You have a lot on your plate as a startup founder. You have a product and a concept.
You’ve created a business plan. You’ve got money.
You’ve chosen your companions. You’ve got your…marketing?
With so much to consider when launching a business, marketing might get overlooked. Many entrepreneurs make the mistake of believing that their new product or service is so fantastic that customers will flock to it regardless.
That isn’t the case at all. You’ll be at a disadvantage from the outset if you don’t have strong branding, messaging, and direction. After that, you’ll need goals and a strategy for achieving them.
To figure out what’s working and what isn’t, you’ll have to do a lot of analyzing. In a nutshell, you must have marketing on your mind from the start.
Let’s talk about the best method to get that marketing if you’re convinced.
Employee in Marketing in General
It’s simply not true that any marketing is preferable to none at all. You could be tempted to recruit a staff member with social media or email marketing skills, or even an intern.
The difficulty is that doing the very minimum in terms of marketing will almost certainly yield the same outcomes as doing nothing at all: zero.
Your marketing team member’s daily activities are only a minor component of overall marketing. Yes, you’ll need marketing execution, but without a plan, you’ll be spinning your wheels and throwing money at a position that won’t help your startup.
Worse, without strong branding and messaging from the start, your marketing materials will lack focus. The publicity your new business receives may only serve to mislead potential buyers.
Marketing Executive (Full Time)
You may believe that a higher level of marketing is required from the start, and you would be correct. Before you send out any marketing materials, you’ll need someone who can help you build your brand and messaging from the ground up.
It’s entirely up to you whether that marketing professional is a Chief Marketing Officer or a Marketing Director—either way, it can be a little early for your needs. Consider your marketing budget (which, to be honest, may not be enough) and whether you can afford a CMO and the marketing staff required to carry out the branding and marketing strategy created by your new CEO.
CMO in Fractions
You’re seeking for the perfect balance of strategy and execution while staying within your budget. A fractional CMO is the sweet spot.
Many businesses turn down the opportunity to work with a Fractional CMO because they don’t feel a part-time marketing executive can properly comprehend their vision, mission, and future plans. They wonder why someone would put so much effort into a job that they will eventually leave.
And how can a fractional CMO build up marketing for long-term success?
It’s critical to realize that a fractional CMO becomes just what your startup requires, at precisely the right time. When you collaborate with the proper marketing specialist, you can afford high-level strategy and planning, as well as marketing execution.
Many even bring their own professional teams, so you won’t have to waste time looking for experts to carry out your plans.
Even better, the correct fractional CMO will assist in the development of processes that will assist your future permanent CMO in getting up and running quickly.
When is it OK to engage a fractional CMO for your startup? Now is the time.
Thanks to Liz Papagni at Business 2 Community whose reporting provided the original basis for this story.
