Marketing is something that all professional services firms need to get to grips with. Whilst there may always be a client base for the type of professional service that you offer, that doesn’t mean that it is going to be easy to find potential clients. This is especially true if you find yourself in a busy market.   

One way that you can really get to grips with marketing is to hire a fractional marketing director. But; the question is, do you really know what they do and how you can make them work for you and your professional services firm?  

What are fractional marketing directors?  

The best place to start is by looking at what fractional marketing directors really are. Companies hire them as part-time contractors to assist with marketing. They’re there to ensure that the marketing departments, be those within the business or contracted themselves, are working for the client as best that they can.   

They will not only guide, but they will also manage too. Making sure that every step of the way is of the highest level possible.   

Fractional marketing directors will work with a variety of clients, and they will ensure that their focus and time are spread out between them as needed. This is where the fractional part of the name comes in. They will only spend a fraction of their time on your firm, which will be agreed upon with you in those early stages of working with them.   

Why hire one?  

One of the main reasons for you to hire a fractional marketing director is because they will bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge across the marketing of all types. They will keep their finger on the pulse of many of the key trends (often ones that you may not have even thought of trying yourself.)   

They will also be able to look at marketing for your professional services firm across a range of platforms. This could be social media marketing, SEO, web content, events, networking and digital marketing as a whole.  

You can ask them for advice, particularly in any areas that you are not sure about, and they will be able to guide you through the process.   

What will fractional marketing directors do for you?  

We have already covered what you can expect your fractional marketing director to bring to your firm, but what about what they can actually do for you? As in, each and every day? Within your firm’s marketing, they will take on a managerial role and ensure proper management of marketing teams or employees as well as the development and execution of a marketing strategy.

The main thing to remember when it comes to marketing directors of this kind is that they will work within your needs, which is always going to be good news for you.   

Some of the key tasks that a fractional marketing director may undertake for you include:  

• Defining marketing goals and then implementing it  
• Ensure to set a budget for marketing (and stick to it)
• Conduct relevant market research for your marketing efforts  
• Develop the strategy for marketing your firm   

• Setting goals  
• Launching campaigns and then tracking their results  
• Present ways to improve marketing within your firm  
• Mentor and train the internal marketing team so that they can develop   

These responsibilities can change over time, and things that your fractional marketing director may have done for you before may no longer be relevant and vice versa.   

What do they do for strategy?  

I have mentioned a couple of times in this post that fractional marketing directors are linked to the strategy for your firm. However, how does this link work?   

A fractional marketing director will become involved with the strategy set out for marketing your firm and how best to implement it. Because they will have no personal link to your firm or what you can offer, they will be best placed to assess your strategy and decide whether or not it is actually going to work as you hope it will.   

They look at everything that you are currently doing with fresh eyes and encourage you to look at things from a fresh and new perspective as much as you can.   

Not only will they highlight the areas that may need to be improved, but these fractional marketing directors will also then give you the tools and knowledge that you are going to need to actually reach these goals.   

Are they best for start-ups?   

You may think that a fractional marketing director is only going to be good for a start-up, but this definitely is not the case. Sure; there are lots of different firms out there that can really benefit from the services that fractional marketing directors can offer; but if you want to really take steps to grow your firm, then this is the best placed to get you there.   

Who will they oversee and work with?  

As I already mentioned, your firm’s teams focused on marketing will work with a fractional marketing director. This means that they will often have links to your marketing team.  

That said, not every single business can afford to have a marketing department, which means that they are going to have a director who can form a working relationship with other key staff members and teams.   

As you can see, there are lots of reasons why you might want to work with a fractional marketing director. Think about what is going to work out for the best for you, and then put one in place. I can promise you that it is going to be worthwhile investing in one for the future.   

Some of my services: 

Marketing Project Management

Fractional Marketing Director and Interim Marketing

Need help?

If you would like help with your marketing then bringing on a marketing consultant with a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference. I work with B2B businesses and professional service firms in London, Kent, UK and Europe as well as specialising as a Legal Marketing Consultant. Please get in touch or book a free 30-minute consultation.