In a city as competitive as Chicago, marketing teams face constant pressure to perform. With more than 100,000 businesses competing for attention, even well-researched and creative campaigns can fall flat without exemplary leadership and coordination. Success depends on fresh ideas and having a strong marketing team structure guided by an expert strategy.

A Chicago-based FCMO offers executive-level marketing leadership on a part-time basis, helping teams align resources, streamline operations, and deliver measurable results without the cost of a full-time CMO.

In this guide, we'll explore how Chicago fractional marketing services can support your marketing team, how they differ from consultants, and what they cost.

What Are the Duties of a Fractional CMO?

When marketing teams need proper guidance, a fractional CMO is the best person to provide support and direction. They bring strong leadership, communication, and collaboration skills that can turn any team into a well-oiled marketing machine.

A fractional CMO or chief marketing officer is a C-level executive who provides professional guidance and feedback to marketing teams. They are only hired on a part-time or project basis, you can avoid paying full-time benefits, like monthly salaries, or health insurance.

The fractional CMO has many duties that aid a company's marketing efforts. They are more focused on providing general, all-around digital marketing services that result in measurable growth and results for the client.

Some Chicago fractional CMO services include, but are not limited to:

• Marketing leadership
• Brand management
• Market research
• Competitor analysis
• Campaign development
• Results and progress tracking
• Digital marketing channels
• Search engine optimization
• Email marketing
• Content marketing
• Website design and development
• Marketing compliance

If hiring a Chicago digital marketing agency to address your marketing needs, differentiate between an FCMO and other marketing experts. Once you understand the duties of a fractional CMO, it becomes clearer how they differ from consultants.

What Is the Difference Between a Marketing Consultant and a Fractional CMO?

A marketing consultant and a fractional CMO are great options for marketing expertise and assistance. Their distinct characteristics help determine which is a better fit for your company.

The marketing consultant is an ideal choice for specific, short-term problems. They offer specialized services focusing on one area instead of a fractional CMO covering multiple regions.

You could bring a marketing consultant, like a coming-and-going advisor, on board for urgent matters. They offer suggestions and opinions, but you must handle the rest. Bigger companies and enterprises with larger budgets and more experience mostly hire marketing consultants.

A fractional CMO is ideal for general services and long-term success. They provide ongoing support and have a direct hand in planning and executing marketing initiatives. They are usually hired by smaller companies and startups that don't have the budget or experience for effective campaigns.

With the distinction in mind, who benefits most from hiring a fractional CMO in Chicago?

Who Typically Hires a Fractional CMO in Chicago?

A fractional CMO is hired by any company that needs marketing leadership and expertise.  

Fractional CMOs have experience working in multiple industries, so they're adaptable to any situation. They can help brands achieve new levels of growth and success through personalized campaigns and data-driven marketing.

How Much Does a Fractional CMO Cost in Chicago?

The true price of a fractional CMO may vary depending on their rates, especially in a competitive city like Chicago. The Chicago business market is highly competitive, making it challenging to determine the standard rate.

Fractional CMOs can work anywhere from five to 20 hours a week, and some may even work 50-60 hours a month. This work arrangement also makes them more affordable than full-time CMOs. 

7 Ways a Chicago Fractional CMO Strengthens Your Marketing Team Structure

A well-coordinated team can mean the difference between success and failure in marketing. Fractional CMOs aren't just marketing pros, but also leaders who bring cohesion and efficiency to the table. Below are some reasons to hire an FCMO to support a marketing team in Chicago:

1. Setting up a Marketing Department

Forming a full-fledged marketing team structure may be difficult for growing companies and startups. This could be due to a lack of marketing experience, defined roles, and set expectations.

Here is where a fractional CMO's expertise comes in handy. Not only do they have experience working with various teams, but they also understand what is needed to form an effective team or department.

FCMOs help define clear roles and responsibilities by assessing each team member's strengths and weaknesses. These marketing experts communicate expectations clearly so everyone understands their role and how their performance will be measured. They delegate tasks to the best-suited team members, ensuring the best quality possible.

Fractional CMOs help set concrete goals and KPIs that align with the company's objectives. They help integrate tools and software to ensure an optimized marketing workflow for maximum efficiency. 

2. Scaling a Marketing Team

As businesses grow and market demands constantly change, some companies lack enough manpower to accommodate this. Scaling marketing operations with a Chicago fractional CMO is a wise solution. Fractional CMOs develop solutions that allow the company to respond to changes without sacrificing quality.

Understaffed teams can significantly benefit from an FCMO's help as they can respond to market shifts by bringing more people on board. This is especially useful during peak season, such as the holidays, or larger-scale campaigns that require greater manpower.

3. Hiring and Training Marketing Team Members

When a company lacks employees with sufficient marketing experience, Fractional CMOs also help grow the team by hiring, training, and onboarding new employees. They create job descriptions that clearly outline the role the company is looking for. They can even provide input during the screening and interviewing to narrow down the candidates to the best.

A good onboarding process is key to maintaining retention among employees. FCMOs help train and onboard new candidates by sharing relevant learning materials, such as guides, marketing resources, videos, tutorials, and more.

FCMOs also provide insights into the company's values and goals to give employees a clear picture of what the company does and what it's trying to achieve. As a leader, the FCMO is also responsible for giving positive and negative feedback on employee performance. This creates an environment of continuous learning and resolving channel conflicts, where the marketing team can learn from its mistakes.

4. Resolving Marketing Team Conflicts

Not everyone on the marketing team will be on the same page. Conflicts and disagreements are inevitable and will affect the team's efficiency and morale. Marketing channels, such as manufacturers and distributors, can conflict, causing delays and unsatisfied customers. FCMOs have enough leadership experience to mediate conflicts and get the team back on the same page. 

