You have a small team that needs leadership, but not another layer of management

In many cases, businesses just need someone who can step in, set direction, and work with existing resources to get things moving.

Final Thoughts

Fractional marketing is not a stop-gap or a short-term fix. It’s a high-leverage way to bring in the experience, clarity, and direction your business needs without overcommitting resources too early.

Whether you’re preparing for growth, building your pipeline, or simply want to make your marketing efforts more effective, fractional support might be the right next step.

If you're curious to see how this could work in your business, feel free to reach out here or book a meeting with me here.