{"id":8030,"date":"2022-12-22T19:31:45","date_gmt":"2022-12-22T19:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/?p=8030"},"modified":"2024-02-27T20:18:21","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T20:18:21","slug":"why-you-need-virtual-cmo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenmedia.com\/blog\/why-you-need-virtual-cmo\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s Why Your Brand Needs a Virtual Marketing Partner"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Virtual marketing partners, or a virtual CMO, are becoming increasingly popular with businesses of all sizes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this post, we\u2019re going to dive into this development. We\u2019ll discuss why more companies are turning to virtual marketing partners, what the benefits of this approach are, and how your brand can ensure you\u2019re getting the most of a virtual marketing partner engagement.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a virtual marketing partner?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A virtual marketing partner is a professional who provides marketing services remotely, rather than working on-site at a company’s physical location. This type of arrangement is common in the digital age, as it allows businesses to access a wide range of marketing expertise without the need for a full-time, in-house marketing team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual marketing partners can provide a variety of services, including developing and implementing marketing campaigns, managing social media accounts, creating and distributing marketing materials, and analyzing and reporting on marketing performance. They may work with a single client or with multiple clients, and may be self-employed or work for a marketing agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virtual marketing partnerships can be a cost-effective way for businesses to access specialized marketing expertise on an as-needed basis. It also allows businesses to be more flexible and responsive to changes in their marketing needs, as they can adjust the scope and focus of their marketing efforts as needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why are companies turning to virtual marketing partners? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For one thing, the Great Resignation has left many companies scrambling to fill full-time positions, from the executive level on down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related post: B2B Marketing Trends to Know in the First Half of 2022<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For another, the CMO position<\/a> is a notoriously thorny one. Not only do they have the highest turnover rate in the executive suite, but CMOs also report the lowest levels of job satisfaction compared to other C-level positions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And this goes the opposite direction, too. According to the Harvard Business Review, a full 80% of CEOs \u201cdon\u2019t trust or are unimpressed\u201d by their CMOs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That gives you an idea of the scale of this problem, for both CMOs and the companies they work for (or, perhaps more likely, have recently left). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By becoming a virtual<\/em> CMO, CMOs gain more autonomy over their work. They can provide specific services to specific brands, based on what those brands need. While the scope can change and evolve over time, a CMO who enters into this kind of arrangement will know exactly what duties they\u2019re expected to fulfill because it\u2019s written out in a contract. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the organization\u2019s side, CEOs who have struggled to find a full-time CMO they trust can contract a virtual CMO to carry out specific duties and oversee specific marketing needs\u2014without the stress of finding and paying a full-time executive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s the difference between a virtual marketing partner and a virtual CMO? <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A virtual marketing partner is essentially a marketing agency: a company with lots of different marketing capabilities that can handle as much or as little of your brand\u2019s marketing as you need. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, attention should be paid to the term \u201cpartner.\u201d Agencies that consider themselves marketing partners, like Zen, approach the client relationship differently. It\u2019s a much more collaborative, engaged partnership than one might find at a traditional marketing agency, which is more \u201cset it and forget it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A virtual CMO<\/a> on the other hand is one individual who manages your marketing department and marketing needs. If you have marketers in-house, but no department head, a virtual CMO can manage your team, lead strategy sessions, oversee and develop your marketing budget, and do everything else that a department head would be responsible for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you do not have an in-house marketing department, a virtual CMO would work with your executive team to vet and engage an outside agency or virtual marketing partner to provide the services you need. That could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n