{"id":53363,"date":"2024-06-04T07:57:53","date_gmt":"2024-06-04T14:57:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/?p=53363"},"modified":"2025-04-22T08:15:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T15:15:21","slug":"optimize-with-fractional-hiring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.clearvoice.com\/resources\/optimize-with-fractional-hiring\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Optimize Your Marketing Budget with Fractional Professionals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Six out of 10 \u2014 that’s the number of marketers who say their\u00a0<\/span>marketing budget is being scrutinized<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>somewhat more<\/span><\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0<\/span>much more<\/span><\/em>\u00a0now compared to previous years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This comes as no surprise; any business leader worth their salt wants to know they’re investing in the\u00a0<\/span>smartest<\/span>, most effective, and flexible marketing strategies available. With all eyes on getting the best bang for their buck, many companies\u00a0<\/span>are now looking<\/span>\u00a0at fractional hiring as the way to go.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this guide, we’ll examine fractional hiring<\/a>, why it makes sense, and some implementation best practices for integrating fractional roles<\/a> into your existing team.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Shift to Fractional Hiring<\/h2>\n

During economic uncertainties,\u00a0when every business tries to tighten the belt on expenses, bringing in fractional talent can be a game changer<\/a>. It keeps your essential operations running smoothly without the hefty price tag of full-time experts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Done right, it’s a cost management technique you can leverage to squeeze the most value out of your marketing budget.<\/span><\/p>\n

To illustrate, take a look at these examples of fractional hiring in action:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/p>\n

How our marketing team leverages fractional talent<\/span><\/h3>\n

At ClearVoice, our marketing team shifted its strategy partly due to budget constraints<\/a>. (We all know there are ongoing challenges, but this is always a staple.) Our paid ads budget had been maxed out, so we decided to focus on earned and outbound channels. But, executing these programs required expertise in several areas \u2014 SEO, content strategy, and multimedia production, among others. Instead of hiring a unicorn of a person to take care of everything, we onboarded\u00a0<\/span>four different fractional pros<\/span><\/a>\u00a0so each could focus on their area of expertise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The result? A 30 percent increase in sales qualified leads (SQLs) and a 40 percent decrease in overall marketing spend<\/a>. Not too shabby,\u00a0<\/span>ehh<\/span>?!<\/span><\/p>\n

Fractional CMO for a software consulting company<\/h3>\n

Lesly Cardec<\/span><\/a>, SVP at ClearEdge Marketing, helped a software consulting firm find an experienced CMO to position them for acquisition.\u00a0They had a marketing team, but the crew was pretty green and not quite ready to handle the big leagues of prepping the company for acquisition.<\/span><\/p>\n

Enter the fractional CMO, who jumped in for just about four months. In that short time, they revamped the martech stack, fine-tuned the brand messaging, sharpened the positioning, and overhauled various strategies. The software company couldn’t have been happier with the high-level expertise and mentorship they got. It was a total game-changer for their strategic objectives.<\/span><\/p>\n

And while a C-level fractional hire might seem like the go-to solution, it’s super important to really understand what your team needs first. In this scenario, the team was young and missing the deep expertise\u00a0<\/span>needed<\/span>\u00a0at the top. But often, it’s the other way around \u2014 you might find that you’ve got plenty of top-level leaders but not enough hands-on folks to actually execute the plans. Look at your team’s structure and skills gaps before deciding on your next move.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"How<\/h2>\n

How We Integrated Fractional Hiring Into Our Marketing Strategy<\/h2>\n

In marketing, roles like\u00a0<\/span>content strategists<\/span><\/a>, digital marketing experts, PR specialists, fractional CMOs, and brand consultants can be ideal for fractional hiring. These positions often require specialized skills that are not necessarily needed on a full-time basis but are critical during specific stages of a marketing campaign or project.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"how<\/p>\n

Here’s how to identify roles suitable for fractional hiring:<\/span><\/p>\n