A senior marketing leader - Without the senior-leader hiring decision
That’s what Smart Image’s Fractional CMO engagement is built to do.
Who this is For
Smart Image’s Fractional CMO service fits best when:
- You’re a founder or owner running a B2B or consumer-facing business between roughly $2M and $50M in revenue.
- You’ve outgrown a generalist marketing manager but a full-time CMO ($300K+ all-in) is two or three hires too soon.
- You’ve cycled through one or two agencies and ended up with deliverables instead of outcomes.
- You know the marketing function needs senior judgment, but you don’t have time to give it yours.
- You measure trust and revenue, not impressions.
We are not the right fit for pre-revenue startups still looking for product-market fit, or organizations that want the CMO function staffed but not led.
What’s included
A typical Fractional CMO engagement runs four to twelve months. Inside that engagement, the Smart Image lead sits at your executive table and owns:
- Strategy and planning. Annual plan, quarterly priorities, and the metric framework that defines whether marketing is working.
- Team architecture. What roles you need in-house, what to outsource, and to whom. Vendor selection, scoping, and accountability.
- Brand and messaging. Positioning, ICP definition, value proposition, and the message house that every external piece of content stays consistent with.
- Channel mix and budget allocation. Where every marketing dollar should go, and the math that justifies the bet.
- Demand generation oversight. Owned, earned, and paid demand programs — set up, hired, run, or coached as needed.
- Sales enablement. Sales decks, one-pagers, case studies, battlecards, and the rhythm that keeps marketing and sales aligned.
- Reporting cadence. A monthly business review the founder can actually use to make decisions.
Your engagement may also include:
- Crisis communications and corporate messaging (Kira’s specialty)
- Media training for the executive team
- Website rebuild and CRO (Andy’s specialty)
- Go-to-market planning for a new product, service line, or geography
How it works — the Trust Engine, applied
Every Smart Image Fractional CMO engagement runs through three phases of the Trust Engine:
Align (Weeks 1–4). We diagnose where your current marketing is misaligned with the market. ICP, message, channel mix, and KPIs all get pressure-tested. You leave Phase 1 with a one-page plan and named bets — not a 60-slide strategy deck.
Amplify (Weeks 5–16). We build trust at scale through earned media, owned content, and brand work. By the end of Phase 2 you have a publishing rhythm, a press footprint, and content your sales team actually uses.
Accelerate (Weeks 12–24+). We wire the demand into the business — website conversion, paid acquisition, lead routing, and the reporting that ties it all to revenue.
Phases overlap. We don’t wait for “perfect strategy” before generating press.
Proof
“Smart Image turned our outdated online presence into a powerful growth engine — the impact on the bottom line was quick, clear and significant. We are extremely happy with their work.”
Dr. Breault, Founder & Owner
After a Fractional CMO engagement that included a website rebuild, refined brand messaging, and rebuilt Google Ads campaigns, one of our clients saw:
- More than 200% year-over-year revenue growth in April 2025
- 96 new clients per month in the last quarter (vs. fewer than 60 a year earlier; an April 2025 record of 111)
- 361% increase in unique website visitors over a 90-day window
- 50% reduction in cost-per-conversion from December 2024 to January 2025
- 300% increase in phone-call conversions in April
Engagement model
Smart Image works on a monthly retainer. Engagements typically scope to one of three levels:
| Level | Smart Image hours / month | Best for | Typical investment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advisor | ~20 hours | You have a marketing team that needs senior oversight | $5K–$8K/month |
| Operator | ~40–60 hours | You need a CMO running the function, not just advising it | $10K–$18K/month |
| Operator + Squad | 40–60 hours plus a curated execution team | You need both the leader and the team they assemble | Custom |
We publish ranges because we don’t believe in pricing theater. Final scope is agreed in writing before kickoff.
Engagements are month-to-month after an initial 90-day commitment, because honest work doesn’t need a long-term lock-in.
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a Fractional CMO and a marketing agency?
A marketing agency executes deliverables you’ve scoped for them. A Fractional CMO sits at your leadership table, sets the strategy, scopes the deliverables, and decides which agencies (if any) to hire. Smart Image happens to also do the work — but the value of the Fractional CMO seat is in the decisions made, not the campaigns shipped.
How is a Fractional CMO different from a marketing consultant?
Consultants deliver recommendations and leave. Fractional CMOs own the outcome. We’re accountable to the same KPIs your full-time CMO would be — we just don’t take a full-time salary or equity to do it.
How much does a Fractional CMO cost?
At Smart Image, Fractional CMO engagements range from roughly $5,000/month for an advisory-only role to $18,000+/month for a hands-on Operator role with execution. A full-time CMO at a $20M-revenue B2B company typically costs $300K–$400K all-in, plus equity. Most of our clients save 40–60% in year one.
How long does an engagement last?
We ask for an initial 90-day commitment so the work has time to compound. After that, engagements are month-to-month. Our average client tenure is well over a year.
What industries do you specialize in?
We’re industry-generalists with deep experience in B2B technology, professional services, consumer goods, agency PR, consumer brands, and higher education. Past clients include Verizon, Chick-fil-A, MUSC, Burson, Ohio State, MLF, and a long list of founder-led businesses.
Will you replace our existing marketing team?
No — we make your existing team better. We hire, fire, and coach as needed, but the goal is a stronger in-house function, not a permanent dependency on us.
Where is Smart Image based?
Smart Image is headquartered in Charleston, SC, with a distributed team across the United States. We work with clients nationwide.
Ready to talk?
A 30-minute discovery call is the fastest way to find out if a Fractional CMO is the right next move. No pitch deck, no pressure — we’ll spend the time on your business, not ours.
Book a 30-minute discovery call →
Prefer email? Reach Andy at andy@asmartimage.com or Kira atkiraperdue@gmail.com.