Your marketing isn't working. Fix it.

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You're spending money on ads, creating content, posting on social media, and... crickets. Your CAC is through the roof. Your conversion rates are embarrassing. And you have no idea which marketing activities actually drive revenue because everything's a mess.

You need someone who understands growth, not just marketing fluff. Someone who's built scalable acquisition engines and can tell you exactly which dollar spent will return three.

Enter fractional CMOs: growth leaders who've taken companies from unknown to household names, available exactly when you need them.

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What a Fractional CMO Actually Does

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Our fractional CMOs aren't brand managers or social media gurus. They're growth strategists who:

• Build scalable acquisition engines across multiple channels
• Optimize conversion funnels from first touch to paying customer
• Implement attribution tracking so you know what's actually working
• Design content strategies that educate prospects and drive sales
• Manage performance marketing with proper unit economics and ROI tracking
• Create go-to-market strategies for new products and market expansion
• Build marketing teams that scale with your growth
• Establish brand positioning that differentiates you from competitors
• Implement marketing automation that nurtures leads without spam
• Design pricing and packaging strategies that maximize revenue

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When You Actually Need a Fractional CMO

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You're ready if:

• You're spending $10K+ monthly on marketing with unclear ROI
• Your CAC is higher than your LTV and you don't know why
• You've outgrown founder-led marketing but aren't ready for a full-time VP Marketing
• You need someone to build systems and processes, not just run campaigns
• Your sales team complains about lead quality
• You're launching new products or entering new markets

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You're not ready if:

• You're still validating product-market fit
• You haven't figured out who your ideal customer actually is
• Your monthly marketing budget is under $5K
• You need someone to just execute campaigns, not build strategy

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What This Actually Costs

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• ‍Typical Engagement: 2-3 days per week, $1,500-$2,500/day depending on experience
• ‍Sweet Spot: $6K-15K monthly vs. $25K+ for a full-time CMO
• ‍ROI Timeline: Most see improved marketing efficiency within 60-90 days
• vs FTE: A full-time CMO costs $200K-350K+ plus equity. Smart money is on fractional.

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Real Problems Fractional CMOs Solve

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• ‍"We're spending $20K on ads but only getting 5 customers" A fractional CMO audits your entire funnel, identifies conversion bottlenecks, and optimizes every step from click to customer.
• ‍"Our marketing and sales teams are pointing fingers at each other" They align both teams around common metrics, implement lead scoring, and create handoff processes that actually work.
• ‍"Every marketing channel we try fails" They develop comprehensive multi-channel strategies, proper testing frameworks, and attribution models that show what's really driving growth.
• ‍"We have great traffic but terrible conversions" They redesign your conversion funnel, improve messaging and positioning, and implement optimization processes that compound over time.

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Common Engagement Types

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• ‍The Growth Engine Build (6-12 months) You need predictable, scalable customer acquisition. They build multi-channel strategies, implement proper tracking, and create systems that generate consistent growth.
• ‍The Marketing Team Optimisation (3-6 months) Your marketing is decent but inefficient. They audit everything, eliminate waste, and dramatically improve ROI on existing spend.‍
• The Go-to-Market Launch (3-9 months) You're launching new products or entering new markets. They develop positioning, messaging, and launch strategies that maximize impact.‍
• The Brand Positioning Overhaul (6-12 months) You're lost in a crowded market. They research competitors, identify differentiation opportunities, and develop positioning that cuts through noise.

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Why Shepherd CMOs Drive Growth

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• ‍They're revenue-focused marketers: Our CMOs measure success by revenue generated, not vanity metrics like impressions or followers.
• ‍They understand unit economics: They know how to balance CAC and LTV, optimise payback periods, and build sustainable growth engines.
• ‍They're hands-on strategists: They'll build strategy and dive into campaign optimisation, not just delegate everything to agencies.
• ‍They're growth hackers at heart: They combine creativity with data-driven testing to find unconventional growth opportunities.

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Typical Engagement Timeline

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Most engagements run 6-18 months, with many continuing as ongoing growth advisors. Here's what a typical engagement looks like:

• ‍Month 1: Marketing audit and quick wins identification
• ‍Month 2-3: Strategy development and implementation
• ‍Month 3-6: Campaign optimisation and team building
• ‍Month 6+: Scaling successful channels and strategic growth leadership

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