Marketing as a service or a fractional CMO: which do you need?
Hire a fractional CMO when people or vendors already do the work and you need a senior leader to direct it. Choose marketing as a service when nobody is doing the work and you need it done in your accounts every week.
Some teams need both. Levered sells fractional CMO leadership as one service in its catalog, so direction and execution can sit with the same owner.
The difference is who does the work
A fractional CMO is a part-time marketing leader. They set priorities, budget and measurement, and they direct the people and vendors who carry out the plan. If nobody is there to carry it out, the plan waits.
Marketing as a service sells the execution: campaigns built, pages shipped, tracking fixed, results reported, on a subscription. The best versions also set priorities, so you are not left directing the work yourself.
Who does the work
Fractional CMO: your team or vendors. Marketing as a service: the provider, in your accounts.
What you pay for
Fractional CMO: leadership time, quoted per engagement. Levered: 1, 2 or 3 active services at $450, $900 or $1,800 a week.
Who you manage
A fractional CMO manages your marketers and agencies. With marketing as a service, the provider runs its own work.
When it ends
Either way, ask what stays behind: plans, dashboards, account access and documentation.
| Marketing as a service | Fractional CMO | |
|---|---|---|
| Main job | Doing the marketing work | Setting direction and leading the team |
| Execution | Included | Done by your team or vendors unless agreed |
| Pricing | Subscription. Levered: $450 to $1,800 a week, or $1,600 to $6,400 a month prepaid | Quoted per engagement |
| Management | Provider runs its own work | Manages your people and vendors |
| Best when | Nobody owns execution | A team exists without a senior leader |
Who this is for
Choose marketing as a service if
- Nobody on the team runs ads, pages or tracking day to day.
- You want work shipped in the first week.
- You would rather pay for output than for meetings.
Choose a fractional CMO if
- You have marketers or agencies and nobody senior directing them.
- Your board or investors want a named marketing leader.
- The open question is strategy, budget or hiring, not execution.
Levered’s Growth II and Growth Lead plans include oversight of outside vendors and contractors, not your employees.
Named results
35
Patients matched to ad inquiries
Colonial Heart: 35 patients matched to ad calls and forms over about four months; 17 were new to the practice.
3.8×
Monthly new-customer orders from paid search
EIS: new-customer orders linked to paid search rose from 22 to 83 across matching April–July periods, and revenue from those orders rose about 70%.
378%
Growth in new website users
Worthix: a rebuilt website, HubSpot tracking and a CMO-hosted podcast grew new website users 378% in a year.
How it works
- 01
Connect the accounts.
Ads, analytics, site, CRM, whatever is live. The work happens in your systems.
- 02
Week one is real work.
Eligible execution trials last seven days and cover one or two low-risk items. A card, existing ad spend and available capacity are required.
- 03
Pick a plan.
Every plan includes calls and access to the service catalog. Plans change the number of active services and outside vendors we oversee.
- 04
One project is one service.
Setup, ongoing work, measurement and iteration. Inside it, ask for anything. A new service is a new project. Swaps are free.
Weekly plans
Growth I
$450 / week
$1,600 / month · Save 10%
- Full stack
- Services at once: 1
- Strategy call: Included
- Vendor oversight: —
- First week free
Growth II
$900 / week
$3,200 / month · Save 10%
- Full stack
- Services at once: 2
- Strategy call: Included
- Vendor oversight: 1
- First week free
Growth Lead
$1,800 / week
$6,400 / month · Save 10%
- Full stack
- Services at once: 3
- Strategy call: Included
- Vendor oversight: 2
- First week free
Monthly is prepaid. Vendor oversight means outside vendors and contractors, not your employees. Practical AI training is in the service catalog; scope standalone advisory work on a call.
Want this run in your accounts?
Book a call if you want to talk first. Get started if you already know you want work to begin.
Common questions
Is a fractional CMO the same as marketing as a service?
No. A fractional CMO leads marketing part time and relies on others to do the work. Marketing as a service includes the work itself.
Does Levered offer a fractional CMO?
Yes. Fractional CMO leadership is one service in the Levered catalog. It counts as one of the active services on your plan. Fractional CMO leadership
Which costs less, a fractional CMO or marketing as a service?
Compare the total. A fractional CMO fee covers leadership; the execution is paid separately through staff or vendors. Levered’s weekly price covers the work on 1, 2 or 3 services. Marketing as a service pricing
Can we use both?
Yes. A fractional CMO can set direction while a marketing as a service provider runs the channels your team does not cover.
What should I ask a fractional CMO before hiring one?
Ask how many hours a month you get, who will carry out the plan, and whether any hands-on work is included.