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Fractional Marketing Director

A marketing director inside your business, built to be handed over

AI has made marketing deliverables cheap. What you still need from outside is the judgement, the system and the training. I work inside your business for a set number of days a month, build the system with your team in your own accounts, and step down as your team takes over.

Paying for marketing you can't explain, and couldn't keep

Most founder-led businesses don't lack marketing effort. They lack ownership of the system behind it. Here's what that usually costs.

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Paying for work AI now makes cheap

A retainer that buys articles, posts and reports your own team could now produce for a fraction of the cost.

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Advice with nobody to act on it

A consultant joins the meetings, and the work still lands on the founder's desk.

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Knowledge that leaves with the supplier

When the agency or the hire moves on, the plan, the logins and the know-how go with them.

Two panels comparing rented and owned marketing. In rented marketing, the agency holds the plan, the content and the logins while you pay every month, and all of it leaves when they do. In owned marketing, the plan, the content, the logins and a team trained to run it all sit inside your business, in your accounts and your name from day one.
What changes

A marketing function you own, not one you rent

A fractional marketing director brings the judgement in-house, does the work alongside your team and builds a system they can run. You get senior experience without a full-time hire, and nothing leaves when I do.

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Pay for judgement, not deliverables

Your team produces the routine work with AI, and your budget goes on the decisions that need experience.

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Someone who does the work

The plan, the content, the website and the reporting get done, not just discussed in meetings.

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Knowledge that says in your business

Every account, document and process sits in your name, written down as it's built.

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Sales and marketing on one plan

One pipeline and one set of numbers, with content your salespeople actually use with buyers.

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A cost that comes down over time

My days step down as your team takes over, so you pay less as you need me less.

What's included

Three kinds of work, all of it yours to keep

AI now does much of the work agencies used to charge for. What's left is the work AI can't do for you: the judgement, the system and the training.

Underneath it all: Everything is underpinned by the Endless Customers System™, the method I'm certified to coach, so the content, the sales process and the website all work from the same principles.

How it works

Three steps from plan to a team that runs it

Each step moves more of the work into your team's hands, so you can see the hand-over coming long before it happens.

Who this is for

Is a fractional marketing director right for you?

It works best when sales are coming in, nobody inside owns marketing, and you want to own it rather than rent it.

I'm a good fit when:

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You run a founder-led B2B business. You're at roughly £1m–£20m, and you're still too involved in sales and marketing yourself.

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You're questioning your agency. You're asking whether you should still be paying one, and what you'd do instead.

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Nobody owns marketing internally. You need someone to set the plan and do the work, not just advise.

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You want to own it. You'd rather build a system your team runs than rent one indefinitely.

Another option may suit you better when:

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You want marketing done for you. If you'd rather not know how it works, an agency is a better fit.

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You only need strategy. If you have a strong team that just needs direction, Endless Customers coaching may be enough.

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Your HubSpot needs rebuilding first. A HubSpot Strategy & Implementation project gets the foundations right before an embedded engagement.

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There's nothing to build on yet. If you're still finding out whether people will buy, it's too early.

Pricing

Priced by days, designed to step down

The Fractional Marketing Director engagement starts at £1,800 a month for four days, on a six-month minimum.

Use the calculator to choose the number of days that suits you, from four to 13 a month. The fee covers strategy, hands-on work, training and support between sessions.

After six months, it runs on a 30-day rolling basis, and your days step down as your team takes over. If it isn't working at the 90-day review, you can leave on 30 days' notice and I waive the rest of the minimum. If you've done the Marketing Diagnostic in the last 90 days, the full fee comes off your first invoice.

Get an instant price

Move the slider to choose your days per month. You’ll see the monthly fee, how often we’ll meet and the support that comes with it, in pounds or dollars.

Minimum term

6 months

Review point

90 days, with an exit

After 6 months

30-day rolling, stepping down

Ownership

Everything in your name from day one

My promise

You own everything from day one

Every account, login, document and process is created in your name, in your systems. Nothing is built that your team can't be shown how to run.

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The diagnostic

If it doesn't tell you what to fix first, you don't pay for it, and the findings are yours either way.

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The work

If a deliverable misses the mark, tell me within seven days. I'll redo it, and if it still misses, I'll refund it. At the 90-day review, you can leave on 30 days' notice and I waive the rest of the minimum.

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The hand-over

From the end of your minimum term, the system is always ready for your team to take over. If you choose to and can't because of something I was responsible for, I'll finish it at no charge.

Testimonials

Your options

How a fractional marketing director compares

Most marketing support is built to stay. This is built to leave your team running it, which is why the days step down instead of renewing.

