Monthly strategy session
One focused working session each month to review results, make decisions and set priorities for the month ahead.
Fractional CMO services
Fractional CMO services for owner-led businesses
A fractional chief marketing officer for businesses doing $1–3M a year. Senior marketing leadership for owner-led ecommerce and local businesses — without a full-time CMO salary. You get the thinking and the accountability; your team, our partner team or your agency does the work.
Maximum of 4 fractional clients at a time
Senior marketing leadership, part-time
What is a fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO is a senior marketing leader who works with your business part-time, on an ongoing basis. They set the strategy, decide where the budget goes and hold every channel accountable to revenue, without the salary, benefits and recruiting cost of a full-time chief marketing officer.
For an owner-led business doing $1–3M a year, that usually means one person who owns the marketing plan across SEO, Google Ads, Google Maps, AI search, your website and your offers, and who directs whoever does the work.
TermWhat it usually means
Fractional CMOSenior marketing leader, part-time and ongoing
Part-time or virtual CMOThe same role, under a different name
Outsourced CMOThe same role, usually from a firm rather than a freelancer
Interim CMOFills a gap full-time for a few months, often while you hire
Growth strategistFocuses on the few decisions that move revenue. How we work as your growth partner
Strategy, not more busywork
You don’t need more marketing tasks. You need someone deciding which ones matter.
Most small and medium businesses have people doing marketing — but nobody owning the strategy. Budgets get spread thin, agencies report on clicks, and nobody connects the work to revenue.
A fractional CMO fixes that. You get 16+ years of SEO, Google Ads, AI search and ecommerce experience steering your marketing — for a monthly retainer instead of a six-figure salary.
A great fit if…
- You have someone to do the work — staff, freelancers or an agency — but no one setting the strategy
- You’re spending on marketing and want a senior person accountable for where it goes
- You run an online store or a local service business and want to grow without hiring a full-time CMO
Probably not a fit if…
- You need someone to log in and run campaigns day to day (see our managed services instead)
- You want a one-off answer — a fixed-scope strategy project is a better fit
What’s included
How a fractional engagement works
Async check-ins
Quick answers and course-corrections between sessions, so momentum never stalls waiting for a meeting.
Growth roadmap
A clear plan across SEO, Google Ads, Google Maps, AI search, content and ecommerce — ranked by revenue impact.
Direction for whoever executes
Your team, our partner team or another agency gets clear briefs and priorities. You stop paying for guesswork.
Data you can act on
We read your GA4, Search Console, Google Ads and store data and translate it into what to do next — in plain language.
Opportunity spotting
Untapped keywords, seasonal windows, AI visibility gaps and conversion leaks flagged before your competitors find them.
Three ways to work together
Start where it makes sense
01
Fixed-scope strategy project
A short, fixed-price project — like a ranking audit or holiday shopping revenue plan — with a clear deliverable and no ongoing commitment.
See projects 02Fractional strategist retainer
Ongoing senior strategy: a monthly session, async check-ins and a living growth roadmap. Limited to 4 clients.
Apply for a spot 03Group program
The annual Holiday Revenue Sprint for Shopify owners — learn the playbook alongside other store owners.
Join the waitlistWhen to hire a fractional CMO
If two or more of these sound familiar, let’s talk
- You’re spending on ads, SEO or an agency, but nobody can tell you what it’s returning
- Growth has stalled and you’re not sure which channel to fix first
- You’re the owner and the marketing department — and it’s eating your week
- You’re preparing for a big season, a relaunch or a platform migration
- Your agency sends reports, but no one is thinking about strategy
- You need senior guidance but can’t justify a full-time CMO salary
The rhythm
What working with a fractional CMO looks like
- Month 1
Diagnose and plan
We review your data, channels, team and competitors, then build a 90-day growth roadmap ranked by revenue impact.
- Every month
Strategy session
One focused working session: what worked, what didn’t, and the decisions and priorities for the month ahead.
- In between
Async check-ins
Quick answers, brief reviews and course-corrections by message, so your team never waits for the next meeting.
- Every quarter
Roadmap reset
We re-forecast, retire what isn’t working and double down on what is — keeping the plan tied to revenue.
Compare your options
Fractional CMO vs. full-time hire vs. typical agency
Fractional CMOFull-time CMOTypical agency
Seniority16+ years of SEO, Google Ads and ecommerce strategySenior, if you can attract oneOften a junior account manager
Cost structureMonthly retainer, no salary or benefitsFull-time salary, benefits and recruitingRetainer that bundles execution
FocusYour revenue and prioritiesYour business, full timeTheir deliverables and scope
CommitmentFlexible, strategy-only engagementLong-term employmentOften 6–12 month contracts
Who executesYour team, our partner team or your agencyNeeds a team to manageThe agency, on its own terms
Fractional CMO cost
How much does a fractional CMO cost?
