If you are paying a fractional CMO, you should know how to tell if they are working. Here is how I would hold myself accountable.
Profit, not just revenue
Look at the P&L. Real dollars in the bank, not vanity top-line. Some spend is a long-term play, but you should see the direction moving the right way.
New customer acquisition cost, not blended CAC
What is it costing to bring in new buyers, separate from repeat orders from people you already had. Blended CAC hides whether you are actually growing the customer base.
MER
Media efficiency ratio: total revenue over total marketing spend. It cuts through the attribution arguments and tells you what a dollar brings back across everything.
Brand
Harder to see on a spreadsheet but real. Awareness that lifts sales everywhere at once, online and in retail. A good CMO is building that even when it does not show up this month.
If you want that senior marketing thinking without a full-time hire, that is exactly what I do as a fractional CMO. If you would rather just talk it through, book a quick call.