An agency retainer

AI has made what agencies deliver cheap enough to produce in-house. A retainer can't sell you the judgement, system and training without working against its own renewal.

Here, the knowledge stays in your business and the days step down.

A fractional CMO

A strategy-only CMO assumes there's a team underneath to do the work. At £1m–£20m, there usually isn't.

This role sets the strategy and does the work.

A freelancer or contractor

A freelancer does the tasks you ask for. This gives you director-level accountability for the whole function, and a method behind it.

A full-time marketing director

Senior experience for a fraction of the cost, with no recruitment risk.

If you do hire later, they join a system that already works.

After hand-over

Your team runs it, and help is there if you want it

Once your team has taken over, the system is theirs to run and change. Nothing depends on me.

If you'd like ongoing support, there are three light options: a quarterly review, Endless Customers coaching through IMPACT, or HubSpot Portal Management if the portal needs ongoing care. None of them is a retainer for the work itself.

Questions about working with a fractional marketing director

What is a fractional marketing director?

A fractional marketing director is a senior marketing leader who works inside your business for a set number of days a month. I set the plan, do the work alongside your team and build a system they can run, without you hiring a full-time director.

How is a fractional marketing director different from a fractional CMO?

A fractional CMO gives strategic direction and expects a team to carry it out. A fractional marketing director sets the direction and does the work with your team, then hands it over.

Are you a consultant or part of our team?

Part of your team. I work inside the business, in your accounts and your meetings, while making sure everything I build can be run without me.

Is this just another marketing retainer?

No. A retainer is built to renew, while this is built to step down. My days reduce as your team takes over, and the system is always ready to hand over whenever you choose.

Will you replace our internal marketing team?

No. I lead the work and build alongside your people, so the skills stay in your business when I step back.

Is the work strategic or hands-on?

Both. I write the plan and then do the work it calls for, from content and website changes to email, reporting and HubSpot configuration.

Do you manage our agencies and freelancers?

Yes. If you use outside suppliers, I brief them, review their work and make sure everyone is working from the same plan.

Where does AI fit into the work?

AI now does much of the work agencies used to charge for, such as drafting content and pulling reports. I set it up inside your business so your team does that work, and your budget goes on judgement, system design and training.

Where does the AI content system live?

In your own account, never mine. Your team drafts, reviews and publishes content through it, and it keeps working after I leave.

What's the goal of the engagement?

A marketing function your business owns and runs. That means a plan tied to revenue, a system your team operates and everything documented in your name.

How much does a fractional marketing director cost?

From £1,800 a month for four days, up to 13 days a month. The pricing calculator shows the fee for each number of days, in pounds or dollars, with or without VAT.

What does the monthly fee cover?

Strategy, hands-on work, training and support between sessions, spread across your days each month. Meeting frequency increases with the number of days you choose.

Why is there a six-month minimum?

Building the system and training your team takes time, and most of the build happens in the first six months. The 90-day review means you're not locked in if it isn't working.

What happens at the 90-day review?

We look at what's been built, what's working and what isn't. If you're not happy, you can leave on 30 days' notice and I waive the rest of the minimum.

What does "the days step down" mean?

As your team takes over each part of the system, you need less of my time. We agree a step-down schedule at the start, so you can see how the cost reduces before you sign.

What happens after the six-month minimum?

The engagement runs on a 30-day rolling basis. You can keep going at the same level, step down further or move to hand-over, with 30 days' notice either way.

Can we change the number of days during the engagement?

Yes. At any point you can rescope, change the mix of days or pause for up to a quarter if the business needs it.

Is the Marketing Diagnostic fee credited if we go ahead?

Yes. If you start within 90 days of the Diagnostic, the full fee comes off your first invoice.

How does the cost compare with hiring a full-time marketing director?

A full-time marketing director typically costs £80,000–£120,000 a year before recruitment fees and benefits. A fractional director gives you the same seniority for a fraction of that, with no recruitment risk.

What isn't included in the fee?

Third-party costs such as HubSpot licences, ad spend and software, paid media management and a full HubSpot rebuild. I brief paid media to a specialist partner where the plan needs it, and a rebuild is a separate fixed-fee project.

Do we need the Marketing Diagnostic first?

Usually, yes. It tells us both what to fix first before you commit to six months, and the fee comes off your first invoice if you go ahead within 90 days. If you already know what needs doing, we can start with a call instead.

What happens in the first month?

A workshop gets leadership, sales and marketing agreeing on one plan. Your accounts are set up in your name, the brand voice work begins and you choose who will take over the marketing.

