When I created my website, I knew I wanted to include a definition of what a Fractional CMO actually is and does. The concept of a Fractional C-suite is still fairly new to many people and I’m always a big fan of making sure to define a common set of language. At the time, I was also taking a course on how to use Generative AI for branding, so, of course, the first thing I thought to do was ask OpenAI’s ChatGPT for their definition.

Scroll to the resulting definition from Prompt 4 if you’d like to view the definition I finally landed on. In the next few paragraphs, I’ll walk through how I used ChatGPT to get there and how you can use similar prompts the next time you’re researching and creating a message.

Prompt 1: What is a Fractional CMO?

“A Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is a marketing professional who provides part-time or temporary CMO services to companies on an as-needed basis. This arrangement is particularly common among startups or smaller businesses that may not have the resources or need for a full-time CMO but still require strategic marketing expertise.

Fractional CMOs typically work on a contract or consultancy basis and offer services such as developing marketing strategies, overseeing marketing campaigns, managing marketing teams, analyzing market trends, and advising on branding and positioning. They provide the benefits of having a seasoned marketing executive without the cost associated with hiring a full-time CMO. This arrangement allows companies to access high-level marketing expertise while maintaining flexibility and cost-effectiveness.”

While this is accurate, it says the same thing repeatedly and doesn’t provide me a lot of depth.

Research

For years when I’ve created content, I’ve used the same process for my initial research and outline. Starting with Google, I find what I can on the topic, extract the paragraphs that are most relevant, and work them into some kind of rough outline with the content and a URL back to the article so I can reference it further if needed.

When I was first deciding if this was the direction I wanted to take with my career, I naturally conducted my research the same way I had previously. So I opened that research, which included selections from the following articles:

My initial research had a clear outline:

What is a Fractional CMO?
Roles and Responsibilities of a Fractional CMO
What is the Value of a Fractional CMO?

The only problem was that it was 12 pages long, including images and all kinds of spacing and fonts. Luckily, ChatGPT doesn’t mind (and neither do I).

Prompt 2: Define what a Fractional CMO is using this research [paste all research]

“Based on the research provided, a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is a part-time outsourced executive position that provides strategic marketing leadership and direction to organizations without the commitment of a full-time, in-house CMO. These professionals offer expertise in branding, product marketing, and overall marketing strategy. They help companies scale their reach and sales through a process-driven approach to marketing.

A Fractional CMO:
1. Provides strategic marketing direction: They develop marketing strategies aligned with specific business goals and objectives.
2. Manages marketing teams: They lead and manage both in-house and external marketing resources to address marketing challenges and drive revenue growth.
3. Implements marketing plans: They establish workflows, processes, and detailed budgets to execute marketing strategies effectively.
4. Monitors campaign performance: They track and analyze marketing campaigns, reporting on their impact on sales and overall business growth.
5. Oversees various marketing initiatives: This includes improving digital presence, managing branding efforts, driving paid and organic marketing campaigns, managing content marketing, and strategizing email and social media campaigns.
6. Leads marketing technology integrations: They ensure that the necessary technology is in place to track data and measure marketing effectiveness.
7. Collaborates with sales: They work closely with sales teams to align marketing efforts with sales objectives and to drive revenue growth.
8. Provides mentoring and guidance: Fractional CMOs offer guidance to marketing teams, recruit top talent, and contribute to talent retention strategies.

Overall, a Fractional CMO serves as a strategic marketing partner, offering executive-level expertise and leadership on a part-time or project basis, helping organizations achieve their marketing and business objectives more effectively and efficiently.”

Well now, that sounds a lot more like what I was looking for but is still far too long and sounds like a textbook. Let’s sidestep for a moment and look at tone.

Your Brand Voice or Tone

If you haven’t yet, I highly recommend finding out what ChatGPT identifies as your tone. In a new ChatGPT tab, paste a large amount of text. For example, I pasted two pages of my newly written website with the below prompt.

Prompt 3: What tone was this written in? [paste 2 pages of website copy]

“The tone of this website copy is professional, yet engaging and approachable. It strives to establish a personal connection with the audience while maintaining a clear focus on the services offered and the value they bring. The language used is confident and persuasive, aiming to convey the expertise and effectiveness of the services provided by Jacki Brown Marketing. Additionally, the use of imagery and metaphors, such as hiking paths and trailblazing, adds a creative touch to the overall tone, making the content more relatable and memorable.”

Thanks, ChatGPT. I’ll pay you again next month for that one. But the answer I was really looking for was “professional, yet engaging and approachable.” This is the helpful tidbit you need to train ChatGPT to write in the same style.

Now head back over to the tab you had going with the definition from your research.

Prompt 4: Can you summarize that in 3-5 sentences and apply the tone of professional, yet engaging and approachable?

“A Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) is a seasoned marketing executive who provides part-time strategic leadership to organizations seeking to enhance their marketing efforts. With expertise in branding, product marketing, and overall marketing strategy, they offer a tailored approach to scaling reach and driving sales.

By overseeing marketing teams, implementing effective strategies, and monitoring campaign performance, Fractional CMOs play a vital role in guiding businesses towards their objectives while offering mentorship and guidance to existing marketing teams. Their flexible and results-driven approach allows companies to access high-level marketing expertise without the commitment of a full-time hire.”

Well, that’s it! I made a couple of grammar edits (toward vs. towards and added a comma), but otherwise that was pretty good. That’s what I was looking for and while it was a bit of a process, it was an easier lift than navigating that definition on my own.

Recap

For the quick rundown, I like to start by asking ChatGPT what it thinks to gauge the level of the response. Sometimes it does give you what you need in the moment. If that’s not the case, you can plug your own research in and ask it to summarize. To make that summary more usable, ask it to apply your tone to that summary. If you don’t know what ChatGPT classifies your tone as, ask it by pasting in a large sample of your writing.

But before you go… if you could use a smile, read on.

Learning to use AI and ChatGPT requires some experimentation. Before I figured out how to gauge my tone by analyzing other content I had written, I decided to just ask ChatGPT to use a “sassy tone,” and this is what it came up with:

Prompt: Can you write that in a sassy tone?

“Sure thing, here’s a sassy take:

”Alright, picture this: a Fractional Chief Marketing Officer, aka your marketing guru on demand! These savvy execs bring serious branding chops and product marketing finesse to the table, all without the hefty price tag of a full-time gig. They’re like your marketing fairy godmother, waving their wand to scale your reach and pump up those sales numbers. From crafting killer strategies to keeping an eye on campaign performance, they’re the secret sauce your business needs to slay the marketing game. So, why settle for anything less? Get yourself a Fractional CMO and watch your brand shine!””

I don’t know that anyone in the tech space would take me seriously if I wrote and spoke like this, but it has a very Elle Woods feel to it and I don’t hate it.

USING CHATGPT TO DEFINE “FRACTIONAL CMO”