Series A Marketing: Do You Need a Fractional CMO?

You just closed your Series A. The wire hit. You have 18-24 months of runway and aggressive growth targets. The board expects you to scale from $1M ARR to $5M+ ARR—and marketing is supposed to help get you there.

But here's the problem: marketing at post-Series A companies is fundamentally different from what got you here. Founder-led sales, word-of-mouth referrals, and scrappy growth hacks won't scale. You need real marketing infrastructure, real marketing strategy, and real marketing leadership.

The question is: should that leader be a fractional CMO, a full-time hire, or something else entirely?

Post-Series A Marketing Challenges

The Transition from Founder-Led to Scalable Growth

Most pre-Series A companies grow through founder hustle:

• Personal networks generating early customers
• Outbound from the founding team
• Conference appearances and thought leadership
• Word-of-mouth from early adopters

These channels got you to Series A, but they don't scale. Founders can't keep doing outbound forever. Your network has limits. Word-of-mouth grows linearly, not exponentially.

Post-Series A, you need marketing that can:

• Generate qualified pipeline predictably
• Work without constant founder involvement
• Scale with increasing investment
• Produce measurable, reportable results

Investor Expectations Post-Series A

Your Series A investors have expectations about marketing—even if they haven't articulated them clearly:

Pipeline attribution: They want to know what percentage of pipeline comes from marketing (vs. founder-led, sales-sourced, partnerships).

Efficiency metrics: CAC, payback periods, LTV:CAC ratios—they'll ask about these in board meetings.

Scalable channels: Evidence that you've found marketing channels that can grow with budget.

Professional execution: Investors get nervous when marketing looks amateurish. Brand, website, content—these signal credibility.

Growth trajectory: Month-over-month improvement in key metrics. Not just activity, but results.

Investors know that Series B will be much harder to raise without a marketing engine that works.

The Timeline Pressure

You have roughly 18-24 months between Series A and when you need to raise Series B (or achieve profitability). The marketing timeline works against you:

Months 1-3: Assess current state, develop strategy, start building foundations Months 4-6: Implement systems, begin experimenting with channels Months 7-12: Optimize what's working, scale proven channels Months 12-18: Marketing engine should be performing; prepare Series B materials

That's not much time—especially if you spend the first 6 months without proper marketing leadership.

Building Your Post-Series A Marketing Foundation

The Marketing Stack You Need

Before scaling anything, you need infrastructure:

Analytics and Attribution:

• Website analytics (GA4 at minimum)
• Marketing automation platform
• Attribution system (understanding what drives pipeline)
• Dashboard for reporting to board

Lead Management:

• CRM properly integrated with marketing
• Lead scoring and qualification processes
• Sales and marketing alignment on definitions
• Handoff processes that work

Content Foundation:

• Updated website that converts
• Core content assets (case studies, comparison pages, use case pages)
• Lead magnets and conversion points
• Basic SEO foundation

Demand Generation Infrastructure:

• Email marketing capabilities
• Paid advertising accounts and tracking
• Retargeting pixels installed
• Testing and optimization frameworks

Without these foundations, spending money on marketing is like pouring water into a leaky bucket.

The Strategy You Need

Post-Series A marketing strategy should answer:

Positioning: How do you differentiate in your market? What story do you tell?

Target segments: Which customer segments should you focus on? (Hint: not "everyone")

Channel strategy: Which marketing channels will drive scalable growth? In what order?

Resource allocation: How should budget be split between brand, demand gen, and infrastructure?

Timeline and milestones: What should marketing achieve by months 6, 12, and 18?

This strategy work requires senior marketing judgment—not just tactical execution.

The Team You Need to Build

Post-Series A companies typically need to build marketing capability. But what does that team look like?

Option 1: Small internal team + agencies

• 1-2 marketing generalists internally
• Specialized agencies for execution (paid, content, design)
• Works well if strategy is clear and agency relationships are managed well

Option 2: Specialized internal hires

• Demand gen specialist
• Content/product marketing
• Marketing ops
• More control, slower to build

Option 3: Marketing leader + lean team

• Experienced marketing leader (fractional or full-time)
• 1-2 junior/mid-level executors
• Strong leadership, appropriate leverage

The right structure depends on your specific situation—but you need someone with strategic judgment guiding the build.

Fractional vs. Full-Time CMO: The Series A Decision

The Case for a Fractional CMO

Cost efficiency: A fractional CMO costs $5,000-$15,000/month vs. $300,000-$450,000 total compensation for a full-time CMO. That's significant runway savings.

Faster time to impact: Fractional CMOs can start immediately. Full-time searches take 3-6 months.

Experience density: Fractional CMOs have often built marketing at 5-15 companies. They bring pattern recognition and proven playbooks.

Flexibility: If your needs change or it's not working, fractional engagements are easier to adjust than full-time hires.

No mis-hire risk: Hiring the wrong full-time CMO is expensive (salary, equity, lost time). Fractional engagements let you find the right fit before committing.

The Case for a Full-Time CMO

Full-time attention: A fractional CMO splits time across multiple companies. A full-time CMO is 100% focused on you.

Deep organizational integration: Full-time executives can be more embedded in company culture and cross-functional work.

Equity alignment: Full-time CMOs with significant equity have long-term skin in the game.

Perception: Some investors and stakeholders prefer seeing a full-time executive team.

