Experts Share 7 Powerful Tips for New Fractional CMOs

More marketing leaders are going solo. And for good reason. Fractional CMO work can offer more freedom, better clients, and in some cases, more income than a full-time role. 

But the transition from in-house leader to independent operator is rarely smooth. I’ve seen too many great marketers fumble the switch because they assumed good marketing chops were enough.

They’re not.

Getting clients, keeping them happy, and building a business around your skills takes more than strategy frameworks and brand decks. You have to learn how to sell yourself. How to price your work. How to position what you do in a way that buyers instantly understand. 

And it’s hard to know what you don’t know. 

So we polled a private group of 6,700 fractional CMOs to source their advice for new fractional marketers. Here’s what they said.

Ditch the title if it’s holding you back

A lot of people default to calling themselves a “Fractional CMO” because it sounds credible. But for many clients, it’s meaningless. Or worse, it triggers the wrong expectations. You’re better off describing what you do in terms they actually care about.

Instead of leading with the title, lead with the outcome. Tell people what business problem you solve and for whom. For example:

“I help B2B SaaS companies between $5M and $20M in revenue build predictable pipeline through paid and partner channels.”

That’s a lot clearer than “Fractional CMO,” and it gives buyers a reason to keep listening. You can still call yourself a Fractional CMO later, once they understand what you actually do. But don’t lead with the title if it’s only there to make you feel safer.

Pick a niche or get ignored

This one comes up constantly, because it’s where most people go wrong. If you try to be everything to everyone, you blend into the noise. The best fractional CMOs get known for solving a very specific problem for a specific kind of company.

The tighter your focus, the easier it becomes to:

• Get referrals
• Price with confidence
• Pre-sell your expertise through content

One of our clients works only with Series A healthtech companies doing PLG. Another only takes on DTC brands that want to expand into retail. The specificity is the moat. It builds trust and makes you easier to recommend.

Understand what the job really is

A lot of marketers step into fractional work thinking it’s just strategy. But most companies hiring you don’t want advice. They want outcomes. They expect you to lead, hire, project manage, and sometimes even execute.

If you’re not comfortable owning results, this might not be the right model for you. Or you might be better off positioning as a consultant instead. There’s a difference between being a marketing advisor and being someone who owns the entire go-to-market function.

Make that difference clear before you sign anything. Otherwise, you’ll end up stuck between roles — too involved to be hands-off, too sidelined to drive change.

Keep a safety net while you ramp

Nobody talks about how hard the first 6–12 months can be. You have to find clients, onboard them, do the work, then do it again. It’s a grind. If you’re going all-in on fractional work, make sure you have a cushion.

That could be a consulting contract, part-time job, or even a longer runway in savings. What matters is giving yourself the space to build something that actually works — instead of panic-selling whatever gigs you can find to pay rent.

Plenty of fractional leaders keep one foot in steady income while they grow the other side. That’s not failure. That’s smart risk management.

Think like a buyer, not a marketer

When you’re used to being in-house, you start to believe your value lies in how much you know. But buyers don’t want your process — they want your results. They’re asking: can you help me grow this company without wasting time and budget?

If your offer doesn’t make financial sense from their side, it won’t sell. Would you pay your own retainer? If not, change it. Build packages that are easy to understand and tied to business goals. Make it a no-brainer.

Know when to call yourself a consultant

The term “CMO” comes with expectations — team leadership, strategy ownership, reporting to the CEO, and sometimes P&L responsibility. If what you’re selling is more advisory or channel-specific, calling yourself a consultant may be more accurate.

This isn’t about semantics. It’s about helping buyers understand what they’re actually buying. Set expectations clearly and early. It saves you a lot of headaches down the road.

You have to stand out

The space is getting crowded. More marketers are leaving in-house roles and offering fractional services. If you sound like everyone else, you won’t get picked.

This is where content helps—especially content tailored for fractionals. The marketers who win tend to share what they know. They show their thinking in public. They post breakdowns, teardown decks, playbooks. They don’t wait for someone to ask — they put it out there.

The goal isn’t to go viral. The goal is to show you’re already operating at the level your clients need. That way, when a buyer is ready, they think of you first.

Final thoughts

Going fractional isn’t a magic unlock. It’s a different kind of job with a different set of pressures. But if you treat it like a business, not just a freelance gig, it can work really well.

Figure out who you help and how. Package your work in ways that make sense to your buyer. Show your thinking. Stay patient.

You’ll build something that lasts.

How we can help

If you’re stepping into fractional work and want your positioning to land from day one, we can help you build it. At Column, we turn your experience into clear, compelling content that shows prospects why you’re the obvious choice.

We write and distribute thought leadership content that speaks to your niche, builds authority, and pulls in leads. Our team of strategists, writers, and designers handle the entire process — so you don’t have to worry about what to post, how to sound, or who’s going to see it.

You’ll get a LinkedIn strategy aligned to your goals, posts written in your voice, and high-performing content distributed to the right people through Thought Leader Ads. It’s everything you need to stand out — without adding more to your plate.

If you’re serious about building a pipeline through content, reach out today.