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When Is It Time to Hire a Part-Time CMO?

by Jennifer Beever

Part-time CMOsSome of my colleagues recently asked me to describe why a company or organization might want to hire a part-time Chief Marketing Officer. Why would a business hire a part-time CMO?

I prepared a list of “trigger points” – events or situations that would trigger a need for an outsource or interim CMO.

The organization needs marketing but doesn’t have the budget for full-time staff. Not every organization needs a full-time, senior-level marketing executive. A CMO for Hire can provide strategic direction, project management and some execution on a part-time basis, providing senior-level expertise but staying within budget.

No one on the executive team has marketing expertise. Often products and services get invented and sold, and overnight a business is born. The founding team can often take things pretty far, but at a certain point, they can use some outside marketing expertise to help them get systematic and strategic about marketing so that they grow even faster. The company or organization is, as I often describe it, is “selling in spite of themselves.”

There is no written marketing plan. Lack of a written plan with strategic and tactical marketing information is a sign that a company can use some help. A CMO for Hire can help them step back, do some analysis and research, and put a strategic plan (in writing) in place. Then, the CMO can help them execute the plan.

You ask about marketing results and the organization can’t show any. They may say they “think” their marketing is working, but gut feel or thoughts aren’t concrete results. A CMO for Hire can make sure that proper marketing measurements and reporting is in place so that the organization knows its return on marketing investment as a whole and for each activity.

A marketing executive or other staff is leaving the company. When existing marketing staff leaves (sometimes suddenly), its a good time to bring in a interim CMO to assess the situation and keep marketing programs going while you search for the right full-time replacement.

Current marketing is not working. Marketing money is being spent but greater awareness in the marketplace, leads and revenue are not the results. The organization may need some new strategies and new tactics to get them out of their marketing rut. Marketing has changed dramatically in the past few years, and there are many new tactics that are providing businesses and organizations with results: online and inbound marketing, social media including blogging, lead nurturing, video marketing and mobile marketing.

These are just a few of the situations that can warrant hiring an outsource Chief Marketing Officer. For more information about outsourcing your marketing, contact CMO for Hire Jennifer Beever today.

 

 

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