When two or more parties disagree, the FCMO can intervene as an outside party and provide a new perspective. As the two sides explain their positions, the FCMO provides its input in a way that ensures all parties are heard.

The FCMO builds trust and communication between team members. They ensure everyone works together harmoniously to achieve a common goal. It's their job to create an environment built on unity and positivity rather than division.

5. Allocating Marketing Resources

If a team lacks the right marketing experience, it will likely allocate its budget and resources to the wrong places. Having a fractional CMO on board is a good way to prevent this.

One way they accomplish this is by prioritizing high-value marketing initiatives. Because these deliver the highest return on investment, the FCMO invests the most resources and reduces low-value or underperforming processes.

The FCMO also analyzes your financial situation. If you have a limited budget, the FCMO develops budget-friendly campaigns that are just as effective and deliver a high return on investment.

In addition to funds and resources, the FCMO finds ways to save time wherever possible. They incorporate tools and technologies that automate or streamline tedious administrative tasks, allowing the team to dedicate time to essential marketing efforts and core competencies.

6. Helping Team Members Gain Confidence

It's normal for anyone on the marketing team to feel overwhelmed or doubtful about their efforts, especially those who are inexperienced. When things are tough for the team, the FCMO instills confidence and motivation.

As someone in a leadership role, the FCMO helps team members address moments of difficulty or uncertainty and overcome them with empathy and encouragement. They also provide additional learning opportunities, such as resources or training workshops, and offer feedback to motivate team members.

Celebrating wins with your team, no matter how big or small, is good. Recognizing small victories is a great way to boost morale and give your team the confidence to accomplish more.

7. Offering an Objective Perspective

Inexperienced marketing teams often create campaigns without prior research or data, making tracking results and evaluating everything objectively challenging. This is one area where an FCMO excels. They develop marketing strategies grounded in research and factual data rather than relying on biases or assumptions. 

This research-driven approach also eliminates guesswork and gives the team insights into what's proven to work and what isn't. This makes their marketing efforts more impactful and prevents wasting time on unsubstantiated tactics.

FAQs About Building a Marketing Team Structure

Let's round out the picture by addressing frequently asked questions about building a marketing team structure.

What Is the Basic Marketing Team Structure?

A basic marketing team structure varies from company to company. A general team setup may include a chief marketing officer at the top, followed by a marketing manager or director. Other vital roles in this structure may include:

• Marketing managers
• Account managers
• Digital marketing managers
• Social media managers
• Paid ad specialists
• Brand specialists
• Product specialists
• Email marketing specialists
• SEO specialists
• Writers (In-house or freelance)

Without an FCMO, marketing teams, especially growing or inexperienced ones, may struggle with a lack of strategic vision. A fractional CMO oversees all these roles and ensures everyone does their part.  

What is the Hierarchy of a Marketing Department?

The hierarchy of a marketing team structure may vary depending on different factors. Companies are moving away from the traditional model of full-time leadership in favor of hiring executives for only a fraction of their time. This flexible model allows businesses to benefit from expert leadership, like a fractional CMO, without the commitment of a full-time salary.

The general breakdown starts with a chief marketing officer as the senior-most position. They are executive-level professionals responsible for overseeing and leading an entire marketing department. The following are more geared toward mid-level or managerial positions:

• Marketing director: Leads and executes marketing strategies set by the CMO
• Marketing manager: Manages specific campaigns
• Marketing executive: Develops and executes marketing strategies through tasks like research, data analysis, and content creation.
• Digital marketing manager: This person handles all digital marketing-related tasks, such as email marketing, SEO, and social media management.
• Content marketing manager: Creates and manages content across multiple platforms.
• Email marketing specialist: Creates email marketing campaigns and handles all email-related tasks.

The following positions are usually given to entry-level employees:

• Marketing assistant: Provides administrative and marketing support to the mid-level positions
• Social media coordinator: Oversees all social media accounts of a company
• SEO specialist: Optimizes a brand's performance on the search engine and strategizes how to improve rankings
• Sales representative: Serves as the point of contact for prospective clients

With the fundamentals covered, one thing is clear: exemplary leadership can make or break your marketing success.

What Does a Fractional CMO Do Differently from a Marketing Agency?

Both fractional CMOs and marketing agencies bring tremendous value to businesses, but they serve different purposes. A fractional CMO is an extension of your leadership team, offering executive-level guidance that shapes strategy, manages internal teams, and even hires and trains new marketing talent. They focus on aligning your overall marketing team structure with long-term business goals.

Marketing agencies, on the other hand, excel at execution. Agencies provide specialized skills, creative resources, and campaign management at scale. They often bring a fractional CMO's strategic vision to life, ensuring campaigns are implemented with precision and expertise.

The two roles work best together in many cases: the fractional CMO defines the roadmap, and the marketing agency delivers the execution needed to hit ambitious growth targets. They create a powerful combination of leadership and tactical support that drives measurable results.

Create the Perfect Marketing Team Structure With an FCMO

Without strong leadership, even the most creative campaigns can fall flat. A fractional CMO gives your team the structure, expertise, and momentum to win in Chicago's competitive market. 

Digital Authority Partners is the best place to find fractional CMOs to lead your team toward achieving desired results. With years of experience working in many different fields, our team of marketing experts is ready to deliver tailored solutions that take the company to new heights.

Contact Digital Authority Partners today to book a consultation and discover how our Chicago Fractional CMO Services can elevate your marketing team.