Part-time marketing director

Outsourced and fractional CMO

Not every company needs a full-time marketing director. But most need someone who holds marketing together. Someone who sets goals, decides which channels get the money, manages people and suppliers, and checks whether it all shows up in revenue. That is exactly what I do as an outsourced, fractional CMO.

For almost a year now, I have been running marketing this way for Chlorito, an online shop selling pool chemicals. I am not someone who just hands out advice. I focus heavily on efficiency and execution. I handle a lot of the work myself, and I also have capable freelance suppliers across different areas of marketing who deliver results.

I'm interested

What I do as an outsourced CMO

Strategy and goals

Where the company wants to grow, with which products and for whom. This sets the marketing priorities for the quarter and the year.

Channels and budget

How much money goes into performance advertising, SEO, content or social media, and what each channel is expected to deliver.

Team and suppliers

I brief and review the work of PPC specialists, designers, copywriters, agencies and social media people.

Measurement and KPIs

One set of numbers for all of marketing. Revenue, margins and acquisition costs, not just clicks and reach.

Brand and communication

Messaging, positioning and product naming, so the company speaks with one voice on the website, in advertising and on the packaging.

Hands-on execution

I do SEO, content strategy and analysis myself. I don't have to pass everything on, and I can judge the team's work.

Client testimonials

What is an outsourced or fractional CMO

A CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is a marketing director. An outsourced or fractional CMO does the same job, just not full-time. They work for the company part of the week, usually for a monthly retainer, and lead marketing from the outside, but as part of the management team.

The term fractional CMO means exactly that: a director working a fraction of full-time hours. Unlike a marketing consultant, a fractional CMO does not just give advice but takes responsibility for marketing, decides on priorities and leads the people who work on it.

When an outsourced CMO makes sense

Most often in companies that already do marketing, but where nobody manages it as a whole. One supplier runs PPC, another social media, a third the website, and the owner switches between them, even though they should be focusing on the business. Each channel reports its own numbers and nobody can say which of it actually makes money.

The second typical situation is growth. The company has outgrown the stage where the owner could handle marketing alone, but a senior full-time director would be unnecessarily expensive and wouldn’t have enough to do five days a week. An outsourced CMO brings a director’s experience at a fraction of the cost, and the arrangement can be adjusted to the season.

How it works at Chlorito

Chlorito is an online shop selling pool chemicals, with its own production. I started as an SEO consultant and gradually took over wider marketing. Today I am responsible for demand and search volume, content and copy, campaigns, measurement and suggestions on where to take the product range. I am accountable for marketing, while the owner decides on the product range and prices. But I bring him data on what people search for and what sells.

Every 14 days I meet the owner and the person in charge of operations and expansion, and we go through priorities for the coming weeks. I brief and coordinate the work of the PPC specialist, social media people, designers and video production. Traffic from Google in the season from May to August 2026 grew by 90% compared with the same period last year. I write more about the SEO side on the SEO for online shops page.

Outsourced CMO, agency or in-house director

An agency focuses on the channels it delivers, and strategy for marketing as a whole across suppliers is usually not part of its brief. An in-house marketing director is the best choice for large companies, but for small and medium-sized ones they are expensive and take a long time to find.

An outsourced CMO sits between the two. They look at marketing as a whole and cost a fraction of a full-time role. On top of that, I do hands-on work on SEO, content and demand data, so the strategy doesn’t stay in a presentation. I explain why I see an independent specialist as an advantage over an agency for SEO on the SEO agency page.

How we start working together

The first month is about understanding the business. I go through the numbers, channels, suppliers, past campaigns and the website, talk to people in the company and immediately fix the most pressing issues. The result is a simple picture of where the company stands, what works and where money is leaking, plus the first measurable goals.

In the second and third months, we finalise the budget and priorities, unify measurement and adjust supplier briefs. After that, a regular rhythm takes over: meetings with management, checking the numbers and a plan for the next period. For the strategic part, I build on the same approach as in marketing strategy.

