With content marketing becoming an increasingly crucial aspect of branding and lead generation, companies are realising the need for skilled content marketers to drive their digital marketing strategies. However, not every business has the resources or requirement for a full-time, in-house content marketing team. This is where fractional content marketers come into play, offering a flexible and cost-effective solution.
Developing and executing an effective content strategy requires expertise, resources, and creativity. When it’s done this way, it can generate meaningful traffic i.e. sales conversions. For businesses seeking to improve their content efforts without the commitment of a full-time CMO, hiring a Fractional CMO (FCMO) can offer an ideal solution.
A FCMO’s role in content strategy
A Fractional CMO is a seasoned marketing professional with a wealth of experience in crafting successful strategies. This means that you get all the benefits of decades of sector-specific marketing proficiency gained in multiple businesses without paying the sky-high salaries that top CMOs now command. A FCMO can play a key role in shaping and optimising content strategies. A fractional content marketer is essentially a part-time content marketing manager who fulfils a leadership role within a company’s marketing team. Unlike freelancers or contractors who are typically hired for specific tasks or projects, fractional content marketers are more deeply integrated into the organisation’s operations and strategy.
They may hold an official title, sometimes manage personnel, oversee content operations, and develop overarching content marketing strategies. Although working on a part-time basis, fractional content marketers are committed to long-term growth and take a holistic approach to marketing efforts.
The rise of fractional content marketers
Several factors have contributed to the increasing demand for fractional content marketers. The first is content marketing’s growing importance. With consumers preferring to research and make informed decisions, content marketing has become a critical component of the sales funnel, particularly in industries like fintech, where customer education is paramount.
Another factor is the scarcity of niche experts. While there are many talented content marketers, finding specialists with deep knowledge of specific industries, like fintech, can be challenging. Fractional content marketers bring their niche expertise to the table. The final contributor to the rise of fractional content marketers is flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Hiring a full-time, in-house content marketing team or an agency can be expensive and inflexible. Fractional content marketers offer a more affordable and adaptable solution, allowing companies to scale their content efforts as needed.
Benefits of hiring a fractional content marketer
The benefits of leveraging the expertise of an FCMO to develop a cohesive and goal-oriented content strategy are numerous. Aside from the economics, there are two key reasons for adopting such an approach.
1. Upskilling the Team: A fractional content marketer can establish processes, templates, and workflows, enabling in-house teams to learn and develop their content marketing capabilities.
2. Standout Content: With their expertise, fractional content marketers can craft compelling, differentiated content that truly resonates with the target audience, fostering thought leadership and brand recognition. In a highly technical sector such as investment management software, creating punchy content that ‘cuts though the noise’ requires equal measures of understanding and inspiration.
The role of a fractional content marketer
A fractional content marketer’s responsibilities encompass a wide range of tasks.
1. Planning: Developing content strategies, conducting audience research, and creating editorial calendars. An FCMO can contribute to content planning or creating workflows by aligning content initiatives with overarching business goals and target audience preferences. They should explore tactics for developing a content calendar that reflects market trends, buyer personas, and the buyer’s journey.
2. Segmentation: An FCMO can leverage their experience to conduct audience and market segmentation and develop detailed buyer personas. It is crucial to understand your audience’s pain points, interests, and preferences to tailor content that resonates and drives engagement.
3. Creating: Overseeing the creation of high-quality, engaging content across various formats (e.g., blog posts, whitepapers, videos, eBooks).
4. Optimising: Ensuring content is optimized for search engines and user experience will enhance the volume and quality of organic traffic. We can act as your outsourced fractional SEO consultant to help you to achieve this.
5. Publishing: Managing the publishing and distribution of content across multiple channels. An FCMO will explore strategies for maximising the reach and impact of content through effective distribution and amplification channels. The role of an FCMO also encompasses identifying opportunities for strategic partnerships, and influencer collaborations.
6. Promoting: Implementing content promotion strategies to drive traffic and engagement. This may involve advertising and data capture techniques.
7. Updating: Regularly reviewing and updating existing content to maintain relevance and accuracy.
8. Measuring: Tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess the effectiveness of content initiatives. An FCMO can analyse data insights to optimise content performance, refine strategies, and drive continuous improvement.
9. Training: Providing guidance and training to in-house content teams, fostering knowledge transfer, skill development and creativity. An FCMO can provide guidance, mentorship, and strategic direction to content creators, ensuring alignment with branding objectives and standards.
Hire PMC as your fractional content marketing team
An FCMO can be a game-changer for fintech businesses looking to elevate their content strategy and achieve tangible results.
As content marketing continues to evolve and become increasingly sophisticated, the demand for skilled fractional content marketers is likely to rise. By offering a unique blend of strategic expertise, niche knowledge, and operational agility, these professionals can help businesses of all sizes leverage the power of content to drive growth and connect with their audiences in meaningful ways.
Want to see a visible uplift in the quality results your content strategy can generate? Hiring a Fractional CMO could be the perfect way to promote this – get in touch with us today to find out more.