Who do we need on our side?

Someone who will own marketing internally once I step back. They don't need to be a marketer yet. They work alongside me on each build, so they learn how it's made.

How involved will our team be?

Very involved. Your internal owner works with me on every build, your salespeople help shape the content, and the founder reviews progress monthly.

How often will we meet?

It depends on your days. Smaller engagements meet monthly, and larger ones meet every two weeks or weekly, with email or Slack in between.

Do we need HubSpot?

The system runs best on HubSpot, and I'll configure your portal as part of the engagement. If it needs rebuilding rather than configuring, I'll tell you, and that becomes a separate fixed-fee project.

Do you document what you build?

Yes, as it's built rather than at the end. Every process gets a how-it-works note and a short walkthrough video in your workspace.

Do you work remotely or on site?

Mostly remotely. Workshops and key sessions can be held in person if you'd prefer.

Are your days exclusive to us? A9

Yes. During your allocated days, my time is spent on your business only. I take on a small number of clients so each one gets proper attention.

Do you take on one-off marketing projects?

Not under this service, because the aim is a system your team runs. If you need a single project, such as a HubSpot rebuild, that's handled as a separate fixed-fee engagement.

How quickly will we see results?

You'll have an agreed plan within the first month. Content, tools and nurture take a few months to build momentum, so the clearest changes in pipeline usually show from month three onwards.

How do you measure success?

Lead quality, conversion rates and how quickly deals close. The bigger measure is whether your team can run marketing without needing me.

Will this shorten our sales cycle?

It usually helps. When your website and content answer buyers' questions before the first call, sales spends less time repeating the same explanations.

Will this reduce wasted marketing spend?

Yes. Every activity is tied to the plan, and work your team can now do with AI moves in-house instead of being paid for each month.

Do we have to hand over by a set date?

No. You choose your path at the start: a target hand-over with conditions agreed, such as an internal owner in post, or ongoing support with hand-over available whenever you ask. Either way, the system is always ready for your team to take over.

What does "ready to take over" mean?

Everything is in your accounts, documented and understood by the people you've trained. Your team runs a full month without me before hand-over is signed off.

What if we can't take over when we choose to?

If it's because of something I was responsible for, I'll finish it at no charge. That's part of the guarantee.

What happens after hand-over?

Your team runs the system. If you'd like light support, there's a quarterly review, Endless Customers coaching through IMPACT, or HubSpot Portal Management.

Can we keep you on after the system is built?

Yes. Ongoing support is a legitimate choice, at whatever level your team needs. The system stays ready to hand over whenever you decide.

What if a deliverable isn't right?

Tell me within seven days. I'll redo it, and if it still misses the mark, I'll refund it.

Who is a fractional marketing director best suited to?

Founder-led B2B businesses at roughly £1m–£20m in revenue, with sales coming in but nobody inside who owns marketing. It suits founders who want to own their marketing rather than rent it.

When is a fractional marketing director not the right fit?

When you want marketing done for you without knowing how it works, or when you have a strong team that only needs direction. An agency or Endless Customers coaching may suit you better.

Will this replace our agency?

Sometimes. Where your agency sells capacity, such as paid media or design, it may still make sense to keep it, with a clearer brief. Where it sells work your team could now own, the plan will usually bring that in-house.

Do we need a marketing team before we start?

No. You need one person who can grow into owning it, and they don't need to be a marketer yet. Many clients hire their first marketer partway through, into a system that already works.

We already have a marketing manager. Is this still useful?

Often, yes. A manager without a senior lead can end up doing tasks without a plan. I set the direction, build the system with them and leave them able to run it.

Is this suitable for an early-stage business?

Not usually. It works best when sales are coming in and there's enough marketing to build on. If you're still finding out whether people will buy, it's too early.

Should we hire a full-time marketing director instead?

If you need someone full-time for years, possibly. If you need the system built and a team able to run it, a fractional director is faster to start and costs less, and a later hire joins something that already works.

How is this better than another agency retainer?

An agency is built to stay, so the knowledge stays with it. Here, everything sits in your accounts from day one and the days step down as your team takes over.

Do you work with businesses outside the UK?

Yes. I work with founder-led B2B businesses in the UK, Europe and the US, mostly remotely, and the calculator shows prices in dollars as well as pounds.

What's the first step?

Book a short call to talk about where your marketing is now. If it's a fit, we'll usually start with the Marketing Diagnostic so the engagement is built on clear priorities.

Start here

Ready to own your marketing?

Book a short call. We'll talk about where your marketing is now, what you're paying for, and what owning it would look like.