Most fractional CMOs charge a monthly retainer. Some also offer hourly rates or fixed-price projects. What you pay depends on three things: how much senior time you need each month, how many channels are involved, and whether the CMO also manages your team or agencies.
Compared with a full-time CMO, you skip the salary, benefits, recruiting fees and the months it takes to hire. Compared with an agency, you pay for strategy and accountability, not bundled execution hours.
Our pricing
Fixed monthly fee
- Quoted upfront after a short fit call
- No long contract; month to month
- Execution billed separately only if you use our partner team
- Limited to 4 fractional clients at a time
Fractional CMO for ecommerce
For Shopify and ecommerce brands
Product and collection pages, Shopping and Performance Max campaigns, email, offers and seasonal peaks, planned as one system. As a Shopify Partner we know the platform, its apps and its migrations.
Ecommerce growth strategyFractional CMO for local businesses
For trades, clinics and professional firms
Phone calls, bookings and Google Maps rankings, with Google Ads, local SEO and AI search working together, and every dollar traced to a lead.
Contractor & home service marketingFractional CMO in Vancouver
Based in Vancouver, serving Canada and the US
We work with owner-led ecommerce brands and local businesses in person in Metro Vancouver and remotely across Canada and the United States.
- SEO & Google Ads in Vancouver
- SEO & Google Ads in Surrey
- SEO & Google Ads in Abbotsford
- SEO & Google Ads in Calgary
- SEO & Google Ads in Vaughan
Prefer a one-off project?
Fixed-scope strategy projects
- Brand Growth Strategy
- Holiday Shopping Revenue Plan
- GEO & SEO Ranking Audit
- Page-Pruning Audit
- 6-Month Organic Content Strategy
- Ecommerce Growth Strategy
Client reviews
Read our Google reviews Don’t take our word for it
“[Kal Marketing] has been managing all of my client SEO, Google Ads, and now AI services for 5+ years. It’s so refreshing to work with someone who cares about your clients as much as you do… [Their] reporting is amazing! You will always know (in detail) what [they are] working on, what’s working, and what we need to tweak… I highly recommend [Kal Marketing] to anyone who is ready to take their business to the next level and not sure how to do it.”
“Very happy with the work they’ve done so far. They seem to get the most out of my limited budget compared to other companies in my industry.”
“[Kal Marketing’s] marketing skills are evident as [they] navigated me through our Google Ads campaigns and answered every single question I asked until I had completely understood. The service itself has given us hundreds of leads and a surprising boost in sales after only a few short months.”
Apply
Hire a fractional CMO
Tell us about your business, your current team and what’s not working. If there’s a fit — and a spot open — we’ll set up an intro call.
- Owner-led businesses doing $1–3M a year
- Ecommerce brands and local service businesses
- Canada and the United States
- Strategy-led; execution by your team, our partner team or your agency
What is a fractional CMO?
A fractional CMO (fractional chief marketing officer) is a senior marketing leader who works with your business part-time, usually a few days a month. You get strategy, priorities and accountability at the level of a CMO for a fraction of the cost of a full-time hire.
How much does a fractional CMO cost?
Most fractional CMOs charge a monthly retainer; some also offer hourly rates or fixed-price projects. Cost depends on how much time you need, how many channels are involved and whether the CMO also manages people or agencies. We charge a fixed monthly fee quoted after a short fit call, with no long contract.
When should you hire a fractional CMO?
When you are spending real money on marketing but nobody senior owns the plan: growth has stalled, you are paying an agency without knowing what it returns, or you are preparing for a big season, relaunch or migration. For many owner-led businesses this happens somewhere between $1M and $3M in revenue.
Is a fractional CMO the same as a part-time, outsourced or interim CMO?
Mostly. Fractional, part-time, outsourced and virtual CMO all describe a senior marketer working with you part-time on an ongoing basis. An interim CMO usually fills a gap full-time for a few months, for example while you recruit.
What is the difference between a fractional CMO and a growth strategist?
A fractional CMO covers marketing leadership broadly; a growth strategist focuses on the few decisions that move revenue. Our fractional engagement combines both. See our growth strategist page for how that works.
Who does the actual work?
Whoever you already have — your in-house team, freelancers or another agency — or our partner team if you need hands. The strategist sets direction and reviews results; execution stays with the people best placed to do it.
Why only four fractional clients?
Strategy needs attention. Keeping the roster small means every client gets real thinking time, not a rushed monthly call.
How is this different from your managed services?
Managed services are done-for-you campaigns. Fractional strategy is the thinking layer: deciding what to do, in what order and why — then holding the plan accountable to revenue.