Hire a CMO or go fractional?
A marketing director costs far more than their salary, and many SMBs only need a few days of leadership a month. Compare the employer cost of a salaried CMO with fractional marketing leadership, in 30 seconds.
Three minutes, a clear picture
Many SMBs are stuck between two extremes: no marketing leadership at all (everyone moves without a heading), or a heavy, costly, risky hire. In between sits fractional leadership: an experienced marketing director, a few days a month, who frames the strategy, sets priorities and steers execution. This simulator compares the employer cost of a salaried CMO (gross plus employer contributions) with the yearly cost of fractional leadership based on the volume of days you actually need. The salaried cost shown includes neither recruitment, nor onboarding, nor benefits: the real gap is usually larger.
- 01Enter your situationYour industry and a few numbers are enough to get started.
- 02See the impact liveThe result and the comparison update with every adjustment.
- 03Take actionGet your personalized action plan, quantified and prioritized.
For an SMB, 2 to 6 days a month is usually enough.
The salaried cost includes neither recruitment (often 15 to 25% of gross), nor onboarding, nor benefits: the real gap is usually larger.
Indicative estimate, based on our median results and on market benchmarks (Google Ads, Gartner, 2025 studies). Your real numbers depend on your offer and your starting point. We refine them during an audit.
What you should know
Where does the employer cost factor come from?
It is an order of magnitude for employer contributions on an executive salary. The real employer cost varies with status and benefits; the simulator uses a deliberately prudent figure, which includes neither recruitment cost (often 15 to 25% of gross) nor onboarding.
Are a few days a month really enough?
For most SMBs, yes. Leadership work (framing, prioritizing, arbitrating, steering the team and providers) concentrates on key moments; execution is carried by the team and partners. That is exactly the fractional model: the impact of a CMO, without the cost of a full-time hire.
When does hiring become relevant again?
When the need for leadership durably exceeds 8 to 10 days a month, or when marketing becomes a central competitive advantage justifying daily presence. Fractional leadership often serves as the transition: it structures, recruits and hands over.
What does fractional marketing leadership include?
Strategy and positioning, plan and budget, priorities, steering of internal execution and providers, and clear reporting to leadership. A leadership role, not an executant: we decide, prioritize and stay accountable.