Marketing is often one of the biggest challenges small business owners face—especially when you're managing everything else in the business. For many local businesses in South East Melbourne, hiring a full-time marketing manager just isn’t financially viable. That’s where a Fractional CMO can offer real value.

This article explains what a Fractional CMO is, how the service works, and how it can support local businesses with tailored strategy, hands-on execution, and consistent growth—without the overhead of a full marketing agency.

What is a Fractional CMO?

A Fractional CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) is a part-time marketing strategist who joins your business to help you plan and lead your marketing efforts. You get the experience and leadership of a seasoned marketer, without paying a full-time salary or signing long-term contracts.

Instead of working on one-off campaigns or jumping from tactic to tactic, a Fractional CMO takes a bigger-picture view—looking at your goals, customer journey, budget, and current marketing channels to develop and implement a growth strategy that makes sense for your business.

Why It Makes Sense for Local Businesses

Small businesses in South East Melbourne—whether you're a service-based trade, retail store, or eCommerce brand—often struggle with:

• Wasting money on ads that don’t convert
• Inconsistent branding or messaging
• Relying on freelancers without strategy
• Not knowing what’s working or how to measure success
• Feeling unsure about where to focus marketing efforts

A Fractional CMO helps simplify these problems by aligning your marketing to your business goals, managing the execution, and reviewing performance across all your channels.

What You Can Expect from Fractional CMO Services

These are the core areas I support South East Melbourne businesses with:

1. Marketing Strategy

I work with you to develop a tailored strategy that fits your goals and budget. Whether you need to increase local foot traffic, improve online visibility, or grow your leads, we’ll map out a clear plan of attack.

If you’re unsure where to start with your marketing or feeling overwhelmed by all the digital options, this step alone can bring clarity and direction. I also help businesses choose the right channels—whether that’s Google Ads, social media, SEO, email, or a mix.

For more insights into the differences between performance marketing and digital marketing, this article breaks it down clearly.

2. Campaign Execution

Unlike some consultants who hand over a strategy and leave, I get hands-on with implementation. That means briefing designers, writing ad copy, managing freelancers, or running your campaigns myself, depending on your needs.

Whether you're using Google Ads, email marketing, or a combination of platforms, I’ll manage the rollout to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

3. Ongoing Optimisation

We don’t just “set and forget.” Marketing is an ongoing process, so I regularly review results, optimise your campaigns, test creative, and shift the budget where it's working best.

That means you’re always moving forward, not just guessing or repeating the same tactics with diminishing returns. If you’re running Google Ads, I also use strategies covered in our Performance Max campaign guide to improve reach and ROI.

Local Knowledge, Real Results

Because I work with businesses across South East Melbourne—including suburbs like Oakleigh, Bentleigh, Murrumbeena, Carnegie, Caulfield, Clayton, and Chadstone—I understand the unique challenges and opportunities in this area.

For businesses who want to improve local visibility, I often recommend a combination of hyper-local SEO (including Google My Business optimisations) and targeted Google Ads to reach customers searching for your services nearby.

What Types of Businesses Benefit from a Fractional CMO?

Fractional CMO services are ideal for:

• Service-based businesses like plumbers, electricians, mechanics and trades
• Health and wellness brands
• Local retailers and cafes
• eCommerce stores looking to scale
• Founders who are too busy to manage their own marketing but want someone to “own” the process

If you’re unsure whether your business is a good fit, you might like our guide on choosing a digital marketing agency for small businesses.

Common Questions

How often would a Fractional CMO work with my business?

That depends on your needs. Some businesses require just 5–10 hours per week, while others may need a larger engagement during peak campaigns. It’s flexible and tailored to your budget.

Do I still need to hire a marketing assistant or agency?

Not necessarily. Many of my clients already have a VA, designer, or paid ads specialist. I act as the strategist and coordinator to make sure those pieces all work together. If you need external support, I can help source and brief the right people.

Can this work if I already have marketing in place?

Yes. In fact, it’s often ideal. I regularly work with internal teams to streamline processes, reduce waste, and align the strategy so everyone’s pulling in the same direction.

A Smarter Way to Grow Your Business

You don’t need a big team to get big results. What you need is direction, consistency, and someone who knows what to prioritise at each stage of growth.

If you're a South East Melbourne business owner and you’re ready to stop guessing and start growing, get in touch. I offer flexible Fractional CMO support tailored to where you’re at and where you want to go—without the full-time overhead or drawn-out agency contracts.