Fractional CMO hours, a plan before a hire
A fractional CMO from RemoteMarketer is a senior marketing lead who works a set number of hours for your business each month. The lead sets the plan, decides where the budget goes, briefs the channel specialists and reviews the numbers with you in writing. You get the judgment of an experienced marketing head without a full-time salary, a recruiting fee or a long retainer. The Team plan includes up to 6 hours of fractional CMO time every month, and on Starter and Growth the lead hours come out of the plan hours you already buy.
No calls. Month-to-month. You own every ad account.
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Plan review and priority list1
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Budget split and spend reallocation0.5
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Briefing and reviewing specialists0.5
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KPI and tracking review0.5
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Monthly written review doc0.5
What a fractional CMO does in a normal month
Most small and mid-sized companies do not lack effort. They lack someone who decides which effort matters this quarter and says no to the rest. That is the job. The lead reads your numbers, talks to nobody on the phone and everybody in writing, and turns scattered marketing activity into one ranked list of priorities that the specialists then execute.
- Writes and updates a one-page marketing plan with three to five quarterly goals tied to revenue, pipeline or bookings.
- Splits the monthly ad budget across channels and moves money when one channel stops paying back.
- Sets the targets each specialist works toward (cost per lead, return on ad spend, organic sessions to key pages).
- Reviews the weekly hour report and challenges any hours that did not move a goal.
- Checks that tracking answers the questions the plan asks, with the marketing analytics specialist.
- Writes a monthly review doc: what worked, what stopped, what changes next month and why.
Outsourced CMO or a full-time head of marketing
An outsourced CMO makes sense when marketing spend is real but the team is small, typically when you run two or more channels and nobody owns the whole picture. A full-time head of marketing commonly costs a six-figure salary plus benefits and a search that can take months. Buying the strategic hours separately lets you get the plan and the discipline now and hire later, with a clear job description written from real results.
How fractional CMO hours are typically spent
The table shows a realistic month of lead work. The Starter column assumes you carve lead time out of 10 plan hours; the Team column uses the included lead time.
- Plan review and priority list Hours per month, Starter 1 Hours per month, Team 1.5
- Budget split and spend reallocation Hours per month, Starter 0.5 Hours per month, Team 1
- Briefing and reviewing specialists Hours per month, Starter 0.5 Hours per month, Team 1.5
- KPI and tracking review Hours per month, Starter 0.5 Hours per month, Team 1
- Monthly written review doc Hours per month, Starter 0.5 Hours per month, Team 1
On Starter that leaves 7 hours for one or two channels. On Team the lead time is part of the 60 plan hours, and the rest goes to channel work by 4 to 6 specialists.
Which plan fits fractional CMO work
If you only need a plan and a monthly check on one channel, Starter at $990 a month (10 hours) works, with lead hours taken from those 10. Growth at $2,290 a month gives 25 hours across up to four channels, plus a strategy brief written in month one, a common starting point when you want direction and execution together. Team at $4,990 a month gives 60 hours, 4 to 6 specialists, a live dashboard and up to 6 hours of fractional CMO time each month. Annual billing saves 15 percent. Ad spend is never included; you pay the platforms directly. Full detail on the pricing page, and background reading in what a fractional CMO is.
How a fractional CMO engagement starts
You describe the business, the goal and the channels in a short brief and see an hour and price estimate right away. A written proposal arrives by email within 2 business days. In week one the lead gets access to your accounts, checks tracking and sends the first ranked priority list. Every step is described on how it works. No calls and no sales meetings; replies come within one business day.
1. Answer three questions
Pick the channels you need, your main goal and your monthly ad budget. It takes under a minute and needs no account.
2. See your estimate
The estimate shows the recommended plan, total hours, monthly price and the mix of specialists. It is built from typical hours per channel, adjusted for your goal and budget, plus time for coordination.
3. Send the brief
Create an account, confirm your email with a 6-digit code and add your company, website, timeline and anything we should know. You can edit the brief until the proposal arrives.
4. Read your written proposal
Within 2 business days you get the plan, the hours per channel, the specialist roles and a first-month task list by email. Questions go back and forth in writing, and replies arrive within one business day.
5. Start in week one
After you accept, we request access to your accounts, check tracking, agree the first priorities and start the work.
What you keep when the plan ends
The marketing plan, every review doc, every dashboard and every ad account stay yours. The lead works inside your own Google Ads, Meta Ads, GA4 and CRM accounts with least privilege access that you grant, never on shared passwords. When you end the plan, access is removed and the documents remain in your shared drive.
Fractional CMO questions
01
Is the fractional CMO a person or a rotating team?
A named marketing lead owns your account and writes your plan. Channel work is done by the specialists the lead briefs, so strategy and execution stay connected.
02
Do the 6 Team plan hours roll over if we do not use them?
No. Unused hours do not roll over on any plan. The lead plans the month so the time goes to the decisions that matter most that month.
03
Can the fractional CMO manage our in-house marketer?
Yes, in writing. The lead can set priorities, review work and give feedback to your own staff through shared docs and email, in the same way it briefs our specialists.
04
What if we need more strategy time in a launch month?
The lead re-prioritizes inside your hours this month. If launches are regular, you move up a plan from the next billing cycle. Nothing is sold one-off.
05
Will we ever have a call?
No. Everything runs in writing, by email and shared docs, with replies within one business day. Written decisions are easier to review, share with partners and act on later.
Related reading
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