Companies I work with

I am the best fit for Czech online shops and owner-led companies where the owner drives marketing and wants to take it further but doesn’t have time for it. Decisions are quick, changes can be rolled out within days, and success is measured in revenue, not presentations.

I also work with B2B companies where marketing needs to be connected with sales. I am less suited to large corporations, where most of the time would dissolve into approvals and meetings.

How much an outsourced CMO costs

We work on a monthly retainer based on scope. It mainly depends on how many channels and people need managing and how much of the work I am to do myself. Either way, it always comes out significantly cheaper than a senior full-time marketing director.

The best way to start is a no-obligation meeting. Use the form at the bottom of the page to tell me what your company does, which channels you currently use and who works on your marketing, and I will get back to you with a proposal for how we could work together.

What is the difference between an outsourced and a fractional CMO?

Practically none. Both terms describe a marketing director who works for the company part-time and from the outside. The Czech term “frakční” is a translation of the English “fractional”, meaning a fraction of a full-time role.

The term interim CMO is sometimes used as well. However, an interim CMO usually steps in for a limited period, for example until the company finds an in-house director.

How much time do you dedicate to a company?

As agreed. We set the capacity based on scope, the number of channels and people, and the season. It includes regular meetings, strategy work, checking the numbers and coordinating the team.

Between meetings, I am available by phone and chat, so urgent matters don’t have to wait for the next meeting.

Do I need my own marketing team?

Not necessarily. A few people or suppliers who do the actual work are enough, for example a PPC specialist, a designer or an agency. The outsourced CMO gives them direction and checks the results.

I also do part of the work myself, mainly SEO, content and analysis. If there is no team at all, I will help you put one together.

How quickly will results show?

The first changes in management, budget and measurement are visible within the first two to three months. Revenue results depend on the channels: performance advertising responds quickly, SEO and brand take months.

That is why at the start we agree on the numbers we will use to evaluate our work together.

Do you also work for companies outside e-commerce?

Yes, mainly for B2B companies and service businesses. The principles are the same, only instead of online shop orders we track enquiries and deals.

For online shops on Shoptet, I also know the platform in detail, so I can assess the technical side of changes too.

What you get from a fractional CMO each month

Working with me as your fractional CMO is not a one-off audit. It is ongoing responsibility for marketing, and you should see it in your day-to-day decisions.

A plan for the coming weeks with clear priorities, so your suppliers know what to work on and why.
One report that connects spending in each channel with revenue and margin.
Clear briefs and feedback for the people doing the work, so you no longer have to pass messages between them.
Decisions with reasons, for example why part of the budget moves from one channel to another.

You keep the final word on the business, the product range and prices. My job is to make sure marketing supports those decisions and that you always know what it costs and what it brings.

Common mistakes when hiring an outsourced CMO

Expecting only a strategy document. If the person does not stay involved in execution, the plan tends to stay unused. Ask how they will follow up week by week.
Not sharing the numbers. Without data on orders, margins and costs, any marketing director can only guess. Plan to give access from the first week.
Unclear authority. Your staff and suppliers need to know that the fractional CMO can brief them and approve their work. Otherwise decisions end up back on your desk.
Hiring for one channel. If you mainly need someone to run your ads or social media, a specialist is usually the better choice. A fractional CMO makes sense when marketing as a whole needs managing.

Questions about working with a fractional CMO

Is a fractional CMO worth it for a small company?

It is worth it when you already spend money on several channels or suppliers and nobody manages them as a whole. If marketing is still a single channel with a small budget, a specialist for that channel is often enough. I will tell you honestly at our first meeting which situation you are in.

Can a fractional CMO work with our existing agency?

Yes. I do not replace your agency, I give it direction, agree on goals with it and check its results against your revenue. If an agency or supplier is not delivering, I will show you the numbers and suggest what to change.

Do you work as an outsourced CMO for international companies in the Czech Republic?

Yes, I work with international companies operating in the Czech Republic as well as with Czech businesses. What matters most is that I can make marketing decisions together with the people who run the business locally. We agree at the start how I fit into your existing reporting and approval process.