The First 90 Days of a Fractional CMO - What Actually Happens

When you hire a Fractional CMO or Iinterim Marketing Director, the first 90 days are crucial.

They’re not just about activity - they’re about alignment.

Because most marketing problems don’t come from lack of ideas or effort, they come from a lack of structure, clarity, and focus.

That’s what the first three months are designed to fix.

Month 1 - Audit, Align, and Assess

The first 30 days are about understanding where you are, not rushing to “do more marketing.”

A good Fractional CMO begins with diagnosis before prescription.

Step 1 - Discovery and Stakeholder Alignment

The goal here is to get under the skin of your business and find out:

• What are your growth goals?

• Who are your customers (and how do they buy)?

• What’s worked, what hasn’t, and why?

They’ll hold structured interviews with the leadership team, sales, and marketing to map out alignment (or lack of it).

It's amazing how many organisations can't answer the three questions above or it will be a case of different people giving different answers.

Possible deliverable: Stakeholder alignment summary - identifying goals, priorities, and disconnects.

Step 2 - Marketing Ecosystem Audit

Next comes the audit phase - a deep dive into your marketing performance, tech stack, and spend.

Typical areas reviewed include:

• Strategy and positioning

• Brand and messaging consistency

• Channel performance (SEO, paid, social, email, etc.)

• Team structure and agency relationships

• Budget allocation and ROI

This is where the “invisible leaks” appear, the places where time, money, or opportunity are slipping away.

Possible deliverable: Marketing Health Report - a clear view of what’s working, what’s not, and what needs fixing first.

Step 3 - Commercial Focus

Finally, the first month ends by reconnecting marketing with business outcomes.

That means asking questions like:

• “How does marketing feed revenue?”

• “Where are the highest-margin opportunities?”

• “How do we measure success beyond vanity metrics?”

Possible deliverable: Marketing-to-Revenue Map - showing how every marketing activity ties to a commercial goal.

Month 2 - Strategy, Structure, and Systems

By the second month, the foundations are set. Now, it’s about building the plan.

A Fractional CMO focuses on three core outputs: strategy, structure, and systems.

Step 4 - Marketing Strategy and Roadmap

This is where direction becomes visible.

A Traction Plan (or similar roadmap) defines:

• Positioning and audience priorities

• Messaging framework and key campaigns

• 90-day, 6-month, and 12-month milestones

• Budget and channel allocation

• Clear KPIs tied to revenue

Possible deliverable: Marketing Traction Plan - a roadmap that everyone in the business can understand.

Step 5 - Team and Partner Alignment

Fractional CMOs don’t just write plans - they make them work. That means reviewing who’s doing what in terms of:

• Clarifying internal team roles.

• Re-aligning agencies to the new strategy.

• Introducing clearer scopes and reporting cadence.

Asking: “Are our agencies focused on the right outcomes?” and “Do our internal marketers have what they need to deliver?”

Possible deliverable: Marketing Org Map - a structure for people, partners, and process that drives efficiency and accountability.

Step 6 - Systems for Consistency

Next comes systemisation - turning marketing from ad hoc into predictable.

Typical improvements include:

• Streamlining reporting dashboards.

• Building campaign templates and briefing forms.

• Introducing weekly “marketing huddles.”

• Setting OKRs and KPIs with owners and due dates.

Possible deliverable: Marketing Dashboard and Cadence Calendar - the operating system for accountability.

Month 3 - Traction, Coaching, and Quick Wins

By month three, the strategy is in place. Now, it’s time to drive results.

This is the stage where the Fractional CMO shifts from diagnosis to momentum-building.

Step 7 - Launch, Test, and Learn

Campaigns start rolling out with clear goals and measurement. The focus is on quick wins that build confidence:

• Re-launching underperforming campaigns with refined targeting.

• Activating lead-nurture workflows.

• Publishing thought leadership or brand messaging updates.

The point isn’t to “do more”, it’s to do the *right things better*.

Possible deliverable: Performance Tracker - early indicators of ROI from new campaigns and process improvements.

Step 8 - Team Coaching and Leadership

Fractional CMOs often act as player-coaches, leading by example while mentoring the internal team.

This might include:

• Weekly one-to-ones with marketing managers.

• Building confidence in reporting and decision-making.

• Helping leadership teams interpret marketing performance data.

Possible deliverable: Team Enablement Plan - ensuring the business can sustain improvements after the engagement ends.

Step 9 - Review, Refine, and Decide What’s Next

At the end of 90 days, a good Fractional CMO will step back and ask:

1. “What’s changed?”

2. “What’s working best?”

3. “Where should we focus next?”

The engagement often evolves here:

• Some businesses continue fractional support (1-2 days per week).

• Others transition to in-house teams using the systems built.

• Some expand into growth planning, demand generation, or re-branding.

Possible deliverable: 90-Day Review + Recommendations - a clear summary of impact, learnings, and next steps.

The Tangible Results You Can Expect

After the first 90 days, most clients see measurable progress such as:

• 15-30% increase in marketing efficiency

• Clear reporting linked to revenue outcomes

• Stronger alignment between sales and marketing

• More confident, focused teams

• A strategy everyone understands and believes in

The first 90 days of a fractional marketing engagement set the tone for everything that follows.

You’ll go from “busy but unfocused” to "clear, structured, and accountable", with a roadmap that drives results, not just activity.