6 Differences Between A Fractional Marketing Manager And An Internal Hire
You’ve got an important decision to make.
As a business owner, you know that digital marketing is important. If clients can’t find you, they can’t hire you. You know getting to the top of the Google search rankings is a must, but right now you’re struggling to keep up. To level up your digital marketing tactics so you can grow your business and make more money you need to add someone to your team.
But here’s the question: Do you hire internally or invest in a Fractional Marketing Manager?
Understanding the difference between the two is important to make the best choice for your business goals. Let’s take a closer look.
the difference
What is the difference between a Fractional Marketing Manager and an internal hire?
An Internal Hire
When you get right down to it, an internal hire is an employee. In this case, a full-time marketing manager working solo or leading an internal team of marketing people. Typically, this person will report to your company’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). They will become deeply immersed in your business (which has its own sets of pros and cons) and will oversee all marketing streams from ads and site content to social media and email marketing.
A Fractional Marketing Manager (FMM)
An FMM like Matty G Digital is external to your business. You could say we’re a gun for hire. We provide expert-level marketing services for your business but are not a part of your business. An FMM may or may not lead their own team of marketing professionals specializing in different areas of marketing. They can be brought in during a high-marketing period like a product launch or rebrand, or they can be your partner in long-term growth. An FMM can take on all marketing streams from web design and Google ads to social media and email marketing. They operate outside of your chain of command and will have their own processes and systems but will report to you, the business owner, a CMO or another part of your marketing team.
On the surface, an internal marketing manager and an FMM appear to do the same thing but there are six key differences that set these roles apart: commitment, cost, time, expertise, scalability, and boundaries.
6 Differences Between a Fractional Marketing Manager and an Internal Hire.
Commitment
Internal Hire
Full-time position.
Employee-employer relationship.
Fractional Marketing Manager
Scope of service can change with your needs
A trusted partner
External to your business
Cost
Internal Hire
Annual salary
Benefits and overhead expenses
You pay for the position
Fractional Marketing Manager
Monthly service fee
Option for additional projects and services when they come up
No benefits or overhead
You pay for the work, not the position
TIME
Internal Hire
Slower to get marketing activities started
Takes time for an internal hire to integrate with your company and team
Required to conform to processes and systems already in place
Fractional Marketing Manager
Fast acting
Has systems, processes and a team already in place
Is not restricted by internal communications and chain of command
Multiple marketing activities can happen at once
Expertise
Internal Hire
Will become an expert of your business and brand
Immersion in a business can mean less exposure to outside marketing trends, tools and techniques
Fractional Marketing Manager
Will become an expert in your business and brand
Exposed to marketing tactics, tools and techniques from across sectors
Approach your marketing with a broad perspective
Competitive nature of the marketing industry means
they are always at the top of their game
Scalability
Internal Hire
Limited by the number of on-staff marketing people and the skills and experience they bring to the table
Fractional Marketing Manager
An FMM has no restrictions on talent or marketing channels
Can work with an unrestricted number of marketing professionals
Will choose the best of the best to ensure
high-quality, efficient workAll pistons can be firing at once
Boundaries
Internal Hire
Roles and responsibilities are defined when they are hired
At risk of scope-creep and getting bogged down in side quests
May or may not feel able to enforce boundaries depending on your business culture
Fractional Marketing Manager
Roles and responsibilities can be negotiated over time
Scope of services can change with your marketing goals
Position external to your business means a lower risk of scope creep
Your FMM is an equal and can protect professional boundaries with confidence
Work With Matty G Digital As Your Fractional Marketing Manager For Less That The Cost Of An Internal Hire
A custom marketing plan, 2 calls monthly, and activities for all tactics
Ads
Email
Search engines
Social media
Video
Web design
Trust an expert who knows what they are doing to handle your marketing.
As a business owner, trying to decide whether to hire a marketing person internally or to hire a Fractional Marketing Manager is an important choice. Both have their place, but for most businesses focused on growing and making money an FMM can get you the results you need for less.
When you invest in an experienced Fractional Marketing Manager like Matty G Digital, you are investing in your business and letting yourself take back the time it would take to train, integrate and guide an internal hire. Instead, you can place the responsibility of marketing your business into the hands of an expert and get back to what you are best at: running your business.
If you want to know more about how Matty G Digital's Fractional Marketing Manager services can help take your business to the next level, book a call with Matt, your local digital marketing expert.