The Hybrid Path (Most Common)

Many Series A companies take a hybrid approach:

Phase 1: Fractional CMO (months 0-6)

• Assess current state
• Develop strategy
• Build foundation
• Start hiring team
• Prove marketing can work

Phase 2: Fractional + building team (months 6-12)

• Fractional CMO continues strategic leadership
• Hire marketing team members
• Transfer operational responsibilities
• Define what full-time CMO needs to look like

Phase 3: Full-time CMO (months 12-18)

• Fractional CMO helps with search and selection
• Onboards and transitions new CMO
• Exits or transitions to advisory

This approach gets you moving immediately, proves out marketing before committing to a full-time hire, and helps you make a better full-time decision when you're ready.

What to Look for in a Series A Fractional CMO

Stage-Appropriate Experience

Enterprise marketing experience doesn't translate to Series A. Look for someone who has:

• Built marketing at multiple Series A/B stage companies
• Worked with limited budgets and resources
• Built marketing teams from scratch
• Hands-on execution experience (not just strategy)
• Understanding of startup pace and trade-offs

Go-to-Market Expertise for Your Model

Series A companies need to nail go-to-market. Your fractional CMO should understand:

If you're B2B SaaS:

• Demand generation and pipeline marketing
• Account-based approaches
• Sales and marketing alignment
• SaaS metrics and benchmarks

If you're product-led growth:

• Product-led funnels and activation
• Self-serve optimization
• Usage-based marketing
• Community and word-of-mouth

If you're enterprise sales:

• ABM and targeted programs
• Sales enablement
• Long sales cycle marketing
• Executive engagement

Chemistry with Founders

At Series A, the fractional CMO will work closely with founders. Chemistry matters:

• Can they communicate with you effectively?
• Do they push back appropriately?
• Do they understand your vision?
• Can they earn the respect of your team?

Proven Results

Ask for specific examples:

• Companies they've worked with at similar stages
• Specific results achieved (pipeline generated, efficiency improvements)
• How they measure and report on marketing performance
• References from founder/CEO relationships

Structuring the Engagement

Time Commitment

Situation	Hours/Month	Investment
Strategy + oversight	10-15 hours	$4,000-$7,000
Active leadership	20-30 hours	$8,000-$12,000
Intensive building	40-50 hours	$12,000-$18,000

Most Series A companies need the "active leadership" level—enough involvement to drive strategy and oversee execution, while remaining cost-effective.

Scope Definition

Be specific about responsibilities:

Strategic:

• Marketing strategy development
• Budget allocation recommendations
• Channel and campaign strategy
• Team structure and hiring guidance

Operational:

• Marketing team management
• Vendor/agency oversight
• Campaign oversight and optimization
• Reporting to founders/board

Executional:

• Hands-on campaign work
• Content creation
• Process implementation
• Tool setup

Clarify expectations upfront to avoid misalignment.

Success Metrics

Define how you'll evaluate the engagement:

Leading indicators (months 1-3):

• Marketing strategy documented
• Infrastructure improvements
• Team development progress
• Early campaign results

Core metrics (months 3-6+):

• Marketing-sourced pipeline
• CAC trend
• Lead volume and quality
• Conversion rates

Ultimate goal:

• Marketing contributing meaningful portion of pipeline
• Repeatable, scalable channels identified
• Team capable of executing
• Board confident in marketing trajectory

Red Flags to Avoid

In Fractional CMO Candidates

• No experience at your stage (only enterprise or only seed)
• Can't explain their impact in business terms
• Focus on tactics before understanding your business
• Want to "rebuild everything" without assessing what works
• No references from similar-stage companies
• Can't commit appropriate time

In Your Own Expectations

• Expecting immediate pipeline impact (marketing takes time to build)
• Not providing adequate budget for campaigns (a CMO without budget can't drive results)
• Wanting strategy without execution support
• Thinking marketing will replace founder-led sales entirely
• Not making time for collaboration and feedback

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should Series A companies spend on marketing?

Typical Series A marketing budgets (including team, tools, and campaigns) range from $30,000-$100,000/month depending on your model. B2B companies with sales teams often spend more on demand gen; PLG companies may spend more on product and less on traditional marketing.

Can we just hire a VP of Marketing instead of a CMO?

You could, but consider: a strong fractional CMO costs similar to a VP Marketing salary but brings executive-level experience. VPs need guidance and management that founders often can't provide. A fractional CMO can help you hire and develop a VP later.

How long until marketing generates meaningful pipeline?

With the right leadership and investment, expect 4-6 months to see meaningful pipeline impact. Earlier wins are possible from quick fixes (website optimization, email sequences), but building scalable channels takes time.

Should we wait until we've hired a marketing team?

No—this is backwards. A fractional CMO can help you hire the right team. Hiring marketing people without strategic leadership often results in wrong hires or misdirected effort.

What if our Series A investors want us to hire a full-time CMO?

Discuss the hybrid approach. Most sophisticated investors understand the value of fractional leadership—especially if you explain the plan to transition to full-time when ready. Many investors have seen the damage from premature, wrong CMO hires.

Making the Decision

Post-Series A marketing is a critical growth driver. You have limited time to build marketing capability, and the decisions you make now will compound through your Series B and beyond.

A fractional CMO can help you move faster, make better decisions, and build a marketing foundation that scales—all while preserving cash and equity for when you're ready for full-time leadership.

Ready to explore fractional CMO options for your Series A company?

FractionalChiefs connects Series A companies with experienced fractional CMOs who specialize in early-stage growth. Our network includes executives who've built marketing at dozens of venture-backed companies.

Find Your Fractional CMO

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This guide reflects current best practices for post-Series A marketing leadership. Last updated: February 2026.