Fractional marketer cost and scope

A fractional marketer is an experienced marketer who works for your business part-time, usually for a fixed monthly fee, and takes responsibility for strategy and results rather than single tasks. In Canada, the cost depends mostly on scope: running one channel such as Google Ads is at the lower end, while leading all of your marketing, managing other suppliers and reporting to you is at the higher end. With me, outsourced marketing for one channel starts at $750 a month, and full outsourcing is quoted individually after a short call.

The fractional model sits between hiring a freelancer for a project and hiring a full-time marketing manager. For many small and mid-sized businesses, it is the most cost-effective way to get senior marketing thinking without a full salary.

What a fractional marketer actually does

The title sounds fancy, but the work is concrete. A typical month might include:

• Strategy and planning. Setting priorities, budget by channel, targets for the quarter.
• Hands-on execution of core channels. For me that means Google Ads, Meta ads, SEO, the website, analytics and CRM.
• Coordinating other suppliers. A designer, a photographer, a copywriter, or the partners who handle TikTok or LinkedIn ads.
• Reporting. A monthly report with the numbers that matter: leads, cost per lead, customers, revenue from marketing.
• Being the marketing person on call. Answering questions from you or your team, reviewing ideas, checking suppliers' quotes.

The key difference from a freelancer is ownership. A freelancer delivers what you ask. A fractional marketer tells you what to ask for and is accountable for whether it works.

How fractional marketers usually charge

There are three common models:

Rates vary widely across Canada depending on experience and the size of the role, so be careful with any single number you read online. What matters is comparing scope: hours, channels, deliverables and who does the hands-on work.

My prices as a reference point

Here is how outsourced marketing looks with me. All prices are in Canadian dollars.

• One channel managed, for example Google Ads or Meta ads: from $750 a month for Google Ads and from $700 for Meta ads.
• Google and Meta together: $1,200 setup and $1,200 a month for management.
• SEO and Google Maps: from $1,000 a month.
• Full outsourcing of your marketing, covering several channels, strategy, suppliers and reporting: quoted individually, because the scope differs too much between businesses.
• Advice without execution: consultation at $70 an hour, if you have a team that does the work and you need direction.

The first step for most clients is a marketing audit and strategy for $2,400, so you and I both know exactly what the monthly work will focus on. Ad budgets are always separate and paid by you directly to Google or Meta. The full overview is on my outsourced marketing page.

Fractional marketer vs full-time hire

Hiring a full-time marketing manager in Canada means a salary, benefits, payroll costs, software, training and the time it takes to recruit. You also get one person with one set of skills. A fractional marketer usually costs a fraction of that and brings experience from many businesses.

The trade-offs:

• Availability. A full-time employee is in your office every day. A fractional marketer is available on agreed terms. I reply within one business day, which suits most small businesses.
• Company knowledge. An employee learns your business deeply over time. A fractional marketer needs a good brief and regular contact to keep up.
• Range. An employee is usually strong in one or two areas. A fractional marketer often brings a wider toolkit, plus a network of partners.
• Commitment. Ending employment is complicated. A fractional contract with me has no minimum term and ends with one month's notice.

A full-time hire usually makes sense when marketing work fills a whole week, every week, and you need someone inside the team. Before that point, fractional is usually more efficient. My article on when to hire a marketer goes through the signs.

What you need to provide

A fractional marketer is only as good as the access and information they get. To make it work:

• A brief: your services, margins, best customers, goals and capacity.
• Access to your ad accounts, analytics, website and Google Business Profile, all registered in your name.
• A decision-maker who answers within a day or two and approves copy.
• Honest numbers: what sells, what does not, what customers say.

In return, you should expect a written agreement, clear deadlines and monthly reporting. My process is described step by step on the how I work page.

Signs it is a good fit

• You spend money on marketing but nobody owns the overall result.
• You have suppliers (a web designer, an ads person, a printer) who do not talk to each other.
• You know marketing should do more for the business but do not have time to manage it.
• You have a budget for marketing and ads, and you are ready to make decisions.

It is not a good fit if you have no budget for ads or development, or if you are not yet sure what you sell and to whom. In that case, start with a consultation or a strategy, not a monthly retainer.

What the first three months usually look like

Month one is about foundations: the audit or strategy, access to every account, fixing tracking so the numbers can be trusted, and agreeing on targets. Month two is when campaigns go live or get rebuilt, landing pages are improved and the first report arrives. By month three there is enough data to see what works, cut what does not and decide where the next dollar goes. Expect improvement over this period, not miracles in week two; anyone promising the latter is guessing.

How to choose a fractional marketer

Ask for case studies with numbers in businesses similar to yours, ask who does the hands-on work, and check that all accounts stay in your name. Make sure the reporting will show leads and revenue, not just clicks and impressions. And trust your instinct on communication: you will be talking to this person every week, so clear, direct answers on the first call are a good sign.